MC's blog

Trivia Thursday 90'S

2009-01-08T09:54:00.000-08:00

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.

I love games and Marty got me a really cool one for Christmas this year: The 90's Game. Any of you that were pre-teens, teens or twenty somethings in the nineties, I think you would really like this game. We tried it out with a couple of friends this past weekend and it was a hit. Sadly the boys beat the girls, but they definitely got easier questions than we did. At least that is what I keep telling myself. It appears none of us ever watched the news though because we all sucked at the events/news/history of the 90's. Oops. For Trivia Thursday, I am stealing some of the 90's trivia questions from the game. Good luck.

1. In 1992, this group releases "Rump Shaker," a song that contains the lyrics, "It's just the little things you do, that makes me wanna get with you."

2. In 1991, this movie starring Richard Dreyfuss permieres and contains the verbal exchange, "If you want to be rid of him, just tell him you won't treat him anymore." "Catherine, that's easy for you to say. The mans is human crazy glue."

3. In 1992, with tears in his eyes, this man says "I bid you a very heartfelt good night" on national TV.

4. In 1998, on Everybody Loves Raymond, Debra is chastised at her daughter's T-ball game for bringing this type of snack food, which is not on the team's "approved" snack list.

5. In 1991, this movie premieres and features a scene where a college student throws a "pajama jammy jam" to raise tuition money.

6. In 1996, this company, which is "Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle," has its initial public offering.

7. 1995: Name two of the three foods that Jewel claims she's "got" in the opening lyrics of the new released song "You Were Meant for Me."

8. In 1997, British author J.K. Rowling publishes the first installment of the Harry Potter series in Britain under this title.

9. In 1994, after getting a divorce from this woman, Jeff Gillooly pleads guilty to racketeering for his role in an assault at the Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

10. In 1998 on Friends, this character is the only one of the six "friends" that is not present at Ross' wedding in England.

11. In 1995, featuring this female Dee-jay, Salt-N-Pepa wins a "Best Rap Performance" Grammy for its song "None of Your Business".

12. In 1998, a Super Bowl advertisement for this sitcom "warns" of an invasion of alien models, including Cindy Crawford and Angie Everhart.

13. In 1996, this group releases "The Freshman," a song that contains the lyrics, "I can't be held resposible, she was touching her face."

14. In 1998, this movie premieres and contains the verbal exchange, "How the hell did you get the beans above the frank?" "I don't know, it wasn't like it was a well-thought-out plan."

15. In 1998, Faith Hill hits #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 with this song that contains the lyrics, "It's centrifugal motion, it's perpetual bliss."

16. 1997: While still starring in the NBC series ER, actress Lisa Nicole Carson begins portraying "Renee" on this Fox series.

17. In 1996, the NBA names its 50 all-time greatest players and this player is the youngest on the list.

18. In 1990, on an episode of this series, a group of high school students hold a telethon to raise money to save a diner called "The Max."

19. In 1995, Seven Mary Three releases American Standard, an album featuring this song that contains the lyrics, "Too rich or too poor, she's wanting me less and I'm wanting her more."

20. In 1992, on this drama Sam Beckett tries to stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy when he takes over the body of Lee Harvey Oswald.

Some are a little tough, but if you think about them, I think you can get them. A lot of these were questions we had this weekend and we got almost all of them. Kick ass!

Answer to the Snow Trivia

2009-01-08T09:08:00.000-08:00

My fingers are still crossed that I might get at least one freakin' day off for snow this year. Bring it on, Mother Nature. Here are the answers to the SNOW trivia:

1. As water droplets freeze, they grow into tiny snow crystals. These stick together to make what?
c. snowflakes

2. If the air is cold and dry, what type of snow is made?
b. powdery

Warm, wet weather produces better snow for making snowballs and snowmen.

3. Why doesn’t snow always melt right away?
d. the sun’s rays bounce off the snow

Snow reflects light, making the ground look brighter, even at night.

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

Everything seems still and silent after a snowfall.

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

It has been known to snow with temperatures in the mid 40’s. Temperatures are below 32 degrees F up in the clouds where the snow is forming.

6. Wet snow that splashes and makes puddles is called:
c. slush

7. Can it snow from clear skies?
a. yes

Yes. Ice crystals sometimes fall from clear skies when temperatures are in the single digits or colder.

8. What rule of thumb is often given for the amount of snow that one inch of rain freezes into:
a. 10 inches

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

That’s why the clinique chick tells me I need the SPF15 on my face all year round.

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

Water from melting snow can cause a flood though.

11. What kind of snow should you never eat?
Yellow snow, of course

12. Why does salt help keep snow from turning into ice?
d. salt waters needs to be much colder to freeze

That’s why it’s good to put on your pavement and on the road.

13. At which of the following temperatures does water spontaneously freeze?
d. -40 degrees F

Ice always melts at 32 degrees F, but water doesn’t always freeze at 32 degrees since it must freeze onto something. However, at -40 degrees F, water freezes spontaneously. If you poured a cup of water out of a window with the air temperature outside at -40 degrees F, the water would freeze before it struck the ground. I hope I am never anywhere cold enough to see this.

14. What is mixed together to create a blizzard?
c. wind and snow

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

16. Heavy equipment that clears snow off roads are called?
a. snowplows

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

Farmers have to be careful of this, especially in drifting snow.

18. Wind blowing the snow can form what?
c. drifts

Snow drifts are often deeper than they look, and can trap vehicles.

19. Which of the following is not effected by wind chill?
c. car radiator

Wind chill is the combination of wind and temperature and is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin. As wind increases, heat is carried away from the body at an accelerated rate. This makes the body temperature go down. Wind chill has no effect on cars or other objects.

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

The Inuit are highly adaptable, living in Northern Canada and Greenland. Today they live in wooden houses and use snowmobiles, but they still make snowhouses when they are out hunting or fishing.

Good job to Mary who got 13 out of 20 correct.

And (I'm getting a little choked up here. I'm so proud) for the first time, Theresa has won Trivia with 14 out of 20. Woot Woot. Hurray hurray. Clap Clap. Take a bow, T!

So Awesome

2009-01-05T08:42:00.000-08:00

One night in July we were sitting on the couch, watching some television, playing some guitar hero, playing on the internet and drinking beers. Marty, in his summer beer buzz started playing on eBay (I discourage this now) and turns to me and says "Ummm... I just bid on some Eagles tickets for the last game of the season and I think we're gonna win." Later that week, we weighed the pros and cons of this drunken decision:
a. the game could mean absolutely nothing because our beloved Eagles could stink and not have a chance at the playoffs.
b. the game could mean absolutely nothing because our beloved Eagles could be awesome and already have made the playoffs.
c. the game could be absolutely painful to watch because it is against Dallas and they have one million pro bowlers on their team and they are "America's team" (GAG).
d. the game could be a total joy to watch because regardless of the Eagles season, it is always fun to watch Dallas get beat.

We decided that we were going to risk it and keep the tickets. A few weeks ago this seemed like a terrible idea since it looked like the Eagles were out of the playoffs. We even looked online to see what we could possibly sell the tickets for.

It turns out that a Dallas loss definitely meant that the Cowboys were out of the playoffs and there was a slim chance that the Eagles would make the playoffs, but it required an unlikely chain of events: Oakland beating Tampa Bay (fat chance) and either Houston beating Chicago (not that likely) or the Giants beating the Vikings (Giants don't have much to play for since they are already in the playoffs). Well, it was pretty much a perfect day of football for Eagles fans.

As we were tailgating, there were people all over with satellite dishes and radios. There was a delay though so we would hear honking and cheering from six blocks away that would make it's way to us every time Oakland scored. They scored the first touchdown to go up 7-0 in the 2nd quarter (hurray), but Tampa tied it a few minutes later (booo). Oakland scored another touchdown at the end of the half to lead 14 to 7 (hurray). So halftime meant many drinks and celebrating in Philadelphia. Then Tampa started the 3rd quarter with a field goal and then a touchdown to go up 24 to 14 (booo). Things quieted down in Philadelphia and the drunken man next to us toasted to next season (with more Jagermeister. I don't see the appeal of it and they kept trying to get us to do them). But then...... Oakland scored a TD and was only down 24 to 21. Less than 3 minutes later they scored another touchdown to take the lead! Eeeeeeek!! They ended up winning 31 to 24. And Chicago lost to Houston 31 to 24. So it was all in the Eagles hands. It was either them or Dallas going to the playoffs.

And they did it!! They didn't just do it. They kicked Dallas' asses. 44 to 6. 44 to 6!!!! It was, by far, the best sporting event I have ever actually attended.

E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles!! We were the third to last row of the stadium. We are thinking this is a good luck thing though. The first playoff series for the Phillies we sat in the third to last row and we all know how that ended.

You can't see the scoreboard since I forgot my camera and had to take pictures with my cell phone, but the scoreboards says

Philadelphia 44
Dallas 6

Woot woot!!!

On our way into the stadium. Brian Dawkins is Marty's favorite player (he forced 2 fumbles that were returned for scores in this game by the way). I bought Marty Dawkin's Clemson jersey for Valentine's Day last year. We've never really gotten much of a response when he wore it to local sports bars. Well, it was a huge hit at the game. All kinds of compliments, requests for where we bought it and two eager embraces from strangers with almost tearful "I love your jersey, man" 's. So my gift was a hit!

Ummm... This is towards the end of the game, aka taken on my camera phone after many many beers. There was no chance I was holding the camera steady.

Let's go Eagles!

Trivia Thursday Let it Snow

2008-12-18T11:02:00.000-08:00

Answers to Christmas Carol Trivia

2008-12-18T10:59:00.001-08:00

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!

Pimpin' ain't easy

2008-12-17T14:24:00.000-08:00

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.

Trivia Thursday - I'm feeling joyful

2008-12-11T06:59:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-08T21:21:00.001-08:00

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.

Yep. I'm back.

2008-12-05T19:10:00.000-08:00

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...

Trivia Thursday REALITY TELEVISION

2008-05-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

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.

I have always been a Survivor fan and I was so pleasantly shocked with this season. You would think it would get old, but this season is probably my second favorite season ever behind the Australia season. So it was Survivor that inspired the Reality TV trivia. I tried to keep it to more popular reality shows, even though I smaller ones like Rock of Love and I Know My Kid's a Star (those VH1 shows are soooooo addictive to me). So here we go:

1. What is considered the first TV reality show?
A. "An American Family"
B. "The Real World"
C. "Candid Camera"
D. "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire?"
E. "Survivor"

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

2008-05-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

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!

Trivia Thursday MATHEMATICS

2008-05-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

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!

Thank you Mom and Dad

2008-04-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

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.

Boom dee odda Boom dee odda

2008-04-25T09:06:00.001-07:00

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:

Trivia Thursday TV Sitcoms

2008-04-24T10:33:00.001-07:00

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.

Back to something a little lighter after my geography headache. TV Sitcoms. I tried to do a mix of 70's, 80's and 90's. Good luck.

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?
a. Mulva
b. Aretha
c. Bovary
d. Dolores

2. The theme song to what '80s sitcom began "Believe it or not, I'm walking on air"?
a. Greatest American Hero
b. Kate & Allie
c. Bosom Buddies
d. Silver Spoons

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

2008-04-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

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!!!!!!

Talented family

2008-04-23T07:11:00.000-07:00

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.

Pretty food

2008-04-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-17T11:07:00.001-07:00

Answers to GAME SHOWS Trivia

2008-04-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

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!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TOM!!

2008-04-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

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?

Trivia Thursday GAME SHOWS

2008-04-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

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.

Answers to last week's Trivia MOVIE QUOTES

2008-04-10T10:38:00.000-07:00

1. “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.”

The Wizard of Oz

2. One day it started raining, and it didn't quit for four months. We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain... and big ol' fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways..."

Forrest Gump

3. I feel like a defective typewriter.

Grease
Rizzo says this when she thinks she's pregnant.

4. No, no more whale! You can't speak whale.

Finding Nemo
I love Dory!

5. I am serious. And don’t call me Shirley.

Airplane

6. Dude, no. This is serious. I just sharted.

Along Came Polly

7. Can you bring me my chapstick?

Napolean Dynamite

8. If I’m not back in five minutes…just wait longer.

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

9. Whoever said orange is the new pink was seriously disturbed.

Legally Blonde

10. I have to admit, you know, I did the fair bit of [hesitates] masturbating when I was a little younger. I used to call it stroking the salami, yeah, you know, pounding the old pud. [pause] I never did it with baked goods, but you know your uncle Mort, he pets the one-eyed snake 5-6 times a day.

American Pie

11. Price check on Vagiclean, aisle five. I repeat: price check on Vagiclean, aisle five. That's Vagiclean. We've got a customer down here with a full-on fallopian fungus. She's baking a loaf of bread and I think it's sourdough.

Me, Myself and Irene
If you haven't seen it, rent it! So funny.

12. True love is hard to find, sometimes you think you have true love and then you catch the early flight home from San Diego and a couple of nude people jump out of your bathroom blindfolded like a goddamn magic show ready to double team your girlfriend...

Old School

13. I carried a watermelon.

Dirty Dancing

14. I’m bigger than you and higher up in the food chain. Get in my belly.

Austin Powers: They Spy Who Shagged Me

15. Look man, you can listen to Jimi, but you can’t hear him. There’s a difference man. Just because you’re listening to him doesn’t mean you’re hearing him.

White Men Can’t Jump

I MUST HAVE MADE THIS TOO EASY! You all did awesome.

Maria got 7 out of 15 and Theresa got 9 out of 15. Pretty good. I would give you both praise in a Toronto Film Festival kind of way. You didn't blow us out of the water, but it was still ok, like most things Canadian.

Megan got 12 out of 15. Very good. Megan gets a Golden Globe.

Janna got 13 out of 15, which is awesome. An Oscar to you, Janna. Way to go.

And Mary S. is ON TOP AGAIN. She got 14 out of 15 and only got White Men Can't Jump wrong, which everyone got wrong. She is tops with the Screen Actors Guild, which those in the know realize is the most prestigious award in Hollywood (I think? Maybe I made this up.). Well done again Mary.

Thanks for playing.

Trivia Thursday MOVIE QUOTES

2008-04-03T13:19:00.000-07:00

Answers to Harry Potter Trivia

2008-04-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

1. What does Harry use to destroy Riddle's diary?
b. A basilisk fang

2. On what date is Harry's birthday?
c. 31st July

3. What color is the Fat Lady's dress?
a. Pink

4. In the final battle for Hogwarts, Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix faced substantial losses. Which of the following did not die the night of the Battle for Hogwarts?
b. Ginny Weasley
Fred died in front of Harry, Ron Hermione and Percy, leaving George not only without an ear, but without a twin. We do not see Tonks and Lupin dying, only their bodies lying next to Fred's. They left behind them their infant son, Teddy, who had to grow up with no parents, only a grandmother and godfather. Other deaths that night include Colin Creevey and of course, Lord Voldemort.

5. Who made the Prophecy about Harry in the Order of the Phoenix?
c. Trelawney

6. Which word describes 'leaving half of yourself behind while apparating'?
c. Splinched

7. What is the password to the prefect's bathroom?
b. Pine Fresh

8. "Mrs. Weasley let out a shriek just like Hermione's. 'I don't believe it! How wonderful!...That's everyone in the family!'
'What are Fred and I, next door neighbors?'"
Why was Mrs. Weasley so excited?
c. Ron had just been named a Prefect

9. What is the incantation for unlocking doors?
b. Alohomora

10. Where does Severus Snape's Potions class take place in the castle?
a. The Dungeons

11. Born under very similar circumstances, which other boy might have been "the boy who lived"?
c. Neville Longbottom

12. Who was the first seeker to ever beat Harry at Quidditch?
b. Cedric Diggory

13. To summon them, Voldemort would touch the mark on the arm of any one of his Inner Circle. What happens to the marks of the others?
c. They burn

14. You have just had an encounter with a dementor and aren’t feeling so great! What would you eat to recover from the effect a dementor has on you?
Chocolate!

15. Born under very similar circumstances, which other boy might have been "the boy who lived"?
c. Neville Longbottom - Yep. Still him.

16. Repeatedly, Mad Eye Moody reminds the students to stay alert - always. What's his way of putting it?
Constant vigilance!!

17. Besides Fred and George (hysterical), I think Luna Lovegood may be one of the funniest characters in the Harry Potter series. While sitting with Harry and Neville in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, Luna has a suggestion as to why Harry seems a little preoccupied:
"(*BLANK*) got you?" she asked sympathetically.
"I-what?" Harry said, confused.
"A (*BLANK*)...they're invisible. They float in through your ears and make your brain go fuzzy. I thought I felt one zooming around in here." She flapped her hands at the air, as though beating off large invisible moths.
What "creature" is Luna referring to? Fill in the (*BLANK*)
c. A wrackspurt

18. There are many deaths in the seventh book, commencing with the murder of the Muggle Studies Teacher, Professor Burbage. Mad-Eye Moody was the next loss, but another character was killed that same night, one who was brave in her own way, and deserves to be remembered. Who died when a missed Avada Kedavra curse hit her?
b. Hedwig

19. Tom Riddle talked to Professor Slughorn while Tom was still at school. What did Tom ask Slughorn?
a. if a person could have more than one horcrux

20. Why did Voldemort kill Snape?
d. The Elder Wand was not working properly for him.
He didn't really that the wand's loyalty actually lay with Draco Malfoy.

TT and Janna both got 14/20. And you both got pretty much the same answers wrong. What house would the sorting hat put you in? I don't think the fat lady would let you into the Gryffindor common room, since you don't remember the color of her dress. I think you both show great loyalty and fair play though. I say Hufflepuff!

Christen got 15/20 right. Me thinks she is very courageous I say Gryffindor!

Sooooooooooo close for first place.

Megs got 17/20 right and Mary S just beat her out with 18/20. Way to go girls. "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure" is a Ravenclaw proverb and I think you are both Ravenclaw material. Megs, wear your prefect badge with pride.

Mary S is definitely Head Girl though!! Mary the trivia crown is yours once again!

Dirty Thieves

2008-03-31T09:54:00.000-07:00

Marty and I went to see a Villanova basketball game before the end of the regular season. My niece is a senior and a cheerleader, so we went for senior night. I was the official photographer for the family and was taking pictures of my brother, sister in law and niece as they were introduced onto the floor. As we were being whisked away into a tunnel into the bowels of the Wachovia Center for the big introduction, I spotted a Philadelphia semi celebrity, Howard Eskin.

Howard is a controversial television and sports radio host in Philadelphia. He makes me laugh cause he can be totally rude to callers if they don't agree with his opinions. I agree with him a lot of the time, which I guess is why he doesn't bother me. He'll call people dopes, morons or geniuses (that one is sarcastic...). I love that he calls Cowboys fans cock-a-roaches. You know, cause you don't hear anything from them when the Cowboys aren't winning, but when they are winning, they all come scurrying out. Howard was standing talking on his cell phone and there I was with a camera in my hand so I had to have a picture. I asked my brother to take the picture and I walked behind Howard and smiled and gave two thumbs up. I didn't want to disturb his call. Well he figured out my game and told the person on the phone to hold on and put his arm around me for a picture. He then told me to have a good night and got back on the phone. For a guy with a bad reputation, I thought this was very nice and I was flattered. I was so excited I oversmiled, so not my best picture, but pretty cool.

After the midcourt introduction of the seniors, I could not wait to get back to my seat to show Marty my picture with Howard Eskin. He was duly impressed, but in all the excitement, I put my sister in law's lens cap into my pocket instead of putting it back on the camera. I didn't figure this out until the next morning, so I sent a text to my sister in law to let her know that I had it and that I would mail it to her.

At work the next morning, I placed the lens cap in an envelope and realized that it was going to slide around too much. So I put the cap in the middle of a sheet of bonded paper. I then place a small piece of paper over the lens cap and I taped all around this piece of paper. This way the lens cap was secure in the middle of the envelope and would not slide around, but no tape was actually stuck to the lens cap. I thought this was pretty crafty. I folded it up, put it in a bonded envelope, added the postage and dropped it into the mail bin.

I get a call from my sister in law two days later. She received the envelope. However, someone had sliced open the end of the envelope, removed the lens cap and put the paper back into the envelope. Even the second piece of paper was still taped to it. What??? Why??? This pissed me off so much I was ready to start punching people. Why the F would someone want to steal a lens cap? I can only assume that they thought the lump in the middle of this envelope was a priceless coin, money, or something far better than a plastic lens cap. I really really hope that the dirty dirty thief was even more pissed off than me when they found that all that was in the envelope was a piece of plastic worth whopping $7. For this $7 lens cap they risked a penalty of up to 5 years in prison or up to $250,000 in fines. I'm sure that the theive's sins will catch up with him or her sooner or later. Perhaps he will get caught next time. OR I would love it if someone stole his stuff. That would be justice. So if anyone sees someone walking around with a lens cap and no high end, expensive camera to go along with it, please slug them for me.

Harry Potter Trivia

2008-03-27T11:21:00.000-07:00

I love the Harry Potter books. They are my all time favorite books. I have read them multiple times and they are a comfort to me and they are my friends. If you have never read them, you totally suck. Alright, you don't suck, but I cannot say enough about these books and I think everyone should read them.

So if you think this Trivia sucks, lie to me. I spent hours making it up.

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 tomorrow or 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 me your answers to me at MCnMarty@hotmail.com.

1. What does Harry use to destroy Riddle's diary?
a. Godric Gryffindor's sword
b. A basilisk fang
c. Fawkes' beak
d. A spell

2. On what date is Harry's birthday?
a. 17th January
b. 24th March
c. 31st July
d. 18th September

3. What color is the Fat Lady's dress?
a. Pink
b. Blue
c. Yellow
d. Green
e. Red

4. In the final battle for Hogwarts, Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix faced substantial losses. Which of the following did not die the night of the Battle for Hogwarts?
a. Fred Weasley
b. Ginny Weasley
c. Nymphadora Tonks
d. Remus Lupin

5. Who made the Prophecy about Harry in the Order of the Phoenix?
a. Snape
b. Merlin
c. Trelawney
d. Dumbledore

6. Which word describes 'leaving half of yourself behind while apparating'?
a. Sprawled
b. Squelched
c. Splinched
d. Spliced

7. What is the password to the prefect's bathroom?
a. Dancing Mermaids
b. Pine Fresh
c. What Stinks
d. Dancing Zorbas

8. "Mrs. Weasley let out a shriek just like Hermione's. 'I don't believe it! How wonderful!...That's everyone in the family!'
'What are Fred and I, next door neighbors?'"
Why was Mrs. Weasley so excited?
a. Ron had just received 12 OWLs
b. Ginny had just been made a Gryffindor
c. Ron had just been named a Prefect
d. Percy had just been named Head Boy

9. What is the incantation for unlocking doors?
a. Presto Unlocko!
b. Alohomora
c. Alahactmora
d. Unlocka Mora

10. Where does Severus Snape's Potions class take place in the castle?
a. The Dungeons
b. First Floor
c. The Ground Floor
d. Second Floor

11. Born under very similar circumstances, which other boy might have been "the boy who lived"?
a. Roger Davies
b. Ernie Macmillan
c. Neville Longbottom
d. Seamus Finnigan

12. Who was the first seeker to ever beat Harry at Quidditch?
a. Cho Chank
b. Cedric Diggory
c. Viktor Krum
d. Draco Malfoy

13. To summon them, Voldemort would touch the mark on the arm of any one of his Inner Circle. What happens to the marks of the others?
a. They fade until the meeting is over
b. They turn blood red
c. They burn
d. They feel icy cold

14. You have just had an encounter with a dementor and aren’t feeling so great! What would you eat to recover from the effect a dementor has on you?

15. Born under very similar circumstances, which other boy might have been "the boy who lived"?
a. Roger Davies
b. Ernie Macmillan
c. Neville Longbottom
d. Seamus Finnigan

16. Repeatedly, Mad Eye Moody reminds the students to stay alert - always. What's his way of putting it?

17. Besides Fred and George (hysterical), I think Luna Lovegood may be one of the funniest characters in the Harry Potter series. While sitting with Harry and Neville in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, Luna has a suggestion as to why Harry seems a little preoccupied:
"(*BLANK*) got you?" she asked sympathetically.
"I-what?" Harry said, confused.
"A (*BLANK*)...they're invisible. They float in through your ears and make your brain go fuzzy. I thought I felt one zooming around in here." She flapped her hands at the air, as though beating off large invisible moths.
What "creature" is Luna referring to? Fill in the (*BLANK*)
a. A crumple-horned snorkack
b. An aquavirious Maggot
c. A wrackspurt
d. A blibbering Humdinger

18. There are many deaths in the seventh book, commencing with the murder of the Muggle Studies Teacher, Professor Burbage. Mad-Eye Moody was the next loss, but another character was killed that same night, one who was brave in her own way, and deserves to be remembered. Who died when a missed Avada Kedavra curse hit her?
a. Tonks
b. Hedwig
c. Hermione
d. Fleur

19. Tom Riddle talked to Professor Slughorn while Tom was still at school. What did Tom ask Slughorn?
a. if a person could have more than one horcrux
b. if Slughorn would join the Death Eaters
c. if he could really be the Minister of Magic
d. if Slughorn would make him a sleeping potion

20. Why did Voldemort kill Snape?
a. He'd found out that Snape was still working for Dumbledore.
b. Snape had something he wanted.
c. He was angry because Snape let Potter escape.
d. The Elder Wand was not working properly for him.

Thunder thighs

2008-03-27T11:11:00.000-07:00

I was told when I met with my smoking cessation counselor that 1/3 of people gain weight when they quit smoking, 1/3 stay the same and 1/3 lose weight. I had a 66 and 2/3% chance of being lucky. Didn't work for me. Guess which 1/3 of the population I am in. Yep. I'm a gainer.

I am an eating machine and it is making me grumpy.

My fat clothes are now tight. Boo hoo.

So I have been in a pretty blah mood for several weeks now. I keep saying I am going to be healthy, but I haven't taken the plunge yet. And then I ate two donuts today. I'm thinking about making a voodoo doll of the coworker who brought them in....

I'm hoping that if I blog about it, I will maybe take action?? Keep your fingers crossed and send some good vibes my way. And if anyone has some tips, please feel free to share.

Here is my plan: eat less, exercise more. Brilliant, isn't it? I will keep you updated as to how this experimental diet works.

Oh. And pray for my husband who has been on the receiving end of some nasty fits and breakdowns. Poor guy.

Answers to Food and Drink 2 trivia

2008-03-27T11:01:00.000-07:00

Hello. Thanks to Mary, Marie and Abbie for playing. Here's your answers:

1. This well-known dish of beef, pate, mushrooms, truffles and a Madeira sauce encased in a pastry crust was named for a famous general. Which dish is it?

d. Beef Wellington

2. An American president came in for some criticism after he declared a great fondness for French soups. In what can only be deemed a bold PR move, the White House issued its recipe for this soup, claiming it to be the President's absolute favourite of all soups! Which soup and which President?

b. Hamburger soup. Critics thought Ronald Reagan seemed elitist for saying he liked French soups, so the White House scrambled to make up this recipe to make him look more patriotic. I’m guessing he probably suggested apple pie for dessert too.

3. Which of these things would you find on a Memphis-style pulled pork BBQ sandwich?

a. Cole slaw

4. Rice, Malt, Balsamic: These are all types of...?

d. Vinegar

5. What is the yellow-colored spice used to season Spanish rice?

Saffron

6. What happens if the date stamped on your milk reaches the date?

b. Shouldn't be sold.

Thank you smart women. Marty and I fight over this. It shouldn’t be sold. The milk will stay fresh up to a week after this date and will not lose its nutritional value. Marty thinks he will die if he drinks it and arguing ensues.

7. What are the two methods of smoking meats and seafoods?

a. Hot and Cold

Hot smoking can take six to twelve hours between 120 degrees and 180 degrees. This yields a drier product. Cold smoking is done at temperatures of 70 and 90 degrees for one to three weeks. I’m scared of anything that has been sitting around for three weeks.

8. What does "86" mean?

a. Out of Menu Item

9. Fabio was a spokesperson for which margarine product?

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. Did anyone ever see when he got hit in the face by a bird while on a roller coaster? Pretty funny.

10. In which US state could you legally take your road kill home to cook and eat?

b. West Virginia. No wonder they have a bad rep. Nasty.

11. Which is the Number One pizza topping in America?

c. Pepperoni. Not my favorite, but apparently the rest of the world likes it.

12. In Canada, what product is called “Kraft dinner” regardless of whether or not Kraft is the manufacturer?

Mac and Cheese. Canadians…

13. The owners of this American fast food pizza joint also own the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Red Wings.

c. Little Caesars. Pizza Pizza. I’m guessing these are bigger in the Midwest because all the ones I knew about in NJ are now defunct.

14. This American burger joint is known for their "slyders".

a. White Castle. Despite what Harold and Kumar say, there is no White Castle in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. There is one in

15. What ingredient is NOT in a Smor, although I think it would be delicious?

b. Peanuts

16. An American favorite, Cheddar, derives its orange color from

b. Annatto seeds. I don’t think you will ever need to know this in your life. They also yellow paiella too. Also delicious.

17. What food product over took Ketchup as the top selling condiment in the United States in 1991?

b. Salsa

18. What color did blue replace when it was introduced to the standard package of 'M and M Candies'?

a. Tan. Who wanted the tan? So boring. My little sister and I used to have to share a bag of M&M’s quite often. I would try to foist the tan and brown onto her.

19. What is a 'Mesclun'?

c. A green salad

20. What is a chorizo?

a. Spanish smoked sausage. Awesome in Jambalaya

Abbie wins!! 14/20. She just beat out Mary who got 13/20.

Maria came in third with 8/20. Maria is a picky picky eater. I wish I was as picky!! So I was not shocked that she didn't know what some of these foods were.

Thanks again.

Trivia Thursday FOOD AND DRINK 2

2008-02-14T10:42:00.001-08:00

So it is more food and less drink this week. Now that I've typed them I'm very hungry. So I have to run to Chick-Fil-A now. Good luck!

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 tomorrow or 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 me your answers to me at MCnMarty@hotmail.com.

1. This well-known dish of beef, pate, mushrooms, truffles and a Madeira sauce encased in a pastry crust was named for a famous general. Which dish is it?

a. Washington Pie
b. Bonaparte's Ribs
c. Beef Stroganoff
d. Beef Wellington

2. An American president came in for some criticism after he declared a great fondness for French soups. In what can only be deemed a bold PR move, the White House issued its recipe for this soup, claiming it to be the President's absolute favorite of all soups! Which soup and which President?

a. Clam Chowder - JFK
b. Hamburger Soup - Ronald Reagan
c. Corn Chowder - FDR
d. Chicken Noodle Soup - Bill Clinton

3. Which of these things would you find on a Memphis-style pulled pork BBQ sandwich?

a. Cole slaw
b. A fried egg
c. French fries
d. Potato chips

4. Rice, Malt, Balsamic: These are all types of...?

a. Wine
b. Cider
c. Olive oil
d. Vinegar

5. What is the yellow-colored spice used to season Spanish rice?

6. What happens if the date stamped on your milk reaches the date?

a. Loses nutritional value.
b. Shouldn’t be sold
c. Goes sour immediately.
d. All of these.

7. What are the two methods of smoking meats and seafoods?

a. Hot and Cold
b. Light and Heavy
c. Dry and Wet
d. Soft and Hard

8. What does "86" mean?

a. Out of Menu Item
b. A customer has been thrown out of the establishment and will no longer be served
c. The "Proof" of liquor
d. All of the above

9. Fabio was a spokesperson for which margarine product?

10. In which US state could you legally take your road kill home to cook and eat?

a. South Carolina
b. West Virginia
c. Alabama
d. Mississippi

11. Which is the Number One pizza topping in America?

a. Sausage
b. Ground Beef
c. Pepperoni
d. Mushrooms

12. In Canada, what product is called “Kraft dinner” regardless of whether or not Kraft is the manufacturer?

13. The owners of this American fast food pizza joint also own the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Red Wings.

a. Domino's
b. Pizza Hut
c. Little Caesars
d. Papa John's

14. This American burger joint is known for their "slyders".

a. White Castle
b. Whataburger
c. Wendy's
d. Johnny Rockets

15. What ingredient is NOT in a Smor, although I think it would be delicious?

a. Graham Crackers
b. Peanuts
c. Marshmallows
d. Chocolate Bar

16. An American favorite, Cheddar, derives its orange color from

a. Orange food coloring
b. Annatto seeds
c. Occurs naturally because of the long aging period
d. From 10 percent Buttermilk added to the curds

17. What food product over took Ketchup as the top selling condiment in the United States in 1991?

a. Ranch Dressing
b. Salsa
c. Tobasco Sauce
d. Mustard

18. What color did blue replace when it was introduced to the standard package of 'M and M Candies'?

a. Tan
b. Yellow
c. Red
d. Black

19. What is a 'Mesclun'?

a. A dessert
b. A fish
c. A green salad
d. A meat dish

20. What is a chorizo?

a. Spanish smoked sausage
b. Classic brown sauce
c. Rich meat stew
d. Long ,slim,brittle Italian bread stick

Bonus Question: What did one cannibal say to the other while dining upon a circus clown?

Answers to Food and Drink trivia

2008-02-14T10:33:00.000-08:00

1. Which liquor - a mix of Mexican coffee, vanilla, sugar, corn syrup, vodka and cane spirits - is the second best-selling cordial in the world?

Kahlua

2. Toasted hazelnuts, toasted cocoa, toasted coffee, vanilla berries, and orange flowers are all combined to create what northern Italian liqueur?

Frangelico

3. What liquor has replaced Whiskey as the top seller in the United States since 1975?

Vodka

4. This green European spirit, which was just recently made legal in the United States, contains 15 different herbs, including wormwood, which shares a toxic element also found in marijuana.

Absinthe. I heard it will really mess you up.

5. A popular dark and bitter German 70-proof "J" liqueur, this drink's name translates to "Master Hunter" and tastes delicious with Red Bull.

Jagermeister. Jager bombs are the bestest.

6. What cordial, made with fine French cognac infused with tropical oranges, sells for between $40 and $225 a bottle?

Drambuie

7. Sold under a number of brands in both white and black varieties, what anise-flavored liqueur is traditionally served straight with three roasted espresso beans?

Sambuca

8. A ruby red, intensely sweet French cordial, this liqueur is made with raspberries, honey, blackberries, vanilla, cognac and herbs.

Chambord. It is the jelly in a peanut butter and jelly and the royale in a kir royale.

9. This is the self-proclaimed champagne of beers.

Miller Highlife

10. According to its makers, only two monks know how to blend the 130 plants that go into which classic French 100-proof liqueur (hint...you can also find it in a big box of crayolas)?

Chartreuse

11. What clear Italian cinnamon-flavored schnapps has about $2 worht of 24-carat gold leaf flakes in each 750 ml bottle?

Goldschlager. It's been a while, but I loved it while I was in college.

12. The name of what liquor is Russian for water?

Vodka.

13. It sells for around $1,500 a bottle. What kind of alcoholic beverage is Louis XIII de Remy Martin?

Cognac

14. What is the American name for the classic Latin cocktail, the Cuba Libre - served with or without lime juice?

Rum and coke

15. What is the Greek national drink, an 80-proof anise-flavored beverage that is manufactured nowhere else but its home country?

Ouzo

16. What gives a Cosmopolitan its pretty pink color?

Cranberry juice

17. In what state is Lynchburg (population 361), home of the Jack Daniel's distillery?

Tennessee

18. If you add a miniature onion to a martini instead of the classic olive or twist, what is the drink called?

A Gibson. A Gimlet is with lime juice.

19. Janis Joplin made this her beverage of choice on stage and the company paid her a small sum for the publicity. It is said she bought a fur coat with the money. What was the beverage?

Southern Comfort

20. Sammy Hagar can't drive 55, but he can make tequila. What is the name of his tequila?

Cabo Wabo. Yum.

A lot of you wimped out when there was no multiple choice. Shame on you!

Mary got 12/20. Mary can hang with the big boys at the pong table.

Ryan got 16/20. He can definitely be the anchor on my drinking team. Thanks for playing M & R!

Trivia Thursday FOOD AND DRINK

2008-02-07T07:41:00.000-08:00

And I decided to make it Drink since I like to drink! I didn't make these multiple choice this week. Mainly because I'm feeling kind of uninspired and I don't feel like typing. I know you will all make me proud though and show your knowledge of booze.

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 tomorrow or 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 me your answers to me at MCnMarty@hotmail.com.

1. Which liquor - a mix of Mexican coffee, vanilla, sugar, corn syrup, vodka and cane spirits - is the second best-selling cordial in the world?

2. Toasted hazelnuts, toasted cocoa, toasted coffee, vanilla berries, and orange flowers are all combined to create what northern Italian liqueur?

3. What liquor has replaced Whiskey as the top seller in the United States since 1975?

4. This green European spirit, which was just recently made legal in the United States, contains 15 different herbs, including wormwood, which shares a toxic element also found in marijuana.

5. A popular dark and bitter German 70-proof "J" liqueur, this drink's name translates to "Master Hunter" and tastes delicious with Red Bull.

6. What cordial, made with fine French cognac infused with tropical oranges, sells for between $40 and $225 a bottle?

7. Sold under a number of brands in both white and black varieties, what anise-flavored liqueur is traditionally served straight with three roasted espresso beans?

8. A ruby red, intensely sweet French cordial, this liqueur is made with raspberries, honey, blackberries, vanilla, cognac and herbs.

9. This is the self-proclaimed champagne of beers.

10. According to its makers, only two monks know how to blend the 130 plants that go into which classic French 100-proof liqueur (hint...you can also find it in a big box of crayolas)?

11. What clear Italian cinnamon-flavored schnapps has about $2 worht of 24-carat gold leaf flakes in each 750 ml bottle?

12. The name of what liquor is Russian for water?

13. It sells for around $1,500 a bottle. What kind o falcoholic beverage is Louis XIII de Remy Martin?

14. What is the American name for the classic Latin cocktail, the Cuba Libre - served with or without lime juice?

15. What is the Greek national drink, an 80-proof anise-flavored beverage that is manufactured nowhere else but its home country?

16. What gives a Cosmopolitan its pretty pink color?

17. In what state is Lynchburg (population 361), home of the Jack Daniel's distillery?

18. If you add a miniature onion to a martini instead of the classic olive or twist, what is the drink called?

19. Janis Joplin made this her beverage of choice on stage and the company paid her a small sum for the publicity. It is said she bought a fur coat with the money. What was the beverage?

20. Sammy Hagar can't drive 55, but he can make tequila. What is the name of his tequila?

Answers to the Friends Trivia

2008-02-07T07:31:00.000-08:00

1. What is Chandler afraid of ?
C Puppies

2. Where was Rachel and Barry's honeymoon destination ?
B Aruba

3. Which of the following is Ross not allergic to ?
D Oatmeal

4. Who played the part of Chandler's father ?
C Kathleen Turner

5. When they are in Vegas, Phoebe says that Ross and Rachel came from a Halloween party. Who was Ross dressed as?
D Bob Saget
Saget jokes are always funny.

6. What song does Emma for the first time smile to?
B Baby Got Back

7. What does Rachel answer as Chandler's job in the one where they lose their apartment ?
A A transponster

8. Which one of these is NOT on Chandler's "Freebie" list ?
C Michelle Pfieffer

9. When Ross is trying to work out all the States in America he asks Tag where he is from. Where is Tag from ?
D Colorado

10. At college Ross & Chandler had a band. What was it called ?
D Way! No Way!

11. When Monica and Chandler discover they can not have children, what does Joey suggest Ross should do ?
B Give them Ben

12. Which of the following stars did NOT make a guest appearance on Friends?
C Denzel Washington

13. What did Ross dress up as when trying to explain Hanukkah to his son Ben?
A Armadillo

14. Joey nearly got a chance to be which movie star's "butt double"?
B Al Pacino

15. The Friends characters are responsible for how many offspring?
I quit on this one and everyone wins. I thought the answer was six, but I forgot about the adopted twins for Chandler and Monica. Do they count as offspring? I guess? Then my head got tire and I quit.
Ross and Susan have two: Ben and one through artificial insemination
Phoebe had the triplets
Rachel had Emma
Chandler and Monica adopted twins at the end of the series.

16. Which statement about Phoebe is false?
B Once married to a lawyer

17. What did Chandler tell Janice to discourage her romantic advances?
C He was moving to Yemen

18. Who did Danny DeVito appear as in a 2004 Friends episode?
A Roy, the stripper

19. Monica's parents admit to spending her wedding fund on which luxury item?
B A new beach house

20. After she marries Mike, Phoebe changes her name to Princess:
C Consuela Banana Hammock

Bonus: Fill in the blanks (and sing along):

Feeding
Vet
Pet
Roses
Noses
Feeding

Hurray for smelly cat.

Everyone did really good here:

Maria got 9 out of 20 and is therefore the Joey of the group. She loves sandwiches and bras.
Miss Caitlin got 11 out of 20 and she is totally Phoebe. She enjoys dizzy spells when she stands up quickly and she runs like a spaz.
Mary got 12 out of 20 and is the Rachel. She likes for people to think that Dangerous Liasons is her favorite movie, but it is really Weekend at Bernie's.
Theresa got 13 out of 20. She is Chandler. Not only is she afraid of women, but she is afraid of Michael Flatley, Lord of the Dance because his limbs seem to move independantly of his body.
Janna got 15 out of 20 and is Monica. She hates to lose and was the goalie of the field hockey team in high school, nicknamed Big Fat Goalie.
Megs got 16 out of 20 and is the Ross. She's the smarty of the group and when she helps her friends move, she obnoxiously screams out "PIVOT" a lot.

Everybody got the bonus (except for Maria, but I didn't want to make her feel bad. Maria, I am singing Smelly Cat in my head right now and dedicating it to you). Good job everybody!

Breaking News

2008-01-31T17:01:00.001-08:00

Sonic is real. I repeat, Sonic is real.

I was driving with Marty, his nephew and his nephew's girlfriend when all of our heads turned and we all gasped simultaneously. There, on the side of the road as we're driving to a Christening, is a Sonic.

I felt like we uncovered Amelia Earhart and she was holding the Holy Grail. We see the commercials all the time. Everything sounds so delicious. Never ever in my life until that moment had I see a Sonic though. The group of us spent hours talking about how we were going to go to Sonic on our way home. I really love to eat so I did not stop thinking about it. And then there we were:

Look at the excitement!

You can practically feel it just from looking at the pictures, can't you?

Many things make sense to me now. When I see the commercial, I always think that the people are in line at the drive thru. NOT SO. There is NO inside at Sonic! It's like a fast food station. You drive into a spot like a gas station and order your food. And then the nice Sonic worker (one brave girl was even wearing rollerskates) brings your food to your car. There are trays that hang from your car window. You can order TOTS instead of fries. That's right. I said TOTS. They serve breakfast ALL DAY. None of this "you can't get breakfast, it's one minute after 10:30 am" at Sonic.

The only thing that sucks about Sonic? The closest one to my house is 75 miles from me. The closest one to anyone who lives North of me? The same Sonic. Apparently they advertise nationally, but don't have a whole lot of locations in the Northeast. I even looked into opening my own franchise (you know, with the $2.3 million I have just lying around), but my area is not available for franchising. So, I guess I'll just have to take a road trip when I need my fix. I RECOMMEND IT.

Thursday Trivia: Friends

2008-01-30T20:47:00.001-08:00

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 tomorrow. 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 me your answers to me at MCnMarty@hotmail.com.

Friends beat The Simpsons by a very narrow margin. This is a good show. My favorite favorite thing is the ridiculousness of Phoebe. I laughed out loud coming up with these questions. So here is the Friends trivia:

1. What is Chandler afraid of ?
A Losing
B Women
C Puppies
D Children

2. Where was Rachel and Barry's honeymoon destination ?
A Bermuda
B Aruba
C Greece
D London

3. Which of the following is Ross not allergic to ?
A Lobster
B Kiwi
C Peanuts
D Oatmeal

4. Who played the part of Chandler's father ?
A Kathy Bates
B Susan Sarandon
C Kathleen Turner
D Cybil Shepard

5. When they are in Vegas, Phoebe says that Ross and Rachel came from a Halloween party. Who was Ross dressed as?
A Chandler
B Capt. Hook
C Sput-nick
D Bob Saget

6. What song does Emma for the first time smile to?
A Bootylicious
B Baby Got Back
C Miss New Bootie
D Shake That Ass

7. What does Rachel answer as Chandler's job in the one where they lose their apartment ?
A A transponster
B A trainspotter
C A pole dancer
D A chef

8. Which one of these is NOT on Chandler's "Freebie" list ?
A Cindy Crawford
B Yasmine Bleeth
C Michelle Pfieffer
D Jessica Rabbit

9. When Ross is trying to work out all the States in America he asks Tag where he is from. Where is Tag from ?
A California
B New Jersey
C San Francisco
D Colorado

10. At college Ross & Chandler had a band. What was it called ?
A 2 Dudes and a Keyboard
B Romatically Modern
C Awesome and Fresh!
D Way! No Way!

11. When Monica and Chandler discover they can not have children, what does Joey suggest Ross should do ?
A Donate his sperm
B Give them Ben
C Give them Emma
D Watch Chandler & Monica to make sure they are doing it right

12. Which of the following stars did NOT make a guest appearance on Friends?
A Winona Ryder
B Reese Witherspoon
C Denzel Washington
D Bruce Willis

13. What did Ross dress up as when trying to explain Hanukkah to his son Ben?
A Armadillo
B Skunk
C Fairy
D Koala

14. Joey nearly got a chance to be which movie star's "butt double"?
A Robert De Niro
B Al Pacino
C Marlton Brando
D Joe Pesci

15. The Friends characters are responsible for how many offspring?
A Three
B Four
C Five
D Six

16. Which statement about Phoebe is false?
A Neglected by her father
B Once married to a lawyer
C Lived on the streets
D Is a vegetarian

17. What did Chandler tell Janice to discourage her romantic advances?
A He was becoming a priest
B He "joined the other team"
C He was moving to Yemen
D He was engaged to Phoebe

18. Who did Danny DeVito appear as in a 2004 Friends episode?
A Roy, the stripper
B Chef Charlie
C Guido, the pizza delivery guy
D Joey's Uncle Bob

19. Monica's parents admit to spending her wedding fund on which luxury item?
A A Winnebago
B A new beach house
C A trip to Tahiti
D A cottage in the Hamptons

20. After she marries Mike, Phoebe changes her name to Princess:
A Walkie Talkie Doggiedoor
B Regina Falange II
C Consuela Banana Hammock
D Ava Cado Cuacamole

Bonus: Fill in the blanks (and sing along):

Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat,
What are they _____________ you?
Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat
It's not your fault

They won't take you to the _____
You're obviously not their favorite _______
Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat,
It's not your fault

You may not be a bed of ______
You're not friend to those with ______
I'll miss you before we're done
Or the world will smell as one

Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat,
What are they __________ you?
Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat
It's not your fault

Do you remember the Toy Trivia?

2008-01-30T18:08:00.000-08:00

It's been a while....

TOY TRIVIA

1. What doll, created in 1959, was named after the inventor's daughter?
b. Barbie Doll

2. What toy, first introduced at the Nuremberg Toy Show in 1979, sold over 100 million units by 1982?
a. Rubik's Cube

3. How many feet of wire does it take to make one Slinky?
d. 80 feet

4. What toy was promoted by the Ziegfeld Follies girls in 1920?
c. Pogo Stick

5. Binny & Smith produces more than 1,500 pounds of this each day. That’s more than 20,000 eggs!

Silly putty

6. What color was the original Easy-Bake Oven?
c. Turquoise
Avocado green did come out in the 70’s though.

7. Play-Doh was originally invented for what purpose?
c. Cleaning Wallpaper
The recipe is still a very guarded secret.

8. What was the name of the outdoor toy similar to Horseshoes that was eventually banned from the market for safety reasons?
Lawn Jarts

9. True or false: All G.I. Joe 12-inch action figures have a scar on their right cheek.
True

10. What game is generally considered to have ushered in the video game era?
b. Pong

11. What made the 1973 Ken doll so "Mod"?
c. removable beard, sideburns, and two moustaches
That’s not even a joke. A bitchin’ Camaro would have been much cooler though.

12. What popular action figure is, technically, named after a pigeon?
a. G.I. Joe
A pigeon named GI Joe carried a message about an allied force invasion in an Italian village. The town of 1000 people had time to evacuate and everyone was saved.

13. What's inside an Etch-a-Sketch?
b. plastic beads and aluminum powder
Looking for this I actually found an “etch-a-sketch autopsy”.

14. What toy is created by mixing silicone oil and boric acid?
d. Silly Putty

15. What was the first movie based on a board game?
Clue

16. What toy’s name is Danish for “play well”?
Lego
Nobody got this right!! I thought the "Danish" would giv it away. Happy Birthday to the Lego. Lego just turned 50.

17. What is the lowest number card in a Pinochle deck?
b. 9

18. Which of the following chess pieces moves only diagonally?
d. Bishop

19. How many different colored wedges are there in Trival Pursuit?
c. 6

20. Name the game where you have to pull out sticks whilst trying to keep the marbles from falling.
d. Ker_plunk

Mary, who has dominated at all things Trivia had the lowest score at toy trivia. 7 out of 20. Me thinks Mary's parents made her sit home and study while the rest of us were outside hitting ourselves in the heads with clackers and riding our bikes without helmets.

Maria had a decent showing with 9 out of 20. I guess she never took a lawn jart to the head.

Joe and Janna tied for first place with 11 out of 20. Woot woot!! Way to go. Janna, I did not expect "dildo" to come up in toy trivia. It gave me a good laugh and it will be interesting to see the toy chest at your house when you have kids!

Quietly creeping into blog and looking around

2008-01-07T19:37:00.000-08:00

Hello? Anyone there?

I did not abandon you, blog. I just took a little break during the holidays. Yep. A few weeks ago things just got really hectic. The two weeks before Christmas, Marty had finals and was studying and writing papers like mad. I, of course was typing said papers. Midweek he wasn't feeling that good. I figured it was because he wasn't sleeping all that much. Then one morning he wakes up and starts freaking out because not only does he not feel good, but he has also broken out really really badly on his face. I looked at him and then asked him to lift his shirt. There were a couple of bumps on his chest and back as well.

"Did you ever have the chicken pox?"

"I think so."

"You think so? Maybe we should ask your Mom."

"Mom, did Marty ever have the chicken pox?"

"I think so."

I was not filled with confidence by these answers, so I called the doctor. They could only see him at 12:15. He had a presentation at noon that he was not willing to miss. So I sent him to the school health center. The nurse said chicken pox definitely. The doctor named several other things, but didn't think it was chicken pox. The good doctor told him to go to the lab in the morning for blood work. During the day they just got worse. I called his older sister and asked her if he had had chicken pox and she said "No way. He never had them!" At least that mystery was solved.

Well....he woke up the next morning covered from head to toe with chicken pox. I mean every part of his body. Even the inside of his mouth and the bottom of his feet. He was so uncomfortable and I felt so bad for him. I called the lab and they said absolutely NOT to bring him in. It sounded like chicken pox and they didn't want to put the rest of the patients at risk. I had my camera in hand a couple of times, but Marty wasn't really down with that and I felt to bad to go against his wishes. Imagine it looked like this though (WITHOUT the smile of course):

It was pretty bad. I give him a ton of credit. There were not that many complaints. He had to miss two finals that he was able to make up right before Christmas. The worst part of the sickness was two weekends before Christmas though when we were supposed to get all of our Christmasing done. No Christmasing got done that weekend. So our tree got trimmed at 2:30 am on Christmas morning after we got back from my family's celebration. Needless to say that is why I have been trying to catch up on sleep and work ever since. But I'm back. Promise!!

Thursday again!

2007-12-20T09:23:00.000-08:00

Answers to Yesterday's Movie Quotes

2007-12-14T09:12:00.000-08:00

I am so on the ball this week. I am posting these early because we are done in the office early for our holiday party. Fun. For those of you who may not have noticed, you can now vote for the next trivia topic right in the right hand corner of the blog.

The Answers:

1. "Oh, stewardess? I speak Jive..." "Oh, good."

Airplane

2. “There's not a day goes by I don't feel regret. Not because I'm in here, or because you think I should. I look back on the way I was then: a young, stupid kid who committed that terrible crime. I want to talk to him. I want to try and talk some sense to him, tell him the way things are. But I can't. That kid's long gone and this old man is all that's left. I got to live with that. Rehabilitated? It's just a bullshit word. So you go on and stamp your form, sonny, and stop wasting my time. Because to tell you the truth, I don't give a shit.”

The Shawshank Redemption. Such a good movie. Red said this at his final parole hearing.

3. “Donger's here for five hours, and he's got somebody. I live here my whole life, and I'm like a disease.”

Sixteen Candles. Donger is Long Duck Dong.

4. “I had the most absurd nightmare. I was poor and no one liked me. I lost my job, I lost my house, Penelope hated me and it was all because of this terrible, awful Negro.”

Trading Places. Eddie Murphy always makes me laugh.

5. "I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this." "I was thinkin' the same thing. That John Denver's fulla shit, man."

Dumb and Dumber

6. “We started this magazine, 'American Bitch'. It's a focus on the issues of the lesbian pure bred dog owner.”

Best in Show

7. “You want to explain the math of this to me? I mean, where's the sense in risking the lives of the eight of us to save one guy?”

Saving Private Ryan

8. “Get some rest and don't worry. I've been working undercover for a long time. They're six-year-olds. How much trouble can they be?”

Kindergarten Cop. My other favorite from this movie is "It's not a tumor."

9. "Strange things are afoot at the Circle K, Ted."

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

10. "Miss Stoger, my plastic surgeon doesn't want me doing any activity where balls fly at my nose." "Well there goes your social life."

Clueless

11. "My God, Vanessa's got a fabulous body. And I bet she shags like a minx!"

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

12. "Greetings and salutations. Are you a Heather?" "No. I'm a Veronica."

Heathers. I looooved Christian Slater.

13. "I'm in love with you." "I am so in love with you." "Hey Robbie, that wasn't a bad song, you know, I'm gonna tell those record company guys about you." "Mind if I give her a kiss first?" "Oh yeah, do what you gotta do."

Wedding Singer

14. "I will not rest until I have you holding a Coke, wearing your own shoe, playing a Sega game featuring you, while singing your own song in a new commercial starring you, broadcast during the Super Bowl, in a game that you are winning."

Jerry Maguire

15. "Who do you think I am?" "Are you sure this isn't a test?" "No, this is not a test." "You're Mr. Durden."

Fight Club

16. “She wanted me to tell you she saw you dance. She said, when you were little, you and her had a fight, right before your dance recital. You thought she didn't come see you dance. She did. She hid in the back so you wouldn't see. She said you were like an angel. She said you came to the place where they buried her. Asked her a question? She said the answer is...”Every day." What did you ask?”

The Sixth Sense

17. "I did not come to medical school to murder my classmates, no matter how deranged they might be."

Flatliners. NOBODY got this. I thought it was an easy one. I think you would all suck at 6 degrees of kevin bacon. Julia Robers, Kiefer Sutherland and a Baldwin are in this movie.

18. "That seems like an awful lot of speed to give one little pooch! Are you sure it won't kill him?" "I never said that."

Something About Mary

19. “The price is wrong, bitch.”

Happy Gilmore

20. "You're so -- you're so money, and you don't even know it."

Swingers

Kat and Janna both got 9 out of 20 correct. They both said that they would suck at this and they were right. BUT Kat gets credit again for making me laugh with her answers. No blank spaces for her! "You're so money" is not from High School Musical, Kat!!

Abbie put in a good showing with 16 out of 20. And yes I did give her credit for "some 80's movie directed by John Hughes" for Sixteen Candles. Practically the same thing, right?

Rated R came in 4th place with 17 out of 20. Heathers was really a chick flick, Ryan. Sorry about that.

Marty came in 3rd place with 18 out of 20. Nice of him to show up, huh? Good job.

TT AND MARY S KNOW THEIR MOVIES. They both got 19 out of 20. They only missed Flatliners, which nobody got. Practically perfect. Mary's back at the top. TT, I am very proud. This was your best Trivia yet. You girls must both like the same movies that I do.

Thanks for playing everyone.

Trivia Thursday MOVIE QUOTES

2007-12-13T09:17:00.000-08:00

Smokers are Jokers

2007-12-11T13:31:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow will mark the completion of eleven weeks of no smoking. Not bad, right? I will admit that I smoked three cigarettes, but that ain't so bad considering I used to smoke a hell of a lot more. That is three cigarettes in 77 days. So for those of you who say "smoking three cigarettes is not quitting" I say F off. Those three cigarettes may have saved lives.

Here are my findings to date.

I still want to smoke, but not all the time. Most of the time I don't even think about it. I don't even think it is the nicotine. It is usually only when I have my little episodes of rage. I am thinking this is because when something would go wrong in my smoking days, I would grab a cigarette and go outside. There, I would calm down and think about the situation while I smoked. When I came back inside, I would not be angry at all. I would be cool, calm MC. I miss her. So I am going to try to just take some deep breaths and count to ten or maybe 100. Yeah. I think 100 would be better. And deep yoga like breaths. It will be like smoking without the smoke. I am brilliant.

I feel like I am rich. I cannot believe how little money I spend. Cigarettes are really expensive. It's almost $6 a pack to smoke now. When I would stop at Wawa to buy cigarettes, I would pick up a few other things. So suddenly I would be spending $10 to $15 a stop. Just two weeks ago, I realized on a Thursday that I had no cash on me and that I had had no cash at all that week. I hadn't used any credit or mac either. Four days without spending a dime? That is not like me. I should probably buy more things for myself now with all this extra money.

I have a keener sense of smell. This sounds like a good thing, but it has kinda backfired on me. For about a week straight, I would occasionally have a really bad smell in my office. It would just come and go. I would search frantically through the drawers of my desk, search the garbage, sniff my armpits and shoes, look behind every standing piece of furniture. Nothing. No obvious source of the stench. Finally, I caught on that the sound of a toilet flushing would shortly follow the onset of the order. Yep. The men's room is right on the other side of my wall. And do men have no shame? Stuff like that doesn't happen in the ladies' room. It's really offensive.

I used to read like crazy. I love books. Turns out I really loved to sit on my porch, read a book and smoke cigarettes. So I haven't been reading so much because it makes me want to smoke. I am going to try to find something else to fool myself with (besides food...) while I'm reading, but haven't figured it out yet. I'm sure it will be brilliant when I do.

When I first went for the counseling, the chick told me that the whole "quit smoking, gain weight" thing was a myth. According to her, 1/3 of people gain weight, 1/3 lose weight and 1/3 remain at the same weight. Guess which third I fall into? Hello fatty! It sucks. Food tastes so freakin' delicious though.

Breathing is really easy.

I suddenly am paranoid about my breath. This never happened when I smoked. So I may not develop lung cancer, but I'm convinced that I have halitosis.

I am no longer a social outcast. Smokers know what I mean.

I have turned into a hermit. Well kind of. I am finally getting over my grumpiness and am returning to a semi-normal person. I have avoided talking to people on the phone sometimes because I'm afraid I won't be able to be nice. Even other people's niceness was pissing me off there for a while. My own husband would tell me he loves me and I would want to kick him in the balls. So I've got to get back into the loop.

I feel really proud of myself. It's f'ing hard, but I've been good. Very satisfying.

Answers to last week's trivia

2007-12-11T09:37:00.000-08:00

The past week my mean husband has had me chained to a keyboard typing papers for him. I am very very excited for the semester to be over. I would love to put all the slacker blame on him, but it's not all his fault. I was going to post the trivia answers on Sunday, but on Saturday night I went to a fabulous holiday party and drank so much champagne that I had to stay in bed until Monday evening. And now here we are. For those of you who saw me in my drunken state on Saturday, I know you forgive me the late answers because I entertained you all with my ridiculous behavior. For those of you who didn't see me, forgive me anyway because I was that ridiculous. So at last! Here they are:

1. Why does Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) take over Santa’s duties in “The Santa Clause”?
a. There was an accident

2. Which famous actress played a little girl who didn’t believe in Santa in “Miracle on 34th Street”?
c. Natalie Wood

3. “Elf” What are the four major food groups?
d. Candy cane, candy, candy corn & syrup

4. “Elf” In the department store, what did Buddy make the snow out of?
b. Pillow stuffing

5. “It’s a Wonderful Life” What movie is playing at the movie house as George runs down the street in Bedford Falls?
a. The Bells of St. Mary’s

6. “It’s a Wonderful Life” What are the cop and the cab driver’s names in the
c. Bert & Ernie

7. “Christmas Vacation” What is Rusty watching when his grandparents arrive?
b. It’s a Wonderful Life

8. “Christmas Vacation” When the Grizwalds go into the woods to find their Christmas Tree, what happens?
b. Clark forgets a saw

9. “A Christmas Story” At first, Ralphie’s dad thought that his major award might be this.
d. The deed to a bowling alley

10. “A Christmas Story” Ralphie and his family lived on what street?
b. Cleveland Street

11. “Charlie Brown Christmas” What kind of tree did Lucy tell Charlie Brown to get?
c. Aluminum

12. “Charlie Brown Christmas” Who does not appear in the movie?
a. Peppermint Patty

13. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” What is the name of the Grinch’s dog?
c. Max

14. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” How many sizes too small was the Grinch’s heart?
b. 2

15. “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” Who was the misfit elf’
a. Hermey

16. “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” What was the name of the misfit toy that looked like a Jack in the box?
Charlie

17. “Frosty the Snowman” What was the name of the rabbit?
b. Hocus Pocus

18. “Frosty the Snowman” What were Frosty’s first words when he came alive?
Happy Birthday!

19. “Scrooged” What does Grace give James for Christmas, saying it is from Frank?
d. A VCR

20. “Scrooged” When the crew can’t get the antlers onto the mouse’s head, what does Frank tell them to do?
c. Staple them

The big results:

Maria got 7 out of 20. She does not approve of cheerful, heartwarming holiday movies. In her spare time, Maria likes to club baby seals and knock over old ladies. Just kiddin' Maria!

Christen and Mary tied at 10 out of 20. If you have not seen It's a Wonderful Life and you are looking for an excuse to cry your eyes out with tears of joy, please watch it. This is in my top 5 all time favorite movies.

Janna takes third place with 12/20. Way to go. Watch out regulars. Janna strikes me as someone who will be out to win and I predict victory soon for her.

Three cheers for Joe Mc in second place with 13/20. Nobody wants to play with a Charlie in the Box, Rudolph...

My older, wiser sister breezes in for Trivia Thursday for the first time ever and what does she do? She wins. Ann Marie got 15 out of 20 and wins this week. Way to go. You better play again biatch!

Thanks for playing everybody.

Trivia Thursday again

2007-12-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

These Thursdays come up quick! I missed last week. My professional typing skills have been working overtime, as my husband has a million papers due for school and I'm too nice to say no to him. However, I think I may buy him some software that teaches typing for Christmas. Maybe he will take the hint. Christmas is fast approaching. Is everyone ready? One gift. That is all I have bought. Sigh. What to do.

Today's trivia is about Christmas movies. I love them. They give super, warm, fuzzy feelings and I cry at the end of most of them. If you don't like Christmas movies, well you have no soul. Alright. That may be little harsh, but how can you not love them?

Here we go.

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 tomorrow. 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 me your answers to me at MCnMarty@hotmail.com.

1. Why does Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) take over Santa’s duties in “The Santa Clause”?
a. There was an accident
b. He’s a long lost great-grandson
c. He applied and got the job
d. He won it in a sweepstakes

2. Which famous actress played a little girl who didn’t believe in Santa in “Miracle on 34th Street”?
a. Liza Minelli
b. Judy Garland
c. Natalie Wood
d. Debbie Harry

3. “Elf” What are the four major food groups?
a. Candy cane, syrup, candy corn & marshmallows
b. Spaghetti, candy, syrup & peppermint
c. Candy corn, candy cane, syrup & soda pop
d. Candy cane, candy, candy corn & syrup

4. “Elf” In the department store, what did Buddy make the snow out of?
a. Cotton balls
b. Pillow stuffing
c. Marshmallows
d. Snow in a can

5. “It’s a Wonderful Life” What movie is playing at the movie house as George runs down the street in Bedford Falls?
a. The Bells of St. Mary’s
b. Story of a Dog
c. Casablanca
d. The Maltese Falcon

6. “It’s a Wonderful Life” What are the cop and the cab driver’s names in the
a. Frank & Jimmy
b. Tom & Jerry
c. Bert & Ernie
d. Lionel & Henry

7. “Christmas Vacation” What is Rusty watching when his grandparents arrive?
a. Miracle on 34th Street
b. It’s a Wonderful Life
c. A parade
d. Football

8. “Christmas Vacation” When the Grizwalds go into the woods to find their Christmas Tree, what happens?
a. Audrey gets frost bite
b. Clark forgets a saw
c. Rusty gets lost
d. Ellen falls into a frozen stream

9. “A Christmas Story” At first, Ralphie’s dad thought that his major award might be this.
a. Hot pants
b. A new furnace
c. Trophy
d. The deed to a bowling alley

10. “A Christmas Story” Ralphie and his family lived on what street?
a. Main Street
b. Cleveland Street
c. Sesame Street
d. State Street

11. “Charlie Brown Christmas” What kind of tree did Lucy tell Charlie Brown to get?
a. Douglas Fir
b. Balsam
c. Aluminum
d. Synthetic

12. “Charlie Brown Christmas” Who does not appear in the movie?
a. Peppermint Patty
b. Friday, the girl with the naturally curly hair
c. Pig Pen
d. Linus

13. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” What is the name of the Grinch’s dog?
a. Spot
b. Jake
c. Max
d. Rover

14. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” How many sizes too small was the Grinch’s heart?
a. ½
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4

15. “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” Who was the misfit elf’
a. Hermey
b. Stan
c. Larry
d. Carl

16. “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” What was the name of the misfit toy that looked like a Jack in the box?

17. “Frosty the Snowman” What was the name of the rabbit?
a. Abracadabra
b. Hocus Pocus
c. Fluffy
d. Hoppity

18. “Frosty the Snowman” What were Frosty’s first words when he came alive?

19. “Scrooged” What does Grace give James for Christmas, saying it is from Frank?
a. A bath towe
b. A big screen TV
c. A microwave
d. A VCR

20. “Scrooged” When the crew can’t get the antlers onto the mouse’s head, what does Frank tell them to do?
a. Tie them on with string
b. Crazy glue them
c. Staple them
d. Tape them

Shopping as it should be

2007-12-04T08:10:00.000-08:00

We did find our new computer, just two days after Black Friday. The new Best Buy add came out. We looked through it and chose three laptops that we liked and got in the car with our fingers crossed. We got to the store, showed them to the associate and asked which ones he had. Surely since they ran out so quickly on Friday, these less expensive computers were going to be gone quickly. They had all three of them. We got our first choice and actually spent less money than we would have on Black Friday and got a better computer. We said we would take it and he sent it over to get the anti virus put in and get rid of all the promotional crap on it. We said we needed the following also:
wireless router
wireless optical mouse
wireless router for my parents
wireless adapter for my parents
microsoft office
a new printer
a video game (OK. this was not a need but I'm like an overindulgent mother when it comes to my husband.)
Total time in the store: 27 minutes. Yep. You read that right. 27 minutes. That is from when we walked in the door until we walked out with the purchases in our hand. It was so easy. This just further confirms that the Black Friday shoppers are fucking batty.

Good Luck Karen!!

2007-11-26T08:29:00.000-08:00

<------ This picture appears upright on my screen. I tried to play with it for a while, but it still posts sideways. I gave up. So just turn your head. Here is my sister's submission for the radio contest Moms Gone Wild from WPLJ in New York. If you are in the area, try and give a listen. I thought she did a great job. For some reason, they do not have a live stream that I can see from their website...

Hi Scott and Todd,

I am ready to be like Britney (except I won't shave my hair off and I will keep my panties on).

My name is Karen Condo, also known as wife, mother, cook, maid, laundress, chauffeur, teacher, nurse, therapist, masseuse, referee, bus driver and all around busy woman. I am a 37 year old mother of 3 (Ashley 13, Caitlin 11, and Joey 5) and wife of 1 (Joe). My husband and I have been married for fourteen years. I guess I can't really say that I need a night away from my husband at the moment, but that is only because he has been working nights for the past two months (I guess the only way he can get on my nerves right now is by not being around). I could definately use a night away from my kids. My daughters get along great when they are not fighting. Of course, being girls and being so close in age (and having only ONE bathroom in the house), imagine how often they are not getting on each others nerves, hence the aka referee. They keep me quite busy taxiing them to cheerleading, tumbling, school, friends, and other activities. I also have Joey, who is my special little boy. Joey has cerebral palsy. He goes to school in Edison (which I drive him to every day - 1 1/2 hours round trip). Joey also has a lot of special needs. He has a trach and feeding tube (he eats nothing by mouth) and also has epilepsy. We spend a lot of time at doctor's offices and hospitals.

On top of taking care of my husband and three kids, I aslo work for a cardiology group. I have not been away overnight from my kids in over 6 years. In fact, I have not had more than 2 drinks at a time in over 6 years (hmm...maybe my panties will be in trouble at Mom's Gone Wild). I could definately use a night of no responsibilities and leave everything up to my husband for a change.

My pal, Mary Catherine (31), also happens to be my sister. She is the person who has to listen to all my bitching when I am having a bad day at home. She is also there for me and my girls when we are dealing with my sons many illnesses. We are from Somerville, New Jersey and would love to join you on the Mom's Gone Wild Bus trip. You can reach me at 908-5XX-4XXX to invite me along. Thanks, Karen "is so ready to go wild" Condo PS - As I type this my girls are fighting over a Jonas Brothers poster. PLEASE HELP ME!!!!

Oooh. I owe some birthday love to my friend, Kelly. Hope you had a great day!

My friend Abbie elfed me. My niece Ashley elfed me. You should all elf someone because it is so freakin' funny to watch. Here's Kelly, Laurie, Clare and me, elfed:

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9608169943

People are crazy

2007-11-24T09:53:00.000-08:00

Marty and I need a new computer. Our computer is like 5 1/2 years old and isn't really working all that well. It works, but it works sloooow, making our high speed internet kind of moot. Sadly, our computer only allows me to blog one out of every three times I try. So we've been looking around. We decided we are going to get a laptop and maybe get a low price desktop to replace what we currently have and then go completely wireless. We found one we liked and Marty saw it on sale at Best Buy. We went over and BOOOOO, the sale ended the day before and it was $150 more expensive. Marty refused to buy it and made it his goal to find the best deal possible on the new computer. And then the Black Friday ads came out.

Best Buy's add had a ton of stuff on sale. We had no interest in the $200 computer. I don't know how they had this special anyway. It was a pc, 17" widescreen monitor, keyboard and mouse. The screen alone is probably worth $200 and they had this whole bundle priced at $200. The ad said every store would have a minimum of 15 of them. The crazy deals like this were labeled as "doorbusters" and it said right on the front of the add that tickets would be given out at 3am for the doorbuster items and the doors would open at 5am. There were a lot of computers on sale, but the one we were interested in was a laptop that was the most expensive computer listed in the ad. We are not morning people, so we never had a plan to go to the store on Black Friday.

Our Thanksgiving tradition is to eat dinner at Marty's brother's house. We then drive to my sister's house where we drink and play poker all night long. For some reason, Marty looks at me at 3:30am and says "If we stay awake another hour, we can hit the Best Buy." I was not that crazy about the idea, so we weighed the pros and cons. The pros won. The computer is $250 off and the closest store to my sister's house is actually in deleware, where there's no sales tax, which would be another $70 cheaper than buying it at home. $320 is quite a bit of savings. We decided to go for it.

Now, the store opened at 5am and we got there at 5:30. There was still a line to get in. There was a line just to get in the door! Crazy. And there were state troopers there acting as crowd control. So we waited. We finally get in the store and had to get into another line, the computer line. I have to say that Best Buy was really well prepared for this madness. They had the ends of the aisles blocked off so that there was a weaving line that led to the counter in the computer section. Meanwhile, people are frantically grabbing printers, digital cameras and the like all around us. A very pleasant woman rammed me in the back of the legs with her shopping cart and then said "Oh. Excuse me." She then rammed the man in from of me in the back of the legs and said "Oh. Excuse me." I was on to her game so I tapped the next woman in the back and said "She's gonna ram you in the back of the legs with her cart and than say excuse me, so you should really get out of the way." She thanked me and the shopping cart lady looked away, refusing to look me in the eye. After standing around aimlessly in this line for about twenty minutes, Marty asked a store associate if we were in the right line and yes we were. He said it would take us forty minutes to get to the next associate who would be better able to tell us if they still had our computer. Claustrophobic people would have been totally fucked. I swear this was the most crowded I have ever seen a store.

We got near the second associate and he is making this announcement over and over "If you do not have a ticket, you will not be able to get any of the computers in the Black Friday ad." This was not what we wanted to hear, so we tried to think our way out of it. Sure, our computer was in the ad, but wasn't a doorbuster. The ad said the sale was on Friday and Saturday for our computer. Surely they have enough to last both days. Maybe they would still have one? We looked around and no one around us was holding tickets. Marty asked the couple in front of us if they had a ticket and they said they didn't. He said "Well, that guy just said if you don't have a ticket, there are no more computers left from the ad."

The woman said "Well, we didn't see the ad, but he found the computer that we want online."

Marty said "I think if it was online, it is probably in the ad." So he pulls the add out of his back pocket and starts to show it to her. "Was it this one?"

"No. It wasn't a laptop."

"Was it any of these?"

"No. Not any of those."

"How 'bout this page?"

"No. None of those."

I see Marty shuffle the pages around and get this gleam in his eye. The evil Marty gleam. The one he gave me when I asked if people can see out of glass eyes. He points to the ad and says "This one?"

"Yep. That's the one."

They were waiting for the $200 computer. Marty laughs and says "That's WAAAAY gone."

The couple looked at each other all confused and start this big discussion amongst themselves. Meanwhile, my husband is hiding behind the ad, laughing his ass off, and mouthing things like this to me: "How fucking stupid can you be? I want to smack them. There are 250 people in line in front of you. Didn't they think maybe some of those people would want one of the 15 $200 computers?" It was hysterical. We gave up and got out of line at this point and admitted to ourselves that we weren't getting our computer. The couple was still there when we got out of line. We think they thought we were lying.

We took the long way around the back of the store before we left because Marty was considering getting a DVD that was on sale. As we are passing the appliances, Marty says "They must be giving away stuff in appliances. Look at the line over there." It snaked up and down aisles, even worse than the computer section. And then he really looked at the line and noticed that a lot of teenagers were in the line and they don't want washers, dryers and ranges. Marty walks up to the associate standing at the end of one of the aisles and says "Is this the checkout line?"

The associate nodded and said "Yep. See the balloons at the back of the store? That's where the line begins. Takes about an hour and a half."

An hour and a half to checkout???? I looked and Marty and said "No DVD's. No amount of savings is worth this much of my time." How crazy is that? I cannot believe people are willing to do this. It made me so mad that I've decided that all of my holiday shopping will be done online. I will not go to even one store! Online I will not get rammed by shopping carts and I won't be surrounded by stupidity. On the ride back to civilization (we decided that Delaware does not count as civilization), we promised each other that we would never ever ever even entertain the idea of shopping on Black Friday again. Although, I must admit that the super stupid couple did make for some great comic relief.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T13:34:00.000-08:00

Hello. I hope everyone is having a happy and safe Thanksgiving. I know it is a Thursday, but I figured most people would not be at their computers today for trivia. I'm sure you will all be at home spending time with the people for whom you are thankful.

I have a lot to be thankful for, but I wanted to share something special. I received a call from my sister Karen yesterday. WPLJ in New York is having a contest and she was going to enter her name to win. The contest is called Moms Gone Wild and they are picking a bus full of Moms to send to Foxwoods Casino Resort overnight. Each Mom will get to bring a friend and my sister asked me to be her friend. Very flattering.
Karen is Mom to two girls and a boy and wife to Joe. She deserves this break! Her girls are 13 and 11 and she only has one bathroom. Her son has special needs and requires a lot of care. Her husband was recently switched to working the overnight shift so she has been juggling a lot of stuff. And she works too. Just typing that made me tired. So keep your fingers crossed that Karen wins and have a great holiday.

Answers to Slacker Trivia

2007-11-19T08:14:00.000-08:00

I am all kinds of out of whack with the Trivia. Answers on a Monday? Unheard of. I guess I am just staying with the slacker theme.

This was just about my favorite trivia ever. This was the most participants I have ever had for Trivia Thursday. Plus, I was LOL quite a bit. Somehow, I never made a number 8. I just went from number 7 to number 9. W/E

Here are your answers:

1. BRB Be right back

2. GAL Get a life
I got some funny ones for this one, including Gassy and Lethal from Janna, Giggles and Laughs from Kat, God Awful Loser from Abbie, Guess Again Loser from Christen and Got Another Laugh from Mary

3. J/K Just kidding

4. TTYL Talk to you later

5. THX Thanks

6. LOL Laughing out loud

7. BBL Be back later

8. This is a freebie because I'm stupid.

9. WTG Way to go
Almost perfect on this one, but we got a good try with With the Girls by Kat and a hysterical White Trash Goddess from Christen. I guess being a WT Goddess beats the hell out of just being WT.

10. IDK I don't know (My BFF Rose) Kat and I both apparently love the grandma from this commercial.

11. TPTB The powers that be
Nobody got this one and I wasn't surprised. I will admit that I almost pissed my pants at the answers that were given though:
Toilet Paper Turd Burglar
Toilet Paper Toilet Bowl
That Pineapple Tastes Bountiful
To Play the Best
The Peanut the Butter

12. PPL People
Pushy Pink Lady, T???

13. NVM Never mind

14. GTG Get together or Got to go

15. AFK Away from Keyboard
Aw, F Kat I like how getting F'ed makes Kat all warm and fuzzy. Awwww.
All Effing Knight from Abbie. This makes me smiley.

16. ATM At the moment

17. IMO or IMHO In my opinion or in my honest/humble opinion

18. W/E Whatever or weekend

19. ADDY Address as in email address
A Dead Dog Yelps, T? This would be an impressive feat for the dead dog.

20. BFF Best friend forever

21. DIY Do it yourself

22. JIC Just in case

23. B/F boyfriend or best friend, I also accepted Before I forget since the slash looked like an I

24. HAGD Have a good day
Hating anyway, God Dammit from Kat. I like the anger.
Hopelessly Agitated Gold Digger from Christen. Interesting.

25. 2G2BT Too good to be true

26. IRL In real life

27. TTFN Ta ta for now

28. N/P No problem

29. Y/W You're welcome

30. TYT Take your time, but I accepted Tell you tomorrow. Theresa, I did not accept Trash Your Town, although that does sound like something a White Trash Goddess would do.

And here we go with the results.

Theresa 20/30
Megan 21/30 Megan fell prey to the mysterious number 8 and her answers were all out of whack. Sorry Megs.
Mary S 23/30
Christen 24/30
Abbie 24/30
Kat 25/30
Janna & Karen are either super smart or spend entirely too much time on the internet. They both got 27/30 and are the winners.

Since it is my game though, I get to give out special awards and I declare Kat and TT winners as well for making me practically pee my pants. My favorite answers by far were Toilet Paper Toilet Bowl and The Peanut The Butter. Very imaginative, ladies. They don't go down without a fight.

Trivia Thursday for slackers

2007-11-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

Hi. I am here, but I have had no internet today. This is a blogger's worst nightmare. I am out of the office with a laptop, but managed to wander around until I found a wireless signal. So now I am standing on one leg in the corner of a hallway typing. The signal is kind of in and out. And here were are. I won't post the answers until Saturday, to give everyone time to answer.

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 tomorrow. 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 me your answers to me at MCnMarty@hotmail.com.

In honor of my technological difficulties, I am going to give you some internet and text speak. You give me the English translation. No calling 13 year old nieces either. I bet kids know this stuff way better than any of the adults. Good luck and thanks for playing!

1. BRB

2. GAL

3. J/K

4. TTYL

5. THX

6. LOL

7. BBL

9. WTG

10. IDK

11. TPTB

12. PPL

13. NVM

14. GTG

15. AFK

16. ATM

17. IMO or IMHO

18. W/E

19. ADDY

20. BFF

21. DIY

22. JIC

23. B/F

24. HAGD

25. 2G2BT

26. IRL

27. TTFN

28. N/P

29. Y/W

30. TYT

TFP. CUL8R (OK. I made up TFP. That was Thanks For Playing...)

IT'S HERE!! IT'S FINALLY HERE!!

2007-11-14T08:50:00.000-08:00

NINJA FEST IS HERE!! It is tonight!

This has been so anticipated in my house, and I'm so excited it is finally here. If you have not watched Ninja Warrior before, you are really missing out. Ninja Warrior is a Japanese game show known in Japan as Sasuke and it airs here on G4TV with English subtitles. It's on every weeknight at 6pm and 10pm. We have seen them all since they 've only done Ninja Warrior 19 times, but we watch them over and over. It never loses it's magic. 100 competitors compete and there are four stages of obstacle courses. Each stage is harder than the last and the contestants drop like flies. The courses are so ridiculously hard that only two guys have ever completed it to be crowned Ninja Warriors. It's so addictive.

Stage One is a lot of fun to watch because most of the contestants in no way have the upper body strength to compete in the later stages and the people have no shame. Japanese soap stars, newscasters, comedians, models, movie stars, transvestites, old people, average joes and there was even a guy who played a Ninja at an amusement park who competed... They don't care. They all try it anyway and end up swimming in mud and its great entertainment. Some even do this in thongs. Awesome. And during all of this you get to hear this crazy Japanese announcer screaming and saying ridiculous things like "Watch his sinewy muscles glisten in the red sun." I'd say maybe 10 people actually get through the first round because it's pretty hard. Stage 2, even harder. State 3, unbelievable. And Stage 4 near to impossible: if contestants get this far, they have to spider climb up about 35 feet between two walls and up a 30 foot rope. IN THIRTY SECONDS.

I love how the contestants aren't professional athletes. There are some olympians, but the really good ones are mostly blue collar workers, who work out, build obstacles in their back yards and rock. I think everyone has their favorite contestant. There are six guys that are considered All Stars, since they always do so good.

I always love Shingo Yamamoto. He has competed in every single Ninja Warrior. He's the only person who has and he's made it to Stage 4 twice. One time he JUST missed finishing and the other time he dislocated his shoulder about ten feet into the spider climb. In the first season, he pumped gas at a gas station. He always wears his uniform for the competition. I love how over the competitions we get to see how he kept getting promoted (he's a regional manager now), got married and built his house (of course with a full Ninja Warrior training course built in the yard). Cool guy.

The best guy ever though is Makoto Nagano. He is Marty's hero. He's a fishing boat captain who totally fucking rocks at Ninja Warrior. He has been to the final stage four times and actually won once. He is the coolest guy ever. He makes the obstacles look effortless a lot of the time because he takes his time and is so graceful. I've seen him fail in every stage, but he is always smiling when he emerges from the muddy water. He is so modest and humble. The best part is, I swear he cheers more for the other competitors than himself. This is such a cool thing about Ninja Warrior. There doesn't have to be just one winner. I remember a show where Nagano was in the final stage with a Japanese actor and a Bulgarian olympic gymnast. There didn't seem to be any comradery between them all. The gymnast and the actor were so out for themselves. Nagano changed that. He suggested that a bunch of guys train together and that is how the all stars came about. Can you tell I'm a Makoto Nagano fan? Hahaha.

So I am challenging everybody to watch it. I challenged my Mom and Marty's Mom and they are both addicts now too. G4 ran a competition to send over an American competitor. So tonight they are running a special showing the winner of the American Ninja Challenge starting at 8pm and 3 new episodes back to back of Ninja Warrior from 9 to 10:30pm. So tune in for more outrageous competitors, more insane obstacles and more NIIIINJA WAARIOR. G4 is channel 74 for Comcast in my area and 175 for Cablevision peeps.

Here is a sneak peek if you can view it of Makoto Nagano in all four stages. Enjoy!

RAGE

2007-11-12T13:21:00.000-08:00

I had to give myself an eight day cooling period before I could even blog about this. I was so mad at the time that I could not have tried to make light of it at all. I'm still wrestling with the anger, trying to decide where to begin. Deep breath.

OK. Here goes. I love football season. I really really do. I like cold beer and hot wings and these are football staples. I also like to spend time with my husband sometimes and unless I watch football I don't get to see him on Sundays from September through February. I really love to gamble and you can gamble with football too. I am in three pools this year. One is a survivor pool where you pick one straight up winner each week. You can only pick each team once though for the year. If your pick does not win, you are out of the pool. Forever. Pretty simple. Well, I have been in this pool for several years. My record prior to this season was 2 weeks. Yep. Never made it past week 2. This frustrates me. But this year... This year I was in in to win it. As of last week, Week 9, I was still in! Football knowledgeable husband? OUT. Me? IN. YEEEEESSSSSS.

My other pool is a rank'em pool. There are 13 to 16 games per week. I pick the winners and then give them confidence points. For every game you pick correctly, you get the points you allotted to that game. The person with the most points wins. I have never won this. Marty has won this several times.

My last pool is a fantasy football league, which is fun. We had a live draft and everything. The other teams are family and friends and we get to talk nasty smack to each other, heckle, point and laugh, all kinds of fun stuff. I started 3 and 0 at the beginning of the season and haven't done much since.

So, this brings me to last week, or the week of DOOM as I like to call it. Now, I normally don't think about my picks at all during the week. I get up on Saturday, look at who's playing and make my survivor pick. I should have known something would go wrong when Marty asks me on Thursday "So. Have you thought about your survivor pick at all? San Diego is not a bad pick." Of course I had not thought about it. My pick was not due for two more days. And why is he helping me at week 9? I made it 8 weeks without any help from him, thankyouverymuch. But I ended up following his advice (I would have made this pick on my own anyway, but I like blaming him...). I went with San Diego over the Vikings. San Diego was favored by 9 points. Well they lost. They didn't just lose. They got embarrassed. NFL records broken and crap. And I hate them.

Next came my rank'em pool. I was winning. I was in first place after the early and late Sunday games. Only two games left. All I needed was for the Eagles to win on Sunday night and the Steelers to win on Monday. Nooooo problem. Well, the Eagles lost, the Steelers won and I finished in second place. F-ing Eagles. They are MY team. They lost AND they made me lose my pool? By two points? I hate them.

Lastly is my fantasy team. For the ladies, I will try to put this in terms that you can understand since the fantasy stuff is a little more involved. I was playing the team in my league with the worst record. My apologies to said team's owner, but she had only one win the whole season. So I was pretty confident that I would win. My team has really been sucking of late and I was excited for the sure win. I play Jay Cutler as my quarterback because my backup is Chad Pennington and well, of course I would not play Chad Pennington. (girls, Jay is the Steve Maddens, Chad is the Payless. Other girls in the league are rocking Christian Louboutin, which makes me green with envy and I sure as hell ain't wearing the Payless.) Well, Jay scored 0 points and was out of the game in the 2nd quarter with an injury. I know this sucks for him, but it totally sucks for me too. You need a quarterback! (ladies, a man let me down. I know, I know. I shouldn't be so surprised.) So there's a big goose egg for that department.

My kicker was on a bye week. He's usually good for a few point, but I didn't want to drop a player and try and pick one up. Especially since the available kickers in waivers don't even really play. So I didn't have a shot of getting points there, but figured I would be okay. (chicas: it's like I'm going to the club , but I forgot the going out purse, so I have the full size purse with me. I don't want to carry it around the club, so I grab the money and id, shove them in my pocket and leave the purse in the car. It's there, not doing anything for me. But when I leave the club and go to the diner later, I'll have the purse and all of its necessary tools.)

My running backs should get me some points though right? Well... Larry Johnson did alright, but Travis Henry must have been tired from all of the lie detector tests and building his web of lies for the NFL so they don't suspend him. (we've all had one: the bad boy. They are so tempting. Girls, Travis has gotten caught smokin' the doob for a third time. He's so bad ass he isn't even denying it. Yep, he did it, but he's trying to get off on a technicality. Oh. And he's got 9 kids from 9 different chicks. Too much baggage. I should've seen this from the get go. He's pretty good though and bad boys are exciting...)

Houshmandzadeh was there for me and got me some points and my reliable Steelers defense scored a whopping 28 points, but they could not make up for the total suckiness of Roy Williams, Dallas Clark and Dennis Northcutt (my female friends: Houshmandzadeh = chocolate, Steelers D= potato chips, Williams = cramps, Clark = bloating, Northcutt = back pain. The chocolate and chips are great, but the other jerks still ruined my day and I'm totally defeated.) And then I was totally defeated. Lost by 5 points. And I hate them. Now I'm mad all over again.

Answers to Yesterday's Monopoly Trivia

2007-11-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

1. Which is not a game piece in Monopoly ?
d. Airplane
The money bag was not an original game piece. There was a public vote for a new game piece and the money bag was the winner.

2. How much does it cost to buy Boardwalk ?
b. $400
Too rich for my blood.

3. If you own 3 railroads, how much rent do you collect when someone lands on one ?
c. $100

4. How much do you have to pay to get out of Jail ?
d. $50
Crime doesn’t pay. Oh wait. Yes it does. You can collect rent while you are in jail. This comes in very handy late in the game when rent is expensive. I love to sit in jail and collect rent from other people.

5. How much money do you collect for passing GO ?
a. $200

6. How much is Luxury Tax ?
d. $75
It’s such a pain in the ass, isn’t it? You’re two spots from Go. And dyu gotta pay.

7. In the official rules, how much money do you collect for landing on Free Parking ?
c. $0

8. How many Chance spaces are on the board ?
b. 3

9. How much does it cost to buy one of the utilities ?
a. $150

10. The policeman on the "Go To Jail" space has a whistle in his mouth ?
a. True

11. In the U.S. version of Monopoly, which Atlantic City street is misspelled.
a. Marvin Gardens
Oops.
12. Which square is located between Pennsylvania Avenue and Community Chest?
a. St. James Place
This is a gimme that everybody got because I typed it wrong. It should have read Pennsylvania RAILROAD and Community Chest. But I goofed. There is nothing in between Pennsylvani Avenue and Community Chest because they are right next to each other!

13. How much does it cost to buy Ventnor Avenue?
c. $260

14. What is three spaces after the “Go to Jail” space?
b. Community Chest

15. If you own Electric Company and Water Works, how much rent would you charge another play for landing on one of the properties?
c. 10 times the amount on the dice

16. How many properties are there on the board that can be bought from the bank, excluding railroads and utilities?
a. 22

17. How much do you get from the bank if you draw the “Bank error in your favor” card?
b. $200

18. How much do you get for winning second price in a beauty contest?
c. $10
I won first.

19. If “Your Building and Loan Matures”, how much money do you get from the bank?
a. $150

20. Which of these can you not advance to when drawing the designated Chance or Community Chest cards?
d. Marvin Gardens

OK. I've revamped my answer checking system to this new system that involves folding the paper. We'll see if it is more reliable. It is more fun. But it also looks more suspicious as I am folding and unfolding paper at my desk. Here are your results:

First off, I made this one hard. And I'm sure we all haven't played in a while. I know it has been a long time for me.

Maria and Theresa got 8 out of 20 correct. Maria admitted to playing Monopoly very infrequently. Theresa need to brush up on her skills cause I have played with her a ton of times. She is cute though, so it's forgiven. T, it is $50 to get out of jail:-) Now, go to Jail. Go directly to Jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.

Mary got 10 out of 20 correct. Well done. You get a Get Out of Jail Free Card.

Joe Mc got 13 out of 20 correct and was a clear front runner. He has bankrupted you all and run away with all of your money. Good job Joe!! Way to go.

What is happening to the neighborhood?

2007-11-09T08:54:00.000-08:00

CRAZY SHIT. Not sure if you saw this on the news, but I came home after working late
last night and the road our street is off of was closed. There were a ton of police cars, swat vans, fbi jackets, helicopters... This is not the normal course of things when I get home from work. It's a nice quiet neighborhood. Anyway, a 20 year old guy murdered his two half sisters, aged 6 and 10 and tried to kill his mom and his one year old half sibling. The murder weapon was a hammer. That is terrible. A hammer? Poor little girls.

This caused quite the stir in my neighborhood. Pretty much every neighbor called us and these were thestories I got:

There is a crack house on G street (around the corner) and the FBI is breaking up a drug ring. I admit to being unobservant sometimes, but I hope to god that I would recognize crackheads in my neighborhood.

A guy killed his mother and fled the scene and was running around loose in the neighborhood. Super. Homicidal maniac on the loose. I double checked all the locks on the doors and windows.

A guy killed his whole family and was in the house threatening to set off a bomb. That is just super. Explosives not even a quarter of a mile away.

A guy killed his whole family and was in the house and finally killed himself. There was a loud crack that was probably something being dropped. Two of my neighbors called convinced it was a gunshot. I have no idea what a gunshot sounds like, so I could not advise them.

Turns out this guy killed the sisters. The baby is okay. The mom is hospitalized, but alright. She got away and called the police. The guy did not kill himself, but he threatened to for an hour and a half before the police nabbed him. He is in police custody. And they thought he may have explosives on or near his person, so they evacuated all the surrounding homes.

So there I am, thinking there may be a homicidal maniac on the loose and here is what goes through my mind: Why is my husband not here to protect me? How am I going to take out the trash and the recycling?

My new non-smoking technique is to clean obsessively. Not pick up my husband's crap in the living room or anything like that. That's still a big old mess. I mean, take everything out of every kitchen cabinet and drawer, discard unused items and expired food, clean the drawer or cabinet and neatly put back the keepers. So I had an unusual amount of trash.

Anyway, Marty had to go to a teachers convention in Atlantic City. He left at 5:45 am and took the train. I tried to call him several times to give him the scoop on the local homicide, but got his voicemail every time and made a mental note "if homicidal maniac ever breaks into house, do not call husband because he does not answer cell". So as I am going over the trash and recycling dilemma (I could take it out and carry around a golf club for protection or I could call the neighbor and ask him to watch my back as I take out the trash. He is very chatty though normally and with the added drama of murder, he would have had me out there for hours talking. I decided it wasn't worth it. Hmmm. What to do?) when my cell rings and the caller id
reveals it is Marty. "Imatdatrainsation. Needcomegetme. Threwuptrain. Threwuptrain." Huh? Slower honey. I have no idea what you are saying. After a couple more attempts, I finally got it!
He was wasted, at the train station, had thrown up due to the final shot of tequila and needed me to pick him up. NICE. So I called the most dependable person in the world (she'll be the #1 call if I encounter a homicidal maniac by the way), my Mom and she came and took me to the train station. Thanks Mom.

What in God's name happened to my husband? I have seen him drink at tailgates from early morning to late night before and function just fine. He could not speak. He could not walk. He was a total mess. Apparently the teacher convention winded down about 1 in the afternoon. Then they drank for 7 hours straight. And there was tequila. I'm not sure how he didn't see this was a recipe for disaster from the beginning.

I gave Marty the 411 twice on the way home. Yet, when we pulled up, he still said "Wazzgoin on here? Assiden or sumpin?" Yep. Accident honey. I am leaving your vomit on the top step. You can hose it off in the morning. Love ya.

Trivia Thursday MONOPOLY

2007-11-08T09:16:00.000-08:00

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 tomorrow. 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 me your answers to me at MCnMarty@hotmail.com.

A conversation with a coworker yesterday about Monopoly inspired this trivia quiz. I always loved Monopoly. I wish I played it more now. I like it when it is played correctly though. None of this "get a million dollars when you land on free parking" crap. Also, when you play by the rules, the game takes a half an hour, as opposed to the 4 hour marathon games when you play by house rules. Here are some house rules I have seen played:
Roll double sixes and get $500.
Roll double ones and get one of each bill.
Land on free parking and get $500 and any tax people pay.
Giving someone immunity from rent (how is this at all fair???).
Selling back houses/hotels for full price (it's supposed to be half).
Every family has their own rules and some of them are pretty crazy.

My personal Monopoly strategy is to go for the Oranges and the Reds. I like the middle of the line real estate with a good return. They're before the Go to Jail Space, so the other players are not missing you and they're after Jail, so you get some suckers who've just been sprung. Plus there's a card that sends you right to Illinois Ave! Can't beat that. And the housing prices for the Greens and Blues are just staggering. We only get $200 every lap around the board. So I stay away from the high rent district. Anyway, let's see what you know about the game! Please feel free to also share any house rules that you know that I didn't list or just don't know. Good luck.

1. Which is not a game piece in Monopoly ?
a. Money bag
b. Dog
c. Iron
d. Airplane

2. How much does it cost to buy Boardwalk ?
a. $350
b. $400
c. $450
d. $500

3. If you own 3 railroads, how much rent do you collect when someone lands on one ?
a. $50
b. $75
c. $100
d. $150

4. How much do you have to pay to get out of Jail ?
a. $20
b. $25
c. $40
d. $50

5. How much money do you collect for passing GO ?
a. $200
b. $300
c. $400
d. $500

6. How much is Luxury Tax ?
a. 10% of assets
b. $200 or 10% of assets
c. $150
d. $75

7. In the official rules, how much money do you collect for landing on Free Parking ?
a. $500
b. $500 plus all fines collected
c. $0
d. $50 from every player

8. How many Chance spaces are on the board ?
a. 2
b. 3
c. 4
d. 5

9. How much does it cost to buy one of the utilities ?
a. $150
b. $175
c. $200
d. $225

10. The policeman on the "Go To Jail" space has a whistle in his mouth ?
a. True
b. False

11. In the U.S. version of Monopoly, which Atlantic City street is misspelled.
a. Marvin Gardens
b. Baltic Avenue
c. Ventnor Avenue
d. Park Place

12. Which square is located between Pennsylvania Avenue and Community Chest?
a. St. James Place
b. Pennsylvania Avenue
c. Marvin Gardens
d. Oriental Avenue

13. How much does it cost to buy Ventnor Avenue?
a. $280
b. $240
c. $260
d. $220

14. What is three spaces after the “Go to Jail” space?
a. Chance
b. Community Chest
c. North Carolina Avenue
d. Pennsylvania Avenue

15. If you own Electric Company and Water Works, how much rent would you charge another play for landing on one of the properties?
a. 2 times the amount on the dice
b. 4 times the amount on the dice
c. 10 times the amount on the dice
d. 5 times the amount on the dice

16. How many properties are there on the board that can be bought from the bank, excluding railroads and utilities?
a. 22
b. 26
c. 28
d. 30

17. How much do you get from the bank if you draw the “Bank error in your favor” card?
a. $50
b. $200
c. $100
d. $250

18. How much do you get for winning second price in a beauty contest?
a. $50
b. $15
c. $10
d. $25

19. If “Your Building and Loan Matures”, how much money do you get from the bank?
a. $150
b. $50
c. $100
D. $45

20. Which of these can you not advance to when drawing the designated Chance or Community Chest cards?
a. St. Charles
b. Illinois Avenue
c. Boardwalk
d. Marvin Gardens

Answers to Yesterday's Trivia

2007-11-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

This was surprisingly my favorite Trivia to prepare. We live in a pretty freakin' interesting place and the research was cool.

Thank you to my two participants. Maria was a returning player and we have a SHINY NEW player, Ryan.

Was everyone else scared of the American Trivia?

Here are your answers:

1. Mount Rushmore is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Which of the following faces is not pictured on the rocky cliff?
c. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
This was kind of a trick question. The fourth face on Mount Rushmore is Theodore Roosevelt, not Franklin D.

2. The Gateway Arch is located in St. Louis, Missouri and is also called "the Gateway to the _______."
d. West

3. Each Memorial Day weekend, one of the country's most popular sporting events is held. What is this event?
c. The Indianapolis 500
I don’t get it, but it is very popular.

4. Located on the border between the United States of America and Canada, Niagara Falls consists of three separate falls. Which of the following is not part of Niagara Falls?
b. Maid of the Mist Falls
Maid of the Mist is the Steamship Company that does trips at the falls.

5. A bucking horse and rider is the state symbol for which state?
d. Wyoming
Check out their state quarter to see.

6. Considered one of the natural wonders of the world, this is the site of a national park that was founded in 1919 and encompasses 1,218,375 acres. What is the name of this national park?
a. Grand Canyon National Park
“natural wonder” was the clue here.

7. Which of the following cities is the oldest in the United States of America?
b. St. Augustine, Florida
It was established by the Spanish in 1565.

8. In what state does the famed Punxsutawney Phil reside?
a. Pennsylvania
If you have not seen Groundhog Day, you are missing out.

9. The lowest point in the United States is which of the following?
b. Death Valley, California
It’s also supposed to be one of the hottest places in the world. Less than 2 inches of rain a year. Interesting reading on this place.

10. In the 48 contiguous United States, which of the following is the highest point?
a. Mount Whitney
Mount McKinley is the highest point in the US, but Whitney is the highest in the 48 contiguous states.

11. Alaska's biggest park is Wood-Tikchik State Park.
a. True
1.55 million acres.

12. This state became the 50th state on August 21, 1959.
d. Hawaii
They used to be the Sandwich Islands. This makes me hungry.

13. This state has the greatest population.
California

14. The capital of Nevada is Las Vegas.
b. False
Carson City is the capital.

15. This state is known for having one of the most diverse landscapes in the United States including deserts, prairies, semiarid scrublands, tall and dense forests, coastline, and glaciated Cascade volcanoes.
b. Oregon
That’s kinda crazy.

16. Named after the first President of the United States of America, this is the only state named after a president.
Washington

17. Britton Hill is the lowest highpoint of any state, and the highest point in Florida.
a. True

18. Yellowstone National Park is mostly in ______, but extends into Montana and Idaho.
e. Wyoming

19. Ninety percent of this state's land is forested.
b. Maine
And I’ve heard it is beautiful.

20. Which of the following states borders Iowa?
d. llinois
The land of Lincoln.

The breakdown:

Ryan got 15 out of 20. For a first timer, I am impressed. It was really 14 out of 20, but I gave him #11 since he answered "d" to a question that only had "a" and "b" as options. This confused me, I thought I had written his answer down wrong and I double and triple checked and then I found it so funny that I had to give him credit. And he got the Indianapolis 500 wrong, which is great. That whole watching cars go around in a circle thing is a mystery to me too, Ryan.

Maria got 17 out of 20 right, with no gimmes. She's a Yankee Doodle Dandy, a Yankee Doodle do or die. Way to go Maria!! Wave your flag proudly.

Dessert Abuse

2007-11-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

I did an unforgivable thing.

On Sunday, I was having dinner with my family and I made dessert: Chocolate pudding pie and rice crispie treats. Good stuff. Since the full Thanksgiving worthy turkey dinner that my sister and mom made was so flippin' good and filling, nobody ate my desserts. Bastards.

Dilemma dilemma dilemma. What to do with the desserts? Mom did not want the contraband left at her residence since it would be too tempting, so both full desserts (well...there was one rice crispie treat missing. not sure who the guilty party is, but good for him or her.) went home in my car. Now, do I keep both decadent calorie laden dishes at my house to tempt me and Marty? Pawn them off on a neighbor? Throw them away (oh, hell no)? Hmmm. Chocolate is always good and the pie had one of the really good graham cracker crusts. And I have the can of RediWhip in the fridge ready to top the pie. Also, based on previous studies, I have found that Marty eats three pieces of chocolate pie to every one piece that I eat. So, my sins would be minimal. Rice crispie treats have butter in them. Fatty. But they also have marshmallows in them which don't really weigh anything, so I personally consider them to be a "lite" food. And they are cereal so I feel that it is okay to eat them for breakfast. Suger equals energy, which would make me a hyper, alert worker. To keep both desserts would be sinful though, so a decision had to be made.

After debating the pros and cons, on Monday morning, I decided that the pie was staying and the treats were going. Going to work with me that is. This is a two-fold bonus because I also look like a caring, considerate co-worker for bringing them in and I am not actually ingesting the calories myself. Nice. Well, I was running a bit late on Monday morning. Shocking, I know. Sunday evening I had decided that I would cut the rice crispie treats in the a.m. You know, cause I was gonna wake up early. Ahem. It didn't work that way in the morning. Yeah. I was running late. I had my lunch, my purse, my coffee and the glass Pyrex dish of rice crispie treats on hand. I grabbed my keys and ran out the door. I got to the car and went to unlock the door and... Shit. Wrong keys. I put down my stuff, grabbed the newspaper from the sidewalk, ran into the house, swapped the keys, dropped the paper, returned to the car and I was on my way.

Now, my commute is about 15 miles. I have three turns to Route 295, take it for 14 miles, take the exit ramp, proceed about a mile, turn right and then make a left into my office parking lot. Things were proceeding nicely for 90% of the trip. No traffic, coffee is delicious, it is a nice sunny fall day. I take the exit ramp from Route 295 and I hear a loud pop. A peak into the rear view mirror reveals bits and pieces of glass bouncing all over the ramp behind me. Running through my mind at the time: Some ASSHOLE has littered and left a glass bottle on the side of the road. If I have a flat tire, I am going to be soooooo pissed off. There is a chance that other drivers will get flat tires. Some people are such jerks and should go to hell for not considering others when they make stupid decisions.

Yep. I was really mad at the litterbug. Anyway, I got to work (only a couple of minutes late) and walked two laps around my car to survey the damage. It appeared that my tires were intact. Phew. Deep breath. It'll be a good day. Littering d-bag can't touch me. I grabbed my purse, my coffee and my lunch from the passenger seat and opened the back door to grab the delicious treats. The rice crispie treats were not there. Where are the rice crispie treats? And then I realized: on the exit ramp from Route 295. MENTAL REPLAY "drop purse, coffee, lunch, treats. Newspaper. Exchange keys. Pick up purse, coffee, lunch. Get in car. No pick up treats. FUCK. No pick up treats!?!?" Yep. I managed to make it 14 miles with a glass pan of rice crispie treats on my trunk. They weren't even fully on the trunk. They were hanging off like a good three inches. And not even a full mile from my office they fall off. How did I do this? How did no other drivers bring it to my attention? Why did they have to fall?

This is sinful since it is a blatant abuse of dessert. My coworkers were horrified by the story. More so because they all apparently love rice crispie treats. To rub it in: on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, there on the side of the ramp next to some broken glass was a sheet of rice crispie treats with only one treat missing. It was there to taunt me. This morning, it was finally gone. Hopefully to some nice squirrel or wild animal family with tough feet. And I have to go to Bed Bath and Beyond and buy a new Pyrex dish. Awesome.

Trivia Thursday. blah

2007-11-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

I know I suck. The man keeps trying to bring me down. I have been crazy busy at work, staying late, etc. And when I am at home, I am playing Guitar Hero III. Ridiculously addictive. I lurve it. I did not want to miss out on Trivia Thursday though. So here you go. These United States of America. I guess with Election Day coming, I was inspired. I think that since schools are off, I should have off from work, but my employer does not seem to think so.

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 tomorrow. 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 me your answers to me at MCnMarty@hotmail.com.

Good luck.

1. Mount Rushmore is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Which of the following faces is not pictured on the rocky cliff?
a. George Washington
b. Abraham Lincoln
c. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
d. Thomas Jefferson
e. All of the above are featured on Mount Rushmore.

2. The Gateway Arch is located in St. Louis, Missouri and is also called "the Gateway to the _______."
a. North
b. South
c. East
d. West

3. Each Memorial Day weekend, one of the country's most popular sporting events is held. What is this event?
a. The Super Bowl
b. The Kentucky Derby
c. The Indianapolis 500
d. The Stanley Cup

4. Located on the border between the United States of America and Canada, Niagara Falls consists of three separate falls. Which of the following is not part of Niagara Falls?
a. American Falls
b. Maid of the Mist Falls
c. Bridal Veil Falls
d. Canadian Horseshoe Falls

5. A bucking horse and rider is the state symbol for which state?
a. Montana
b. Oklahoma
c. Texas
d. Wyoming

6. Considered one of the natural wonders of the world, this is the site of a national park that was founded in 1919 and encompasses 1,218,375 acres. What is the name of this national park?
a. Grand Canyon National Park
b. Yellowstone National Park
c. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
d. Big Bend National Park

7. Which of the following cities is the oldest in the United States of America?
a. Albany, New York
b. St. Augustine, Florida
c. Santa Fe, New Mexico
d. Quincy, Massachusetts

8. In what state does the famed Punxsutawney Phil reside?
a. Pennsylvania
b. New York
c. Virginia
d. West Virginia

9. The lowest point in the United States is which of the following?
a. New Orleans, Louisiana
b. Death Valley, California
c. The Everglades, Florida
d. Jones Point on the Potomac River

10. In the 48 contiguous United States, which of the following is the highest point?
a. Mount Whitney
b. Mount Rainier
c. Mount McKinley
d. Pikes Peak

11. Alaska's biggest park is Wood-Tikchik State Park.
a. True
b. False

12. This state became the 50th state on August 21, 1959.
a. Alaska
b. Texas
c. California
d. Hawaii
e. Rhode Island

13. This state has the greatest population.

14. The capital of Nevada is Las Vegas.
a. True
b. False

15. This state is known for having one of the most diverse landscapes in the United States including deserts, prairies, semiarid scrublands, tall and dense forests, coastline, and glaciated Cascade volcanoes.
a. Utah
b. Oregon
c. Indiana
d. Delaware
e. Conneticut

16. Named after the first President of the United States of America, this is the only state named after a president.

17. Britton Hill is the lowest highpoint of any state, and the highest point in Florida.
a. True
b. False

18. Yellowstone National Park is mostly in ______, but extends into Montana and Idaho.
a. Minnesota
b. North Dakota
c. Colorado
d. Maine
e. Wyoming

19. Ninety percent of this state's land is forested.
a. New York
b. Maine
c. California
d. North Dakota

20. Which of the following states borders Iowa?
a. Wyoming
b. Montana
c. Maine
d. llinois

Yesterday's Answers

2007-10-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

1. What candy is made of four crisp wafers covered in chocolate?
a. Kit Kat

2. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are the most popular and most widely recognized brand of peanut butter cups in the world.
a. True

3. What are the names of the small, crunchy sweets that come in a variety of shapes and flavors? They are sold by Nestlé under their Willy Wonka Candy Company brand.
a. Nerds

4. What lollipop fills in the blank for the following famous slogan? "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a ______ _____?"
b. Tootsie Pop

5. M&M's are small, colorful candies coated in chocolate. What company produces M&M's?
b. Mars

6. Which of the following chocolate bars does not have peanuts in it?
c. 3 Musketeers (Milky Way Bar)
Fluffy nougat. Yum.

7. Hershey's are sometimes referred to as oversized chocolate chips.
KISSES

8. Everyone knows that PEZ are small, flavorful candies, and that they come in small PEZ dispensers, but which of the following is not an actual dispenser made by PEZ Candy Incorporated?
e. They are all real PEZ dispensers.

9. Which of the following was the first bubble gum to be sold?
c. Dubble Bubble

10. Which of the following candies has a coconut center?
d. Almond Joy
Has nuts too.

11. What are small, chewy candies shaped in the form of bears?
Gummy Bears

12. Nestlé is America's largest chocolate company.
b. False
It’s Hershey, of course.

13. You can write your own messages on special M&M's by going to a website and having them mailed to you.
a. True
And pay like $10 a pound! It is cute, but expensive.

14. Who is the manufacturer of Dove chocolate?
c. Mars

15. What candy is a chocolate bar with a biscuit center topped with caramel and coated in milk chocolate?
c. Twix
I love these things. Plus you get TWO candy bars instead of one.

16. What candy has an "S" written on it?
Skittles

17. Milky Way and Milky Bar are the same candy but with different names.
b. False
The Milky Way is fluffy nougat with caramel covered in chocolate. The Milky Bar is white chocolate.

18. What candy's slogan or "jingle" starts with, "Give me a break..."?
b. Kit Kat

19. What famous basketball player sponsored Bubblicious's new bubble gum flavor, Lightning Lemonade?
e. LeBron James

20. What candy's slogan is "First they're sour, then they're sweet"?
a. Sour Patch Kids
They were originally called Mars Men. It’s like a party in your mouth!

BONUS ROUND!!!
B1: Melts in your mouth, not in your hand
M&M’s

B2: Taste the rainbow.
Skittles

B3: Makes mouths happy.
Twizzlers

B4: Get the sensation.
York Peppermint Patty

B5: The great American chocolate bar.
Hershey’s chocolate bar.

You people know your candy pretty darn good.

Joe Mc got 18/20 correct. Very knowledgeable. He got 3/5 correct in the bonus round for a total score of 105%. While this is the lowest score, I feel that I must point out that the bulk of Joe's missed answers were about bubble gum, Twizzlers and York Peppermint Patty. As these have the lowest fat content of candies, I totally approve of avoiding these candies and Joe Mc is a winner in my book.

TT got 17/20 correct. Her missed questions were on Pez, bubble gum and LeBron James, so we forgive her. She totally bounced back with a perfect score in the bonus round. Nice. So her total was 110%.

Maria got 18/20 correct. Wow. She also got 4/5 correct in the bonus round for a total score of 110% to tie with TT for second place. Maria got Pez wrong (dispensers are not really candy), did not know that Mars manufactures the Dove bar (but I'm sure she still thinks that Dove bars are delicious chocolateness) and did not know the slogan for Twizzlers (please see comments for Joe Mc on fat content), so this is practically a perfect score in my book.

Mary got 18/20 correct, but got ALL 5 bonus questions correct for 115%. Just awesome!! She has now improved her record to 3 and 0. Can no one usurp her power over Trivia Thursday?? Way to go Mary!! UNDEFEATED.

The prize for this week: Anyone who got over 100% correct may eat all of the Halloween candy they desire guilt free. That's right. I said GUILT FREE candy consumption. You deserve it for all your brain power.

Trivia Thursday! CANDY CANDY CANDY

2007-10-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

In honor of Halloween, today's trivia is about CANDY. Yummy. Everybody likes it. Those people that tell you they "aren't crazy about chocolate"? Fucking liars. That is like saying "I don't much care for air." Anyway...

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 tomorrow. 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 me your answers to me at MCnMarty@hotmail.com.

Dig in!

1. What candy is made of four crisp wafers covered in chocolate?
a. Kit Kat
b. Butterfinger
c. Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar
d. Baby Ruth

2. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are the most popular and most widely recognized brand of peanut butter cups in the world.
a. True
b. False

3. What are the names of the small, crunchy sweets that come in a variety of shapes and flavors? They are sold by Nestlé under their Willy Wonka Candy Company brand.
a. Nerds
b. Geeks
c. Brainies
d. Whizzes

4. What lollipop fills in the blank for the following famous slogan? "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a ______ _____?"
a. Blow Pop
b. Tootsie Pop
c. Sugar Daddy
d. Charleston Chew

5. M&M's are small, colorful candies coated in chocolate. What company produces M&M's?
a. Hershey
b. Mars
c. Lotte
d. Nestlé

6. Which of the following chocolate bars does not have peanuts in it?
a. Snickers
b. Mr. Goodbar
c. 3 Musketeers (Milky Way Bar)
d. Take 5

7. Hershey's ___________ are sometimes referred to as oversized chocolate chips.

8. Everyone knows that PEZ are small, flavorful candies, and that they come in small PEZ dispensers, but which of the following is not an actual dispenser made by PEZ Candy Incorporated?
a. Simpsons
b. Bugs Bunny
c. Winnie the Pooh
d. Mickey Mouse
e. They are all real PEZ dispensers.

9. Which of the following was the first bubble gum to be sold?
a. Hubba Bubba
b. Bubblicious
c. Dubble Bubble
d. Juicy Fruit

10. Which of the following candies has a coconut center?
a. Milky Way
b. Heath Bar
c. 5th Avenue
d. Almond Joy

11. What are small, chewy candies shaped in the form of bears?

12. Nestlé is America's largest chocolate company.
a. True
b. False

13. You can write your own messages on special M&M's by going to a website and having them mailed to you.
a. True
b. False

14. Who is the manufacturer of Dove chocolate?
a. Nestlé
b. Lotte
c. Mars
d. Hershey

15. What candy is a chocolate bar with a biscuit center topped with caramel and coated in milk chocolate?
a. Snickers
b. Heath Bar
c. Twix
d. 100 Grand
e. None of the above

16. What candy has an "S" written on it?

17. Milky Way and Milky Bar are the same candy but with different names.
a. True
b. False

18. What candy's slogan or "jingle" starts with, "Give me a break..."?
a. 100 Grand
b. Kit Kat
c. Mr. Goodbar
d. Crunch Bar
e. None of the above

19. What famous basketball player sponsored Bubblicious's new bubble gum flavor, Lightning Lemonade?
a. Dwayne Wade
b. Steve Nash
c. Allen Iverson
d. Kevin Garnett
e. LeBron James

20. What candy's slogan is "First they're sour, then they're sweet"?
a. Sour Patch Kids
b. Sour Gummy Worms
c. Swedish Fish
d. Fruit Roll Ups

BONUS ROUND!!! Oooh. I’ve never had a bonus round before. This is exciting. I’ll give you a slogan. You tell me the candy:

B1: Melts in your mouth, not in your hand.

B2: Taste the rainbow.

B3: Makes mouths happy.

B4: Get the sensation.

B5: The great American chocolate bar.

Merry Theresamas

2007-10-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

Some birthday love to my baby sister, Theresa! October 24th should be a national holiday. She is super lovable. In her honor, I present to you the following:

Totally willing to cause herself bodily injury to make you laugh with her physical humor.
Has an awesome ghetto booty.
Excellent beer pong player.
Really giant lips when she is mad.
Easy (just kidding...you know who told me to say that...) I meant Easy going.
Super de duperest bestest sister in the world.
Awesome puzzled smile when she doesn't get a joke, but pretends she kinda does.

Have a great day, T!

Sometimes I F up

2007-10-19T10:37:00.001-07:00

I make mistakes. It doesn't happen that often, but I can't always be perfect. The high tech system that I use to check the Trivia answers is as follows: I write the correct answers in a column. Then I write everyone's answers in columns next to it. Then I check the answers and put a giant X on the wrong ones. Then I count the number wrong and subtract that from 20 to get the total number right. So you can see all of the room for error. I could write the correct answers wrong. I could copy the participants' answers incorrectly. I can be off with my counting (sadly... I went up to calculus 4 and this is still possible). Or I could F up the subtraction. Today's results were a combination of things.

I wrote down three of Theresa's answers wrong so they were all marked with a giant X. I corrected them, but two of them still get X's. She goes from 11/20 correct to 12/20 correct. So she is in second to last place instead of last place. She still kinda suck.

Kristin... Oh Kristin. I made a counting error with you. In honing my higher education skills, I think I lost track of the basics, like counting from one to ten. I had credited you with having 11/20 right. Well...you got 10/20 right. I won't comment further cause I don't want to scare you away from Trivia Thursdays. My sister on the other hand, I can be as mean as I want to be and she has to love me forever. It's family law. I just know that you are going to kick some major ass next week.

Abbie and Mary, I got all your numbers right so you are still tied for first place. You can have a tug of war with your prize (I thought it was music trivia appropriate):

Answers to Yesterday's Music Lyrics Trivia

2007-10-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

Here are the answers:

1. "I turn the radio on, I turn the radio up, and this woman was
singing my song."
d. Lisa Loeb “Stay”

2. "All of the other pills, they were different."
b. Pink “Just Like a Pill”

3. "You can trust me not to think, and not to sleep around, and if
you don't expect too much from me, you might not be let down."
b. Gin Blossoms “Hey Jealousy”

4. "I realized quickly, when I knew I should, that the world was
made up of this brotherhood of man, or whatever that means."
d. 4 Non-Blondes “What’s Up?” You know “And I said Hey yeah yeah yeah. Hey yeah yeah. I said Hey. What’s goin’ on..”

5. "Now I would never diss my own mama just to get recognition,
take a second to listen who you think this record is dissin', put
yourself in my position, just try to envision witnessin' your mama
popping prescription pills in the kitchen."
b. Eminem “Cleaning out my closet” If it’s a mom bashing song, Eminem is always a good bet…

6. "There are addictions to feed and there are mouths to pay, so
you bargain with the devil that you're okay for today."
c. Jewel “Who will save your soul”

7. “You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be and I
don't want to go home right now."
a. Goo Goo Dolls “Iris”

8. "I needed you more, we wanted us less, could not kiss, just
regress."
c. Bush “Glycerine”

9. "If looks could kill you would be an Uzi."
c. Salt-N-Pepa “Shoop” “or a shotgun BANG. What’s up with that thang?” Thang…haha

10. "I let the right ones out, and kept the wrong ones in, had an
angel of mercy to see me through all my sins."
b. Aerosmith “Amazin” GOT YOU ALL. Nobody got this right.

11. "This comfort endlessly has pulled itself upon me,
distracting, reacting, against my will I stand beside my own
reflection, it's haunting."
c. Linkin Park “Crawlin” And this was the one I thought would get you, but three out of four got it right!

12. “You're trying to be
cool, you look like a fool to me."
b. Avril Lavigne “Complicated” It was on the radio every day for like a year…

13. "Don't think of yesterday and I don't look at the clock, I
like to boogie woogie."
c. Madonna “Music” She is a goddess.

14. "New Kids On The Block had a bunch of hits, Chinese
food makes me sick."
a. L.F.O. “Summer Girls” You all got this. And here I thought people may answer it wrong on purpose so as not to admit know this song. Do you all wear A&F too?

15. “It's meeting the man of my dreams, and then meeting his beautiful wife."
d. Alanis Morissette “Ironic”

16. "Under the pale moon, for so many years I've wondered
who you are, how can a person like you bring me joy?"
b. Ace Of Base “The Sign” I put this in here because I hate Ace of Base more than pretty much anything in the world, yet I know every word to this song.

17. “It seems like I can finally rest my
head on something real. I like the way that feels.”
c. Ashlee Simpson “Pieces of Me”

18. “What’s cooler than being cool?”
a. OutKast “Hey Ya” And what’s cooler than being cool? “Ice Cold” of course.

19. “So, by changing her misconceptions
She went in a new direction.”
b. Kelly Clarkson “Miss Independent”

20. “She always rights the wrongs for me.”
b. Sugar Ray “Every Morning” I wanted to molest Mark McGrath about ten years ago.

This was a good showing with FOUR participants. You ladies are super. Thank you.

Here we go:

Theresa and Mary were tied for last place. 11 out of 20 each. Not too bad. I have a sneaking suspicion that you girls make up your own words to songs when you listen to the radio. Maybe when I do my "There's a bathroom on the right" commonly misheard lyrics quiz, you will really sparkle. T, if it makes you feel any better, if I had ended the contest at question #4, you would have won.

And the winner is.....

We have two winners!! What? What?

Mary & Abbie both had 15/20 right. Well done. Mary is a mensa member. At least as far as I am concerned. Two weeks in a row with a W. Amazing. Abbie was making an appearance for the first time and has just proven to us all that she is brilliant and fabulous. Me thinks if I did an All Crunk Trivia Thursday, she would spank you all.

Thanks for playing!

Curses

2007-10-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

I just spotted an article about swearing at work that got me kind of excited. It can be found here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071017/od_afp/britainemploymentlanguageoffbeat_071017155439

According to a British study, "Regular swearing at work can help boost team spirit among staff, allowing them to express better their feelings as well as develop social relationships."

This is AWESOME. I love to curse and I do it all the time. I had no idea it was making me such a good professional. I must be wildly popular at work developing all of these social relationships through cursing. I express my feelings through inappropriate words pretty much every day. In fact, I probably boost the moral and team spirit of my office to the maximum. Wahoo. I'm sure my coworkers are inspired when I put snarky clients on hold and proceed to slam the phone against my desk screaming "F'ing Whore!" with each rap of the phone. "Son of a Bitch", "douchebag", "handjob", "dickhead", "what the F", "are you f'ing kidding me", "refuckingdiculous","F'ing A-hole" and the like can be heard so often from my little office, I'm shocked a parade has not been organized in my honor.

The article goes on to say it was "assessed that swearing would become more common as traditional taboos are broken down, but the key appeared to be knowing when such language was appropriate." Ummm.... Huh? How do you determine what is appropriate? This is just stupid. I know that my potty mouth normally spews its venom in the heat of the moment. I can't really picture myself pausing and asking myself "Would doodie head or cluster-fucked toolbox be better in this situation?" I have decided to ignore this part of the article and continue to proudly curse. Now fuck off and get back to work.

Trivia Thursday

2007-10-17T12:17:00.001-07:00

I hate Mondays

2007-10-16T10:01:00.001-07:00

I know it is Tuesday, but I played hooky yesterday, so today is my Monday. I don't like it. So I have come here to complain.

Dear Boss:
Stop looking at me funny. I was really sick yesterday. cough. cough. sniffle. sniffle.
Sincerely,
MC

Dear Husband:
I am very proud of you for returning to school to get your degree. Thank you for telling me that I deserve a day off and encouraging me to call out yesterday. The next time I deserve a day off, kindly refrain from giving me a semester's worth of typing to do in one day.
With Love,
Your adoring wife

Dear Clients:
I understand that you have paid my company for a service and that my absence yesterday was an inconvenience to you. However, I have a lot of friends who have emailed me in the last several days to whom I must send responses. I'm sure you understand.
Always at Your Service,
MC

Dear Bitch Who Cut Me Off at Dunkin' Donuts this morning:
I hope you have ugly babies.
Signed,
Annoyed Chick in Ford Explorer

Dear Staple Inventor:
I'm assuming you invented the staple remover as well. I really enjoyed the staple that was lodged a half an inch into my thumb this morning as I was trying to remove it from some paper. Thank you for that.
Painfully yours,
MC
PS: If you think a tetanus shot is necessary, please respond.

Dear Coworker #1:
The next time you decide to change an entire system that is used by 50% of the office, it would be nice if you would send out a memo, email, note, reminder or a holler. This could possibly save someone (i.e. ME) a couple of hours of wasted work.
Your courtesy is appreciated in that regard.
MC

Dear Coworker #2:
I just wanted to let you know how I impressed I am with your inability to remember how to do the same task that I have had to show you every week for the last four months. It is amazing to me. I look forward to teaching you again next week. It really fills up some of that free time I have in spades.
Respectfully yours,
Amazed Me

Dear Mr. Ford:
When I brought the truck in for a tune up the radio worked really well. When I picked the truck up, the radio no longer worked. I'm glad that your service department denied having anything to do with the broken radio. My commute is not at all boring without a radio. It really gives me some time to get in touch with my true feelings: anger, resentment, bitterness. I am looking forward to the estimate on the radio repairs.
Your loyal customer,
Musicless MC

Dear Comcast:
My internet is still not working properly. You are fortunate that I am too lazy to call and disconnect the service. Otherwise, you would have one less customer. You should change your add campaign to "sucktastic". Please forward this to your advertising department. Also, you should send a letter of apology to all of the people who sent me emails over the weekend, since I was unable to respond to them and to all of my loyal blog readers. They have probably been bored to tears without me to entertain them.
Signed,
U Suck & Thank God I Have the Internet at Work

Answers to Yesterday's Disney Trivia

2007-10-12T07:38:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Theresa, Kristin & Mary for participating! Here are the answers:

1. What Disney movie was the first full-length animated feature to be produced in the United States:
c. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

2. What is the only Disney animated feature film that has a title character who doesn’t speak?
c. Dumbo

3. What Disney movie was the first full-length animated feature to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture?
d. Beauty and the Beast

4. What was the name of the goldfish in “Pinocchio”?
d. Cleo
Figaro was the little kitty cat.

5. What is the name of the Prince who rescues Sleeping Beauty in “Sleeping Beauty”?
b. Prince Phillip

6. What is the last name of bad boy Sid in “Toy Story”?
a. Phillips

7. What is the name of Mulan’s dog?
a. Little Brother
She says his name just once right in the beginning of the movie.

8. In “Finding Nemo” what was the name of the dentist’s niece to who the dentist was going to give Nemo?
c. Darla

9. In “Monsters, Inc.”, what is Boo’s real name?
b. Mary

10. What is the name of Monster’s Inc.’s bookkeeper?
a. Roz

11. Aladdin lives in a city known as what?
b. Agrabah

12. Finish the quote from “Lion King”. “Slimey, yet ______”:
d. Satisfying

13. What is the name of Bambi’s love?
c. Faline

14. Which of the following is NOT one of the good ferries in “Sleeping Beauty”?
b. Flower

15. What number is Lightning McQueen in “Cars”?
b. 95

16. What was the name of McQueen’s driver?
a. Mack

17. What book does Stitch read in “Lilo & Stitch”?
c. The Ugly Duckling

18. Who is Lilo’s favorite singer in “Lilo & Stitch”?
b. Elvis Presley

19. What tribe was Pocahontas a part of?
c. Powhatan

20. What is Ratcliffe’s dog’s name in “Pocahontas”?
d. Percy

And the results (drum roll please)...
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Are you all dying from the anticipation?
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
This is exciting, I know.
*
*
*
*
*
Theresa got 13/20 correct. 65% correct. Not too shabby. Sure everyone knows The Little Mermaid. Expand your Disney database though. The newer movies are fabulous as well. Or you can just wait 'til you have a couple of brats. You'll see all the Disney you want then.

Kristin got 15/20 correct. 75% correct. Somebody has been watching their Disney movies and shows a keen attention to detail. Or she is a lucky guesser. Just kidding. Way to go Kristin.

Mary got 18/20 correct. 18 out of 20!!!! That is 90%!!! I tried to make this tough. That is an A in most grading systems, but I'm giving a curve. Mary gets an A+ and is our winner this week. Mary, we all bow to your awesomeness. Woot Woot Clap Clap (doing the wave) High Five. YAAAAAY MAAAARY. You know your Disney, girl! Here is your prestigious award:

MARY'S #1

It's Trivia Thursday

2007-10-11T08:14:00.000-07:00

Confessions

2007-10-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

OK. Quitting smoking is very hard. It is not fun. I find myself often forgetting the reasons why I am quitting because all I can think about are the things I love about smoking. I have put on a good face through most of this and most people I see think I am doing really great. I have always been a happy, content, friendly, easy-going person. Since the smoking cessation has started, in the privacy of my home, a monster lurks. She is mean, demanding and kind of a bitch. This monster is me. My husband has greatly suffered for the sake of the cause and I am compelled to acknowledge his strength and patience through this ordeal.

This makes me seem pretty nice, doesn't it? Please don't think that this is out of the goodness of my heart. This homage was inspired by the man to whom it is dedicated. Without his little reminder, I would not have thought to do this. The other night as we were driving in the car, Marty turned to me (after I snapped at him) and said very quietly, so that it was almost a whisper, "Maybe you should smoke. I miss my MC." This is what made me realize that I have to let the world know about him and his fortitude, so that we can all give him some credit.

The following is a list of my sins (It is not complete. Sadly, I know there are many that I am forgetting.):

We are all aware of the gravy ordeal, so I will not rehash that one. Ooof. In my defense, I normally don't take kitchen mishaps well.

For all of the curse words said to Marty in the last two weeks, I offer my apologies to him. Sorry Marty!

For all of the times I have bitten his head off (I'm surprised he has any head left), I am truly sorry.

There is an issue with Comcast and our internet has been anything but reliable lately. I sat down to make our football pool picks and the internet would not work. This was not my husband's fault. I should not have yelled at him for this.

On the same day, Marty wanted to see how we were doing in our fantasy football league, so we stopped at my parents' house to use their computer. At the time, I felt that it was Marty's fault that my team lost and he got a "thanks for making me stop" and some other abuse. Sorry. My team lost. You did not make them, Marty. I know this.

I know it is not Marty's fault that my pants were too tight. I am sorry that I took out my frustration on you.

Alcohol and cigarettes are a great pair. Like peanut butter and jelly, chocolate and peanut butter, Posh and Becks, one is good without the other, but together they are perfection. After a night of drinking, I really really really wanted a cigarette. I told Marty to stop at Wawa because I was willing to beg a stranger for one blessed cigarette. My husband forgot to stop. I did not remind him 1 because I don't think I really wanted to smoke and 2 because in my beer addled mind I thought that he should have remembered every slurred word that came out of my mouth that evening. So as a punishment, I would not let him have Tylenol for his headache. He asked me for it and I said no and then I hid the Tylenol. Shameful. Honey, my apologies. And the to the rest of you: Yes. I really did that.

We went to dinner with friends on Saturday night and we arrived first. The table had two seats on each side. Marty sat opposite me, not next to me. Instead of being nice, I said "What the F***. Did you want to sit next to another dude or another man's wife!? I know I would rather sit next to my OWN f**king husband!" I could have politely asked him to sit next to me, gently pointed out the seating arrangement or just stood up and sat next to him. In fact, he probably did prefer to sit next to someone else's wife. I way overreacted. Sorry, Marty.

There was an instance where he gave me attitude for all of the attitude that I was giving him. I then made him feel very very guilty since this quitting smoking business is so hard. That was unfair to you. Sorry.

For anything else that I did. Really, I apologize. I am not proud. You are super.

Inspired

2007-10-09T13:48:00.000-07:00

I am thinking that maybe I should look into a new line of work. One where I work overnight or in the PM hours. At night, I tend to be inspired, creative and very very motivated. Most house cleaning, bill paying, online shopping, grocery shopping... ok pretty much everything is done at night in my house because that is the only time I feel like doing it. The best are my night lists though. After feeling accomplished about the dinner dishes being done and put away, I like to come up with mental lists of things that I will do the following day. For example, I came up with this list to do last night:

Wake up by 6:30am
Have a nice breakfast sitting at the kitchen table, reading newspaper
Clean breakfast bowl
Pack a delicious lunch. Hell, make a healthy lunch for husband while I'm at it.
Fold towels that are sitting in the dryer
Have a nice leisurely drive to Dunkin' Donuts
Proceed to work where I arrive early, smiling and tackle the work I did not complete yesterday and get a head start on today's work.

The reality went more like this:

Alarm went off at 6:30 am
Husband nudged me, I hit the snooze button
Alarm went off at 6:35
Husband shoved me and I hit snooze
Alarm went off at 6:40
Husband cursed loudly
I reset alarm for 7:45 am
Alarm went off at 7:45 am
I turned alarm off and thought to myself "5 more minutes"
At 8:05 I sprung up from bed panicked
Ran to bathroom, washed face, brushed teeth and threw on whatever
Shoved a Lean Cuisine in plastic bag and ran for the door
Threw newspaper that landed in garden and made mental note "call husband from car to fish newspaper out of front garden"
Got in car and realized "Shit. Don't have cell phone, cannot call husband from car."
Ran to the garden, retrieved newspaper, opened front door, dropped newspaper and grabbed cell phone.
Sprinted back to car, cursed traffic and people impeding my way to Dunkin' Donuts
Hit the DD, peeled out of parking lot to get to work (I know I know. Running late, but you didn't think I would skip the stop for my precious DD coffee, did you??)
Speedwalked through door at 9:10 am, 10 minutes late
Looked down and realized that my shirt was on inside out
Went to ladies room to adjust clothing
Returned to desk to turn on computer and curse at 25 emails waiting for me.
Sighed contentedly that none of them were about being late.

On the weekends, my PM lists are great. They usually involve cleaning the house (haha), making breakfast (hehe), prepping meals for the following week (yeah right) and going to the gym (BWAHAHAHAHAHA). When normally on the weekends, I tend to sleep 'til the late AM with husband, move to the couch to snuggle with said husband and watch a movie or read a book. Sometimes I'm even inspired enough to come up with some food for husband to run out and get for us. So really, I think I would be more productive and more successful if I just found something that made use of my nighttime awesomeness.

Cheating

2007-10-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

So I had my first phone interview with my smoking cessation counselor. I am participating in a study at the University of Pennsylvania. They contact me by phone to check on my progress. So here is how my one week checkup went:

Counselor: Hello. How is everything going?

Me: Good. So far so good.

Counselor: Have you had any adverse reaction to the patch?

Me: Um. No.

Counselor: No headaches? Nausea? Sleeplessness? Nervousness? Jitters? Exhaustion? Nightmares?

She then followed this up with several more symptoms that I would never want to suffer from. Some were embarrassing and I cannot bring myself to type them. Let's just say they involve bodily functions that I consider unmentionable.

Me: Um. No.

I'm glad they didn't go over any of these side effects prior to me putting the patch on. I'm sure then I would have suffered from them all. Phew.

Counselor: So how many cigarettes have you had in the last week?

Me: None.

Pause.

Counselor: I'm sorry?
Me: None. No cigarettes.

Double pause.

Counselor: None?

Me: That is correct.

Counselor: Wow.

Me: Wow?

Counselor: I mean wow. That's great. Pretty unusual, but great.

OK. Now I looked it up because I thought maybe I was confused. I headed over to www.dictionary.com and plugged in "quit". Ironically, the very first things that pop up are two links. The first is to KickYourCraving.com that says "You Won't Quit Smoking". How did they know I was trying? Bastards. You don't know me. Don't tell me what I can and cannot do. The second link was to When-Will-You-Die.com. They wanted to let me know that I will die if I do not "quit" smoking. Ummm. Gee. Thanks for the unsolicited advice. I never believed the Surgeon General, but you have convinced me. Leave me alone. I was just looking for a definition.

Anyway. Dictionary.com has twelve definitions of the word "quit". The first is "to stop, cease, or discontinue." I would take that to mean "I quit smoking, ergo, I do not smoke cigarettes any longer."

The second definition is "to depart from; leave". Possibly as in "I quit my sanity since I quit smoking." I kind of combined the first two definitions in one sentence. Sweet. I am so multi-talented.

The third definition is "to give up or resign; let go; relinquish." Soooo "I quit my status as a smoker since I no longer smoke cigarettes."

There are nine more listed. I went through those too, but nothing led me to think that "quit" meant "smoke". It would not make sense to say that "I quit smoking, so I had a cigarette on Tuesday and two on Thursday." Why oh why was my cessation counselor so surprised that I had not smoked? Am I quitting incorrectly? Am I doing it wrong? Why did you tell me to quit and then expect me to smoke? I wanna I wanna I wanna smoke. But I QUIT. I found this to be very frustrating and frustration really brings on the cravings. So...next time, please do not sound so surprised when I say "none". Thankyouverymuch.

Answers to Yesterday's Quiz

2007-10-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

I have already posted the answers to yesterday's quiz. If you are a slacker and have not taken the quiz yet, I invite you to do so. The answers are posted though, so don't look if you don't want to see the answers. If you would want to take the quiz, you may do so here: http://mcdoherty.blogspot.com/2007/10/ive-decided-it-is-trivia-thursday.html

Or you can squint and scroll down to yesterday's post to take the quiz. Or you can go to yesterday's post by clicking "I've decided it's Trivia Thursday" in the old post section on the bottom right. I am so accommodating, aren't I?

If you are impatient and just want to see the answers please scroll down:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
**
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
**
*
*
*
**
*
*
*
**
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
ANSWERS:

“Better Off Dead”: What country was the Smith’s foreign exchange student from?
D. France

“Can’t Buy Me Love”: What did Cindy spill on her outfit at the party?
C. Red wine

“Uncle Buck”: What did Uncle Buck use to flip over the pancakes?
B. Shovel

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”: What did it say on the Ferrari’s license plate?
A. NRVOUS

“Better Off Dead”: What does the paperboy want from Lane?
C. Two dollars

“Can’t Buy Me Love”: Ronald Miller did the African Elephant Ritual at the dance.
B. False
He did the African Anteater Ritual

“Dirty Dancing”: What is Baby’s real first name?
C. Frances
Nobody puts Baby in the corner.

“Rain Man”: How many toothpicks did the waitress drop on the floor in the restaurant?
B. 246
There were four left in the box of 250.

“Beverly Hills Cop”: Axel Foley is originally a policeman from what city?
D. Detroit

“Back to the Future”: What was the title of George’s first published book?
B. A Match Made in Space

Who’s the moosiest moose we know?
A. Marty Moose
M is for Merry. We're merry you see, O by gosh O golly oh gee. S is for super fun family glee. E is for everything we want to be...

“The Little Mermaid”: What were the names of the two eels:
D. Flotsam & Jetsam

“Road House”: What is the name of the town tyrant?
C. Brad Wesley

“Sixteen Candles”: What was the name of Sam’s older sister, who got married in the movie?
A. Ginny
Mike was her brother. Sara was her younger sister. Carolyn was Jake Ryan's girlfriend.

AND THE WINNER IS (drumroll...):

CHRISTEN with 6/14 questions correct!! OK. You were the only one who answered, but CONGRATULATIONS!!!! And feeling young is always a good thing.

I've decided it is Trivia Thursday

2007-10-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

Out of boredom and my love for all things trivial, I have declared that Thursdays are now Trivia Thursdays. 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 tomorrow. 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.

This week's topic will be 80's movies because I love them. The questions are pretty easy. I made the decision to do this so late in the day that time did not permit a lot of research. I'll make the next one harder. Fluff up your bangs, comb your mullet and let's go:

“Better Off Dead”: What country was the Smith’s foreign exchange student from?
A. Italy
B. Spain
C. Latvia
D. France

“Can’t Buy Me Love”: What did Cindy spill on her outfit at the party?
A. Soda
B. Salad dressing
C. Red wine
D. Beer

“Uncle Buck”: What did Uncle Buck use to flip over the pancakes?
A. Long piece of wood
B. Shovel
C. A forklift
D. Ten spatulas

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”: What did it say on the Ferrari’s license plate?
A. NRVOUS
B. MORRIS
C. FERRIS
D. 4FBDO

“Better Off Dead”: What does the paperboy want from Lane?
A. Permission to ask Beth out
B. The car that Beth thought was ‘tasty’
C. Two dollars
D. A tape Lane borrowed, but never gave back

“Can’t Buy Me Love”: Ronald Miller did the African Elephant Ritual at the dance.
A. True
B. False

“Dirty Dancing”: What is Baby’s real first name?
A. Jennifer
B. Susan
C. Frances
D. Barbara

“Rain Man”: How many toothpicks did the waitress drop on the floor in the restaurant?
A. 321
B. 246
C. 123
D. 250

“Beverly Hills Cop”: Axel Foley is originally a policeman from what city?
A. Denver
B. San Francisco
C. Chicago
D. Detroit

“Back to the Future”: What was the title of George’s first published book?
A. Science Fiction Theatre
B. A Match Made in Space
C. A Perfect Match
D. A Dream Love

Who’s the moosiest moose we know?
A. Marty Moose
B. Wally Moose
C. Bullwinkle Moose
D. St. Augustine Moose of Mooseland

“The Little Mermaid”: What were the names of the two eels:
A. Hewey & Dewey
B. Abbot & Costello
C. Chomp & Chew
D. Flotsam & Jetsam

“Road House”: What is the name of the town tyrant?
A. James Dalton
B. Wade Garrett
C. Brad Wesley
D. Red Webster

“Sixteen Candles”: What was the name of Sam’s older sister, who got married in the movie?
A. Ginny
B. Mike
C. Carolyn
D. Sara

Introducing

2007-10-01T14:48:00.001-07:00

The newest member of my family:

Michael Patrick! Yesterday was my newest nephew's christening and I figured since he is now without sin, I should welcome him to the world on the internet. He is so good too.

Laughing:

Bein' cute:

Smilin':

Bein' an e-a-g-l-e-s eagles fan:

That's my boy!

I am a domestic goddess

2007-10-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

In an effort to be more domestic, I am trying to cook more. At my bridal shower, I got about eight million tools for the kitchen. About 99% of them are still in their boxes or have tags on them. Waffle maker? Yep need that. KitchenAid Mixer? A must have item that everybody wants. Please don't ask me what you do with it. I don't have a clue. It scares me. In fact, I know what to do with very few of these brand spankin' new items. But I am trying to be a good wife and I am sick of spending a million dollars a month going out to eat and ordering takeout. This is not helping my wallet or my spreading thighs.

Last week, I decided since the Oven Stuffer Roasters were on sale at the ShopRite, that I would cook a whole chicken on Thursday. I have never done this before. Funnily enough, I used my Mom and Dad's rotisserie, which is the one kitchen gadget I did not get.

Doesn't it look glorious?
I gotta tell you that the Rotisserie is pretty freakin' cool. You literally put the sticks through the chicken, stick it in the Rotisserie and walk away. Or sit there and stare at it in wild-eyed wonder, like I did. It didn't go off without a hitch though. The inside of a chicken is hollow. You're supposed to put the spear thingies through the middle of the meat and distribute the weight evenly. Then you have to tie the legs and the wings down. This was my first time tying anything around my food and it was interesting. Oh and dancing chicken chased Marty around the kitchen for a while. That was fun. But how was I to put the spears through the middle of the bird when the middle is hollow and open on both ends? I finally improvised and went in high on one end and low on the other end. Everything started out fine and then, something broke and the chicken kept flapping it's wings at every 360 degree turn in the rotisserie. Thump, pause, pause, thump, pause, pause, thump... This caused my husband to throw his hands up in disgust and declare that we ruined dinner and we are hopeless messes. Yeah. He doesn't like when things don't go perfectly. So I then had to don these giant rubber gloves, pause the rotation and hold the chicken while Marty tied more string around it and we both had to make every attempt not to get any third degree burns. After a little cursing, SUCCESS. You can see the silly amount of string we have on the chicken though... Hey, whatever works, right?

Just an hour and a half later we had delicious chicken, some Stove Top, instant mashed potatoes (I thought the chicken was too hard to attempt homemade stuff. baby steps.) and asparagus. There was no gravy due to what we now call in my house "the gravy incident". I tried. I really did, but it ended up just tasting like flour. Advice to all people with loved ones who recently quit smoking: when the gravy doesn't work, don't mention the word gravy for days. I was frantically trying to fix the floury mess that was the gravy. More water. Stir. More chicken seasoning. Stir. Repeat. Repeat. Get a bigger pot since there is now a gallon of gravy. More water. Stir. More salt and pepper. Stir. More chicken flavoring. Stir. REPEAT REPEAT REPEAT. Why? Why wont' you work, f-ing gravy?!?! My mom walks up and says "Oh. what happened to the gravy?" Go away, you old hag. My dad says "Hmmm. The gravy doesn't look right. Maybe Mommy can help?" I don't see you cooking anything, ya jerk. Then Marty says something to the effect that the gravy looks like cream of broccoli soup. I practically broke down at this point. I gave Marty the evil eye and cursed him out (quietly of course since my elders were in the room). He then tried to apologize and got some "Don't touch me. Don't look at me. Don't say a word. I hate you." And then the whole group got "If you want gravy, there is a jar in the pantry. Heat it up yourselves." Smarties that they are, they did not mention the gravy again. I almost stomped out of the kitchen and refused to eat, but came to my sense and remained semi-civil for the rest of the meal. Overall it was a wild success and I am feeling very proud and wifely.

And to top myself, I made chicken noodle soup with the bone and everything on Friday. I am quite the multitasker and clearly, I am a domestic goddess.

M to the C to the D

2007-09-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

I just found my new favorite website in the world. You should try it out. You must read the following to see my blog translated to JIVE. Awesomeness:

http://sites.gizoogle.com/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmcdoherty.blogspot.com

How cool is that?

The Melting Pot was really good. Cheesy cheesy cheesy appetizers and chocolatey deliciousness for dessert. I recommend it. It is really great for groups. Next time, I may just get dessert.

No cigarettes and no crazy cravings today either. Woot woot!

So far, so good

2007-09-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

My first day as a non smoker. Not too bad so far. The patch is a little itchy and burny. I was concerned, but apparently, this is normal. How ironic that I have been inhaling nicotine for so many years, yet I am nervous about a bandaid with a little nicotine on it that is stuck on my arm. Ridiculous.

I wouldn't say that I am dying for a cigarette, but I would like one. It is kind of like I am hungry for something, but don't know what it is I want. I am doing good things for my body already though. Did you know that once you quit smoking:

In 20 minutes your blood pressure will drop back down to normal.

In 8 hours the carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) levels in your blood stream will drop by half, and oxygen levels will return to normal.

In 48 hours your chance of having a heart attack will have decreased. All nicotine will have left your body. Your sense of taste and smell will return to a normal level.

In 72 hours your bronchial tubes will relax, and your energy levels will increase.

This is from https://www.healthforums.com/library/1,1258,article~8641,00.html.

Not too shabby!

I am off to eat some delicious fondue at the melting pot. Cheese, chocolate and wine. Yum yum yum.

I'm a video game widow

2007-09-25T13:08:00.001-07:00

I knew from the get go that Marty was a video game junky. Our home has pretty much every single video game console there is. Excluding the PS2, which Marty boycotted for some reason. And I mean every video game system. Atari, Calecovision, Nintendo, Playstation, Sega Dreamcast, Sega Genesis...there all in the attic. Currently hooked up are the Wie, Xbox and the prized prized possession: the Xbox 360. Then there is a shiny, new, expensive PS3 that is still sitting in a box. Apparently, there are no games out that are worthy of playing. So we have a lovely $642 box of hardware that is collecting dust nicely. But I digress...

Last night was the release of (GASP!) HALO 3!! Ummmm...you probably cannot tell, but that was said sarcastically. So now I get to hear Master Chief (the futuristic looking soldier guy below) shoot these little gremlin like creatures while I spend time at home with my husband. The gremlins make some little comments that are actually kind of funny.

I often think that I should get a job for Electronic Gaming Monthly as a writer. I can usually tell if a game is good by the amount of time my husband spends on the couch with the dork Xbox live headset on (who wants to play alone when they can play with a million strangers?) and the xbox or wie controller in his hand. For example: The most recent Zelda game was good, but not great. In other words, Marty would play it for a few hours, but seemed okay if he didn't play it for days at a time. Gears of War on the other hand has gotten many many many hours of my husband's attention and hands down is the best game of the year to date in my opinion. And I have never actually played the game. I'm just going by the hours my husband has logged playing it.

I get to hear loud guns and chainsaws killing these ugly ugly beasts (the Locusts. FYI: those are the bad guys.) who make guttural noises and monster sounds. The sounds are so horrid, If I happen to fall asleep on the couch and Marty sees his chance for a match, I will normally wake up because I've had a nightmare where someone is chasing me with a chainsaw. And the chainsaw wielding maniac of my dreams usually resembles a locust. Pretty, aren't they?

I cannot be too hasty with this Game of the Year business though. Get back to me in a few weeks and we will see if Halo 3 is in and GoW is out. The future looks bright for Halo 3. There were at least 8 straight hours of play last night! Electronic Gaming Monthly, do you hear me? I know what I'm talking about. And if you guys have a contest for the Best Significant Other of Gamers, I am totally in. Who do you think drove to Game Stop to pick up the Halo 3 that was prepaid for in July? Yep that was me. Here I am on about two hours sleep after waiting up all night outside of Kmart to buy the XBox 360:

Can you say "best wife ever"? Sigh. So, I lose my husband sometimes to the video games and that is why I am a "video game widow". It could be worse, right? He could be a drug addict, addicted to internet porn who beats me... Oh! And don't tell him, but sometimes when he is not home, I sneak in some Guitar Hero II by myself to hone my skills. He hates that I can beat him at a video game. Play on!

One more day and I will be smoke free!

2007-09-24T12:49:00.000-07:00

And God give me the strength. I have made a monumental decision to stop smoking. Smoking has been a daily part of my life for a long time, so it is a little daunting. All of the reasons to quit are obvious. Before I get to that list though, I'm going to tell you why I smoke. I started as a teenager and at the time, I totally thought it was cool. I am over the cool factor now, but now have an addiction.

Believe it or not, smoking can have a bonding effect with people. I know that when I go to a bar or restaurant, while I am outside smoking there will definitely be some smoking buddies there. I have had some good conversations with these fellow "buttheads".

Cigarettes are also my friends. They are a comfort to me. When I am sad, bored, tired, stressed...They are always there for me, more so than some other things in my life. They are reliable.

There is also a momentary gratification from smoking. I feel a need, I smoke a cigarette and then I have a feeling of a hunger being satisfied. I know I know... That is my addiction being fed.

So there is that list. I'm sure this one will be a little longer!

Smoking is stinky. I hate the smell of my clothes, my hair and my car after smoking. And yes there are times when my breath literally does smell like an ashtray. Gross.

The health risks are just not worth it. I actually purchase a product that has a warning on it with what the serious health risks are. Then I proceed to open up that product, light it and inhale smoke. Umm...why did I start this again?? Any smoker that tells you that they are unconcerned with developing some terrible disease from smoking is lying. We all know the real risks and that we could die from this habit someday. My excuse? I always thought that it would take years of smoking and that I would quit long before I could get sick. Now I am 14 years into the habit and it is time to stop. My health is at risk.

Smoking makes me antisocial with the people who matter. I may meet new friends while outside a bar smoking, but why would I worry about them? There are really few smokers left that I know. It is not so cool to be at a bar, restaurant or party and in the middle of a conversation saying "I'll be right back. I'm gonna go smoke real quick." It's kind of rude, now that I think about it. I have one sister who still smokes and a couple of friends. They are not friends that I see often though. The people that I hang out with the most are all nonsmokers.

Bad weather. Wow, we smokers are committed people. 30 degrees in February? You bet your ass I'll be outside smoking! Is it fun? Not really. Do I do it? Yes. Do I know why? Not really. Rainy day? The car window is cracked and my one arm, one leg and car door are soaked.

Sickness. When I get a cold or a cough, it lasts a hell of a lot longer than the average person's cold.

Getting harrased by people. "You know that isn't good for you." "You're going to get cancer." "God I wish you would stop." What else can I say besides "I know I know". That is what I have been saying for some time now, followed by "I'll quit". I usually try to hide smoking from kids, particularly my nieces and nephews. Well, I was not so subtle one time and my four year old nephew looks at me and says "I want a candle too". Ouch.

Most of all, I want to quit for my darling husband and my family. My husband is a non-smoker, who will look me right in the eye and say "I love you and want you to be with me for a long time". He really means it too. As grossed out as I get by smoking, I cannot imagine how he hugs and kisses someone who smells like cigarettes. He has put up with it for a long time, so I hope I am strong enough to do this for him and myself. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Buffet season is over

2007-09-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

But what a good season it was. The 2007 Bama Breeze Tour. Our first show was in Pittsburgh on June 23rd. Tom, Annie, MC, Marty and Megan drove from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh on Friday, went to the show with Eric on Saturday and returned home on Sunday.

It was a long drive, but worth it. We have a lot of good memories from that weekend.

"A tunnel, huh? This is interesting." Marty and I were thrown off by a detour in Pittsburgh. We made it safely there though.

Stackers from Burger King on the turnpike

Beer pong and Marty's "action" shots

John our tailgating neighbor, who we didn't like so much and his steaks, which we liked a lot.

The completely deflated palm tree.

Eric's random naps during the show.

A piece of grass skirt hanging out of Eric's fly.

Shotgunning beers. Who thought that was a good idea?

MC's bright bright orange hair clip. You couldn't lose me.

JP - the most awkward dancer I have ever seen.

Going to Pittsburgh from New Jersey to order sandwiches from... Jersey Mike's

Eric completely asleep at Eat N Park and waking up only to ask the waitress or her telephone number.

Just two days later we went to the Camden show. It was HOT HOT HOT but still FUN FUN FUN. A definite highlight of the night was Megan, Thomas, Theresa and Jamie on the big screen during the show. I don't think Megs and I stopped screaming. These were also the best seats we have ever had and it probably ranks at the top of the shows we've seen. We also had the crowning of the most drunk people. And the winners are:

TOM AND RYAN!! WOOT WOOT

The final show of the season was at Madison Square Garden on September 20th. Tom, Annie and I took Karen to her first show. A Buffett Virgin!! I think we broke her in nicely. After taking the train in from New Brunswick, Karen and I met Tom and Annie at Houlihan's in Penn Station to look for our "lost shaker of salt". And guess what? Tom found it and put in his pocket. He thought to leave the pepper shaker on the bar would be too obvious, so he grabbed that too. For the rest of the night, we changed the famous lyrics to "searching for my lost shaker of pepper. pepper! pepper! pepper!" He is a trip. Annie had an AWESOME cheeseburger hat. I dressed as a pirate for the occasion, which was a huge hit. I got a lot of "aaargh's" from people throughout the night. I'm ready for a whole pirate theme for next year. AAAAARGH.

It was sad to see it end, but we had a great summer!!

MC's blog

Trivia Thursday 90'S

Answer to the Snow Trivia

So Awesome

Trivia Thursday Let it Snow

Answers to Christmas Carol Trivia

Pimpin' ain't easy

Trivia Thursday - I'm feeling joyful

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

Yep. I'm back.

Trivia Thursday REALITY TELEVISION

Answers to Mathematics Trivia

Trivia Thursday MATHEMATICS

Answers to TV Sitcom Trivia

Thank you Mom and Dad

Boom dee odda Boom dee odda

Trivia Thursday TV Sitcoms

Answers to GEOGRAPHY

Talented family

Pretty food

Trivia Thursday GEOGRAPHY

Answers to GAME SHOWS Trivia

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TOM!!

Mr. & Mrs. Kennedy

Trivia Thursday GAME SHOWS

Answers to last week's Trivia MOVIE QUOTES

Trivia Thursday MOVIE QUOTES

Answers to Harry Potter Trivia

Dirty Thieves

Harry Potter Trivia

Thunder thighs

Answers to Food and Drink 2 trivia

Trivia Thursday FOOD AND DRINK 2

Answers to Food and Drink trivia

Trivia Thursday FOOD AND DRINK

Answers to the Friends Trivia

Breaking News

Thursday Trivia: ~~Friends~~

Do you remember the Toy Trivia?

Quietly creeping into blog and looking around

Thursday again!

Answers to Yesterday's Movie Quotes

Trivia Thursday MOVIE QUOTES

Smokers are Jokers

Answers to last week's trivia

Trivia Thursday again

Shopping as it should be

Good Luck Karen!!

People are crazy

Happy Thanksgiving

Answers to Slacker Trivia

Trivia Thursday for slackers

IT'S HERE!! IT'S FINALLY HERE!!

RAGE

Answers to Yesterday's Monopoly Trivia

What is happening to the neighborhood?

Trivia Thursday MONOPOLY

Answers to Yesterday's Trivia

Dessert Abuse

Trivia Thursday. blah

Yesterday's Answers

Trivia Thursday! CANDY CANDY CANDY

Merry Theresamas

Sometimes I F up

Answers to Yesterday's Music Lyrics Trivia

Curses

Trivia Thursday

I hate Mondays

Answers to Yesterday's Disney Trivia

It's Trivia Thursday

Confessions

Inspired

Cheating

Answers to Yesterday's Quiz

I've decided it is Trivia Thursday

Introducing

I am a domestic goddess

M to the C to the D

So far, so good

I'm a video game widow

Thursday Trivia: Friends