Word of the Week - 12-08-2008

Word of the Week
NUZZLE
Pronunciation: \ˈnuh-zuhl\
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): nuz·zled; nuz·zling \ˈnəz-liŋ, ˈnə-zə-\
Etymology: Middle English noselen to bring the nose toward the ground, from nose
Date: 1530
intransitive verb
1: to work with or as if with the nose ; especially : to root, rub, or snuff something
2: to lie close or snug

transitive verb
1: to root, rub, or touch with or as if with the nose
2: to rub or push gently (as one's face) against something


Interesting Fact
The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation: lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States: #) is a unit of mass used in the imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement. A number of different definitions have been used, the most common today being the international avoirdupois pound of exactly 0.45359237 kilogram.

The word pound comes from the Latin word pendere, meaning "to weigh". The abbreviation lb comes from the Latin word libra, meaning "scales, balances", which also described a Roman unit similar to the pound.

Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What fabled train serves passengers 550 pounds of caviar and 3,000 pounds of smoked salmon a year?

Entertainment:
What celebrated circus animal trainer was known as the “Golden Gladiator”?

News:
What Louisiana official explained in 1990: “There are different Klans – just like there’s different fraternities at a college?

Written Word:
What master of the thriller died in 2001, after completing work on The Sigma Protocol?

Life and Science:
What language, according to the firm Computer Economics, will pass English as most popular on the web by 2010 – Chinese, Hindi or Spanish?

Games and Sports:
What race did thousands of fans petition to have renamed in honor of Dale Earnhardt, in 2001?


Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What fraction of the U.S. population is likely to be 65 or older by 2030, thanks to the baby boom? One-fifth

Entertainment:
What ship was portrayed by the USS Missouri in the movie Pearl Harbor? USS West Virginia

News:
What cable channel’s motto did critic James Wolcott suggest be changed from “We Report. You Decide” to “We Exhort. You Comply”? Fox News

Written Word:
Whose “autobiography” did Normal Mailer pen in 1997’s The Gospel According to the Son? Jesus Christ

Life and Science:
What tech CEO, avoiding dings to his Mercedes by parking in a handicapped spot, inspired a worker to post a sign reading “Park Different”? Steve Jobs

Games and Sports:
What brand of gum did Wal-Mart choose for bubble-blowing contests across the U.S., in 2001? Dubble Bubble

Word of the Week - 12-01-2008

Word of the Week
UNCTION
Pronunciation: \ˈuhŋ(k)-shuhn\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English unccioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin unction-, unctio, from unguere to anoint
Date: 14th century
1: the act of anointing as a rite of consecration or healing
2: something used for anointing : ointment , unguent
3 a: religious or spiritual fervor or the expression of such fervor b: exaggerated, assumed, or superficial earnestness of language or manner : unctuousness


Interesting Fact
The Red Junglefowl, Gallus gallus, is a tropical member of the Pheasant family, and is the direct ancestor of the domestic chicken. It was first raised in captivity at least several thousand years ago in the Indian subcontinent, and the domesticated form has been taken all around the world as a very productive food source for both meat and eggs, which some breeds have been specifically developed to produce.

Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What fraction of the U.S. population is likely to be 65 or older by 2030, thanks to the baby boom?

Entertainment:
What ship was portrayed by the USS Missouri in the movie Pearl Harbor?

News:
What cable channel’s motto did critic James Wolcott suggest be changed from “We Report. You Decide” to “We Exhort. You Comply”?

Written Word:
Whose “autobiography” did Normal Mailer pen in 1997’s The Gospel According to the Son?

Life and Science:
What tech CEO, avoiding dings to his Mercedes by parking in a handicapped spot, inspired a worker to post a sign reading “Park Different”?

Games and Sports:
What brand of gum did Wal-Mart choose for bubble-blowing contests across the U.S., in 2001?


Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What Florida locale attracts visitors with a life-sized model of the 363-foot-tall Saturn V? The Kennedy Space Center

Entertainment:
What disease killed off Mark Harmon’s character on St. Elsewhere? AIDS

News:
What Texan promised, if elected president: “I will cut the grass, I will take out the trash, I will sleep under a bridge”? H. Ross Perot

Written Word:
What nation was home to six of the world’s top ten best-selling newspapers, by 1998? Japan

Life and Science:
What crippling disease, once targeted for eradication by 2000, did vaccine-maker Aventis donate 50 million doses to fight, in 2001? Polio

Games and Sports:
What pro sports league crowned the Dusseldorf Rhein Fire as its “world” champion, in 2000? NFL Europe

Word of the Week - 11-24-2008

Word of the Week
HELLION
Pronunciation: \ˈhel-yuhn\
Function: noun
Etymology: probably alteration (influenced by hell) of hallion scamp
Date: 1787
: a troublesome or mischievous person


Interesting Fact
An ostrich does not bury its head in the sand.

Here are some ostrich facts:
It has the ability to run at speeds of about 74 km/h (46 mph), the top land speed of any bird and the fastest two legged animal. The ostrich is the largest living species of bird and lays the largest egg of any bird species. Lacking teeth, they swallow pebbles that help as gastroliths to grind the swallowed foodstuff in the gizzard. An adult ostrich typically carries about 1 kg of stones in its stomach. The life span of an ostrich is from 30 to 70 years, with 50 being typical. The ostrich feather is durable, soft and flexible, which accounts for the success of the ostrich feather duster over the last 100 years. Because the feather does not zipper together it is prone to developing a static charge which actually attracts and holds dust which can then be shaken out or washed off. Because of its similar makeup to human hair, care of the ostrich feather requires only an occasional shampoo and towel or air dry. The first ostrich feather duster company in the United States was formed in 1913 by Harry S. Beckner and his brother George Beckner in Athol, Massachusetts, and has survived till this day as the Beckner Feather Duster Company under the care of George Beckner's great granddaughter, Margret Fish Rempher.

Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What Florida locale attracts visitors with a life-sized model of the 363-foot-tall Saturn V?

Entertainment:
What disease killed off Mark Harmon’s character on St. Elsewhere?

News:
What Texan promised, if elected president: “I will cut the grass, I will take out the trash, I will sleep under a bridge”?

Written Word:
What nation was home to six of the world’s top ten best-selling newspapers, by 1998??

Life and Science:
What crippling disease, once targeted for eradication by 2000, did vaccine-maker Aventis donate 50 million doses to fight, in 2001?

Games and Sports:
What pro sports league crowned the Dusseldorf Rhein Fire as its “world” champion, in 2000?


Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What West Cost U.S. city attracts the faithful to pay homage to Eric Clapton’s guitar, Brownie? Seattle

Entertainment:
What Mystery! Sleuth finally revealed his first name to be Endeavour? Inspector Morse

News:
What Edvard Munch painting was stolen from Oslo’s National Art Museum in 1994, on the first day of the Lillehammer Olympics? The Scream

Written Word:
What Intel boss penned Swimming Across, about escaping the Iron Curtain for America? Andy Grove

Life and Science:
What European nation admitted to vaccinating children with the livestock vaccine Tribovax instead of it human equivalent Trivax? Ireland

Games and Sports:
What much-traveled sportscaster once earned a $25,000 signing bonus to regrow his moustache? Keith Olbermann

Word of the Week - 11-17-2008

Word of the Week
TEMERARIOUS
Pronunciation: \ˌteh-muh-ˈrehr-ee-uhs\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin temerarius, from temere
Date: 1532
: marked by temerity : rashly or presumptuously daring


Interesting Fact
The crack of a whip is actually the sound of the whip breaking the sound barrier.


Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What West Cost U.S. city attracts the faithful to pay homage to Eric Clapton’s guitar, Brownie?

Entertainment:
What Mystery! Sleuth finally revealed his first name to be Endeavour?

News:
What Edvard Munch painting was stolen from Oslo’s National Art Museum in 1994, on the first day of the Lillehammer Olympics?

Written Word:
What Intel boss penned Swimming Across, about escaping the Iron Curtain for America?

Life and Science:
What European nation admitted to vaccinating children with the livestock vaccine Tribovax instead of it human equivalent Trivax?

Games and Sports:
What much-traveled sportscaster once earned a $25,000 signing bonus to regrow his moustache?


Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What state loses the highest percentage of men to heart disease – Florida, Iowa, or Mississippi? Mississippi

Entertainment:
What series co-creator supplied the voice for Seifeld’s Bubble Boy? Larry David

News:
What leader’s wife, Mira Markovich, jumped to her captive hubby’s defense in 2001 with: “I still find him cute and likable”? Slobodan Milosevic

Written Word:
What Dr. Ruth Westheimer book spawned the follow-up Rekindling Romance for Dummies? Sex for Dummies

Life and Science:
What mythical animals can be grown by surgically altering a week-old goat, according to a procedure outlined in U.S. patent 4429685? Unicorns

Games and Sports:
What nation boasted 10,000 citizens playing pro soccer for teams around the world, in 2000? Brazil

Word of the Week - 11-10-2008

Word of the Week
COLPORTEUR
Pronunciation: \ˈkahl-ˌpȯr-tuhr, ˌkahl-pȯr-ˈtuhr\
Function: noun
Etymology: French, alteration of Middle French comporteur, from comporter to bear, peddle
Date: 1796
: a peddler of religious books


Interesting Fact
Saffron is a spice derived from the dried stigma of the flower of the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus), a species of crocus in the family Iridaceae. Together with its style, the stalk connecting the stigmas to the rest of the plant, these components are often dried and used in cooking as a seasoning and coloring agent. Saffron, which has for decades been the world's most expensive spice by weight, is native to Southwest Asia.

Saffron is characterized by a bitter taste and a hay-like fragrance; these are caused by the chemicals picrocrocin and safranal. It also contains a carotenoid dye, crocin, that gives food a rich golden-yellow hue. These traits make saffron a much-sought ingredient in many foods worldwide. Saffron also has medicinal applications.

The domesticated saffron crocus C. sativus is an autumn-flowering perennial plant unknown in the wild, and is a sterile triploid mutant of the eastern Mediterranean autumn-flowering Crocus cartwrightianus. According to botanical research, C. cartwrightianus originated in Crete, not—as was once generally believed—in Central Asia. The saffron crocus resulted when C. cartwrightianus was subjected to extensive artificial selection by growers who desired elongated stigmas. Being sterile, the saffron crocus's purple flowers fail to produce viable seeds—thus, reproduction is dependent on human assistance: the corms (underground bulb-like starch-storing organs) must be manually dug up, broken apart, and replanted. A corm survives for only one season, reproducing via division into up to ten "cormlets" that eventually give rise to new plants.

Harvesting of flowers is by necessity a speedy affair: after their flowering at dawn, flowers quickly wilt as the day passes. Furthermore, saffron crocuses bloom within a narrow window spanning one or two weeks. Approximately 150 flowers yield 1 g of dry saffron threads; to produce 12 g of dried saffron (72 g freshly harvested), 1 kg of flowers are needed (1 lb for 0.2 oz of dried saffron). On average, one freshly picked flower yields 0.03 g of fresh saffron, or 0.007 g of dried saffron.

The history of saffron cultivation reaches back more than 3,000 years. Human cultivators bred wild specimens by selecting for unusually long stigmas. Thus, a sterile mutant form of C. cartwrightianus, C. sativus, emerged in late Bronze Age Crete. Experts believe saffron was first documented in a 7th century BC Assyrian botanical reference compiled under Ashurbanipal. Since then, documentation of saffron's use over the span of 4,000 years in the treatment of some 90 illnesses has been uncovered.

Ancient Mediterranean peoples—including perfumers in Egypt, physicians in Gaza, townspeople in Rhodes, and the Greek hetaerae courtesans—used saffron in their perfumes, ointments, potpourris, mascaras, divine offerings, and medical treatments. Egyptian healers used saffron as a treatment for all varieties of gastrointestinal ailments.

Saffron-based pigments have been found in 50,000 year-old depictions of prehistoric beasts in what is today Iraq. Later, the Sumerians used wild-growing saffron in their remedies and magical potions. Ancient Persians cultivated Persian saffron (Crocus sativus 'Hausknechtii') in Derbena, Isfahan, and Khorasan by the 10th century BC. At such sites, saffron threads were woven into textiles, ritually offered to divinities, and used in dyes, perfumes, medicines, and body washes. Thus, saffron threads would be scattered across beds and mixed into hot teas as a curative for bouts of melancholy. Non-Persians also feared the Persians' usage of saffron as a drugging agent and aphrodisiac. During his Asian campaigns, Alexander the Great used Persian saffron in his infusions, rice, and baths as a curative for battle wounds. Alexander's troops mimicked the practice and brought saffron-bathing back to Greece.

In Europe, saffron cultivation declined steeply following the Roman Empire's fall. Saffron was reintroduced when the Islamic civilization "Al-Andalus" spread to Spain, France, and Italy. During the 14th century Black Death, demand for saffron-based medicine skyrocketed, and much saffron had to be imported via Venetian and Genoan ships from southern and Mediterranean lands such as Rhodes. The theft of one such shipment by noblemen sparked the fourteen-week long "Saffron War". The conflict and resulting fear of rampant saffron piracy spurred significant saffron cultivation in Basel, which grew prosperous. Soon after, saffron cultivation spread throughout England, especially Norfolk and Suffolk. The Essex town of Saffron Walden, named for its new specialty crop, emerged as England's prime saffron growing and trading center. However, an influx of more exotic spices such as chocolate, coffee, tea, and vanilla from newly contacted Eastern and overseas countries caused European cultivation and usage of saffron to decline. Only in southern France, Italy, and Spain, did significant cultivation endure.

Europeans brought saffron to the Americas when immigrant members of the Schwenkfelder Church left Europe with a trunk containing saffron corms; indeed, many Schwenkfelders had widely grown saffron in Europe. By 1730, the Pennsylvania Dutch were cultivating saffron throughout eastern Pennsylvania. Spanish colonies in the Caribbean bought large amounts of this new American saffron, and high demand ensured that saffron's list price on the Philadelphia commodities exchange was set equal to that of gold. The trade with the Caribbean later collapsed in the aftermath of the War of 1812, when many saffron-transporting merchant vessels were destroyed. Yet the Pennsylvania Dutch continued to grow lesser amounts of saffron for local trade and use in their cakes, noodles, and chicken or trout dishes. American saffron cultivation survived into modern times mainly in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Saffron is widely used in Iranian (Persian), Arab, Central Asian, European, Indian, Turkish, Moroccan and Cornish cuisines. Confectionaries and liquors also often include saffron. Medicinally, saffron has a long history as part of traditional healing; modern medicine has also discovered saffron as having anticarcinogenic (cancer-suppressing), anti-mutagenic (mutation-preventing), immunomodulating, and antioxidant-like properties. Saffron has also been used as a fabric dye, particularly in China and India, and in perfumery.

Annually, around 300 tonnes of saffron are produced worldwide. Iran ranks first in the world production of saffron, with more than 94 percent of the world yield. Iran's annual saffron production is expected to hit 300 tons by the end of the nation's Fourth Five-Year Socioeconomic Development Plan in 2009. Other minor producers of saffron are Spain, India, Greece, Azerbaijan, Morocco, and Italy. A pound of dry saffron (0.45 kg) requires 50,000–75,000 flowers, the equivalent of a football field's area of cultivation. Some forty hours of labour are needed to pick 150,000 flowers. Upon extraction, stigmas are dried quickly and (preferably) sealed in airtight containers. Saffron prices at wholesale and retail rates range from US$500/pound to US$5,000/pound. A pound comprises between 70,000 and 200,000 threads.

Despite attempts at quality control and standardisation, an extensive history of saffron adulteration—particularly among the cheapest grades—continues into modern times. Adulteration was first documented in Europe's Middle Ages, when those found selling adulterated saffron were executed under the Safranschou code. Typical methods include mixing in extraneous substances like beet, pomegranate fibers, red-dyed silk fibers, or the saffron crocus's tasteless and odorless yellow stamens. Other methods included dousing saffron fibers with viscid substances like honey or vegetable oil. However, powdered saffron is more prone to adulteration, with turmeric, paprika, and other powders used as diluting fillers. Adulteration can also consist of selling mislabeled mixes of different saffron grades. Thus, in India, high-grade Kashmiri saffron is often sold mixed with cheaper Iranian imports; these mixes are then marketed as pure Kashmiri saffron, a development that has cost Kashmiri growers much of their income.

Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What state loses the highest percentage of men to heart disease – Florida, Iowa, or Mississippi?

Entertainment:
What series co-creator supplied the voice for Seifeld’s Bubble Boy?

News:
What leader’s wife, Mira Markovich, jumped to her captive hubby’s defense in 2001 with: “I still find him cute and likable”?

Written Word:
What Dr. Ruth Westheimer book spawned the follow-up Rekindling Romance for Dummies?

Life and Science:
What mythical animals can be grown by surgically altering a week-old goat, according to a procedure outlined in U.S. patent 4429685?

Games and Sports:
What nation boasted 10,000 citizens playing pro soccer for teams around the world, in 2000?


Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What nation’s schoolkids recite the daily pledge: “Pioneers for Communism, we will be like Che”? Cuba

Entertainment:
What former MTV veejay launched the CyberSleaze News on his website? Adam Curry

News:
What awards have been granted annually since 1994 to honor “those who improve our gene pool by removing themselves from it”? The Darwin Awards

Written Word:
What magazine offered readers exclusive closeups of Rosie O’Donnell’s infected finger? Rosie

Life and Science:
What fragrant grain did the Texas firm RiceTec win a patent for crossbreeding with U.S. longgrain rice, much to the chagrin of India? Basmati

Games and Sports:
What team inspired a fan’s sign “Now I Can Die in Peace” after the 1994 Stanley Cup Final? The New York Rangers

Word of the Week - 11-3-2008

Word of the Week
SPECIOUS
Pronunciation: \ˈspee-shuhs\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, visually pleasing, from Latin speciosus beautiful, plausible, from species
Date: 1513
1obsolete : showy
2: having deceptive attraction or allure
3: having a false look of truth or genuineness : sophistic


Interesting Fact
Whoever wins on 4 November will be the 44th President of the United States of America. But in fact, America has had only 42 presidents. Why the discrepancy? The troublemaker is Grover Cleveland, who was elected president in 1884, lost the re-election in 1888, but re-won the presidency in 1892. In the annals of US power, he is counted twice, as 22nd and 24th holder of supreme office.

Only one man has the distinction of becoming president and vice-president without being voted into either office. Gerald Ford became veep on the resignation of Spiro Agnew, and president after the resignation of Richard Nixon.

The oldest president to win a presidential election was Reagan, who was 73 when he began his second term. The youngest, at 43, was John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

Vice Presidents were originally the presidential candidates receiving the second-largest number of electoral votes. The Twelfth Amendment, passed in 1804, changed the system so that the electoral college voted separately for president and vice president. The presidential candidate, however, gradually gained power over the nominating convention to choose his own running mate.

Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What nation’s schoolkids recite the daily pledge: “Pioneers for Communism, we will be like Che”?

Entertainment:
What former MTV veejay launched the CyberSleaze News on his website?

News:
What awards have been granted annually since 1994 to honor “those who improve our gene pool by removing themselves from it”?

Written Word:
What magazine offered readers exclusive closeups of Rosie O’Donnell’s infected finger?

Life and Science:
What fragrant grain did the Texas firm RiceTec win a patent for crossbreeding with U.S. longgrain rice, much to the chagrin of India?

Games and Sports:
What team inspired a fan’s sign “Now I Can Die in Peace” after the 1994 Stanley Cup Final?


Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What birds littered Tokyo streets with rotten food in 2001, leading officials to set 100 traps? Crows

Entertainment:
What Baha Men ditty boasts the chorus: “woof, woof, woof, woof, woof”? Who Let the Dogs Out

News:
What publishing czar offered a $1 million reward to any woman who could prove an affair with a member of Congress, in 1998? Larry Flynt

Written Word:
What Fox News star parlayed his on-air “Talking Points” into a number one bestseller? Bill O’Reilly

Life and Science:
What gum disease fighting brand claims “it can help you keep your teeth,” as long as you can also endure scaling and root planing procedures? Periostat

Games and Sports:
What 1987 pioneering simulation game actually made an urban planner’s job seem interesting? SimCity

Word of the Week - 10-27-2008

Word of the Week
SEQUACIOUS
Pronunciation: \sih-ˈkwaa-shuhs\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin sequac-, sequax inclined to follow, from sequi
Date: 1643
1archaic : subservient , tractable
2: intellectually servile


Interesting Fact

The Scoville scale is a measure of the hotness or piquancy of a chili pepper. These fruits of the Capsicum genus contain capsaicin, a chemical compound which stimulates chemoreceptor nerve endings in the skin, especially the mucous membranes. The number of Scoville heat units (SHU) indicates the amount of capsaicin present. Some hot sauces use their Scoville rating in advertising as a selling point. The scale is named after its creator, American chemist Wilbur Scoville, who developed a test for rating the pungency of chili peppers. His method, which he devised in 1912, is known as the Scoville Organoleptic Test. An alternative method of quantitative analysis, known as high-performance liquid chromatography, directly measures capsaicinoids and attempts to relate the measured concentration in ppm to the Scoville scale using a mathematical conversion factor of 15, 20 or 30 depending on the capsaicinoid.

In Scoville's method, a solution of the pepper extract is diluted in sugar syrup until the "heat" is no longer detectable to a panel of (usually five) tasters; the degree of dilution gives its measure on the Scoville scale. Thus a sweet pepper or a bell pepper, containing no capsaicin at all, has a Scoville rating of zero, meaning no heat detectable, even undiluted. Conversely, the hottest chilis, such as habaneros, have a rating of 200,000 or more, indicating that their extract has to be diluted 200,000-fold before the capsaicin present is undetectable. The greatest weakness of the Scoville Organoleptic Test is its imprecision, because it relies on human subjectivity.

Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What birds littered Tokyo streets with rotten food in 2001, leading officials to set 100 traps?

Entertainment:
What Baha Men ditty boasts the chorus: “woof, woof, woof, woof, woof”?

News:
What publishing czar offered a $1 million reward to any woman who could prove an affair with a member of Congress, in 1998?

Written Word:
What Fox News star parlayed his on-air “Talking Points” into a number one bestseller?

Life and Science:
What gum disease fighting brand claims “it can help you keep your teeth,” as long as you can also endure scaling and root planing procedures?

Games and Sports:
What 1987 pioneering simulation game actually made an urban planner’s job seem interesting?


Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What Mideast nation hopes to lure tourists to its town of Jerash by staging daily chariot races? Jordan

Entertainment:
What was the first Star Trek series without “Star Trek” in its title? Enterprise

News:
How old was “Granny D” Haddock when she walked 3,200 miles across America to promote campaign finance reform – 70, 80, or 90? 90

Written Word:
What sage soothed listeners with his audio book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success? Deepak Chopra

Life and Science:
What “100 percent pure” product did Byrd Laboratories sell to concerned job-seekers for $49.95 a bag, in 1986? Urine

Games and Sports:
How many years did Michael Jordan sit home at playoff time in his 13 seasons with the Bulls? Zero

Word of the Week - 10-20-2008

Word of the Week
GEEZER
Pronunciation: \ˈgee-zuhr\
Function: noun
Etymology: probably alteration of Scots guiser one in disguise
Date: 1885
: a queer, odd, or eccentric person —used especially of elderly men
— gee·zer·hood noun


Interesting Fact
The word hello has sometimes been credited to Thomas Edison, specifically as a way to greet someone when answering the telephone. Alexander Graham Bell initially used Ahoy-hoy (as used on ships) as a telephone greeting. However, in 1877, Edison wrote to T.B.A. David, the president of the Central District and Printing Telegraph Company of Pittsburgh:
“Friend David, I do not think we shall need a call bell as Hello! can be heard 10 to 20 feet away. What you think? Edison

By 1889, central telephone exchange operators were known as 'hello-girls' due to the association between the greeting and the telephone.

Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What Mideast nation hopes to lure tourists to its town of Jerash by staging daily chariot races?

Entertainment:
What was the first Star Trek series without “Star Trek” in its title?

News:
How old was “Granny D” Haddock when she walked 3,200 miles across America to promote campaign finance reform – 70, 80, or 90?

Written Word:
What sage soothed listeners with his audio book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success?

Life and Science:
What “100 percent pure” product did Byrd Laboratories sell to concerned job-seekers for $49.95 a bag, in 1986?

Games and Sports:
How many years did Michael Jordan sit home at playoff time in his 13 seasons with the Bulls?


Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What mid town Manhattan eatery did Tom Wolfe call “the Versailles of American corporate culture”? The Four Seasons

Entertainment:
What band was mistakenly billed as “The V2s” and “VR” in its early days? U2

News:
What Michigan island’s carriage horses have too many harness sores and are poorly shod, according to the U.S. Humane Society? Mackinac Island

Written Word:
What Scott Turow sequel stirs up the personal life of the DA from Presumed Innocent? The Burden of Proof

Life and Science:
What can concerned parents try to prevent by remembering the offbeat rhyme: “Now you lay me down to sleep, on my back for safest sleep”? SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Games and Sports:
Who took exception when Vanity Fair asked if he had “the smallest jockstrap in wrestling”? The Rock

Word of the Week - 10-13-2008

Word of the Week
OCULIST
Pronunciation: \ˈah-kyuh-lihst\
Function: noun
Etymology: French oculiste, from Latin oculus
Date: 1615
1 : ophthalmologist
2 : optometrist


Interesting Fact

Gypsum is a very soft mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate.
Gypsum occurs in nature as flattened and often twinned crystals and transparent cleavable masses called selenite. It may also occur silky and fibrous, in which case it is commonly called satin spar. Finally it may also be granular or quite compact. In hand-sized samples, it can be anywhere from transparent to opaque. A very fine-grained white or lightly-tinted variety of gypsum is called alabaster, which is prized for ornamental work of various sorts. In arid areas, gypsum can occur in a flower-like form typically opaque with embedded sand grains called desert rose. The most visually striking variety, however, is the giant crystals from Naica Mine. Up to the size of 11m long, these megacrystals are among the largest crystals found in nature.
Gypsum is a common mineral, with thick and extensive evaporite beds in association with sedimentary rocks. Gypsum is deposited in lake and sea water, as well as in hot springs, from volcanic vapors, and sulfate solutions in veins.

The word gypsum is derived from the aorist form of the Greek verb μαγειρεύω, "to cook", referring to the burnt or calcined mineral. Because the gypsum from the quarries of the Montmartre district of Paris has long furnished burnt gypsum used for various purposes, this material has been called plaster of Paris. It is also used in foot creams, shampoos and many other hair products. It is water-soluble. It is used in drywall, fertilizer, and as a tofu (soy bean curd) coagulant, making it ultimately a major source of dietary calcium, especially in Asian cultures which traditionally use few dairy products. It is also used as school or blackboard chalk

Because gypsum dissolves over time in water, gypsum is rarely found in the form of sand. However, the unique conditions of the White Sands National Monument in the US state of New Mexico have created a 710 km² (275 square mile) expanse of white gypsum sand, enough to supply the construction industry with drywall for 1,000 years. Commercial exploitation of the area, strongly opposed by area residents, was permanently prevented in 1933 when president Herbert Hoover declared the gypsum dunes a protected national monument.
Commercial quantities of gypsum are found in Jamaica, Iran, Thailand, Spain (the main producer in Europe), Germany, Italy, England, Ireland, in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland in Canada, and in New York, Michigan, Indiana, Texas(in the Palo Duro Canyon),Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Nevada in the United States. There is also a large mine located at Plaster City, California in Imperial County, and in East Kutai, Kalimantan.

Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What mid town Manhattan eatery did Tom Wolfe call “the Versailles of American corporate culture”?

Entertainment:
What band was mistakenly billed as “The V2s” and “VR” in its early days?

News:
What Michigan island’s carriage horses have too many harness sores and are poorly shod, according to the U.S. Humane Society?

Written Word:
What Scott Turow sequel stirs up the personal life of the DA from Presumed Innocent?

Life and Science:
What can concerned parents try to prevent by remembering the offbeat rhyme: “Now you lay me down to sleep, on my back for safest sleep”?

Games and Sports:
Who took exception when Vanity Fair asked if he had “the smallest jockstrap in wrestling”?

Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What astronaut is depicted showing Sammy Davis Jr. a moon rock, at Mammoth Cave Wax Museum? Neil Armstrong

Entertainment:
How old was Bjork when she signed her first record deal – 7, 11, or 15? 11

News:
What 2000 Republican presidental hopeful dove into a mosh pit to gain an ”endorsement” from Michael Moore’s cable TV show? Alan Keyes

Written Word:
What dyspeptic dogs “always bark at night” according to Lewis Grizzard’s book title? Chili Dawg

Life and Science:
What name did the World Meteorological Organization take off a list of hurricane names in 2001, after complaints from Jewish groups? Israel

Games and Sports:
Who was the first pitcher since Mickey Lolich in 1968 to win three games in a World Series? Randy Johnson

Word of the Week - 10-6-2008

Word of the Week
CHINESE PUZZLE
Function: noun
Date: circa 1815
1 : an intricate or ingenious puzzle
2 : something intricate and obscure


Interesting Fact
Originally called Fritatas, Elmer Doolin was so taken with the bag of corn chips served with his lunch in San Antonio, Texas that he paid $100 for the recipe and a potato ricer. In 1932, he started the Frito Corporation in his mother's kitchen. Doolin, his mother and brother produced the corn chips, named Fritos, and had a production capacity of approximately 10 pounds per hour. Doolin distributed the Fritos in 5¢ bags. Daily sales totaled $8 to $10 and profits averaged about $2 per day.
In 1933, the hourly production of Fritos increased from 10 pounds to nearly 100 pounds due to the development of a "hammer" press. By the end of the year, production lines were operating in Houston and Dallas. The Frito Company headquarters also moved to Dallas to capitalize on the city's central location and better availability of raw materials. In 1937, The Frito Company opened its Research and Development lab and introduced new products including Fritos Peanut Butter Sandwiches and Fritos Peanuts to supplement Fritos.
At the time of Doolin's death in 1959, The Frito Company produced over forty products, had plants in eighteen cities, employed over 3,000 people and had sales in 1958 in excess of $50 million. By 1962, Fritos would be sold in 48 countries.

Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What astronaut is depicted showing Sammy Davis Jr. a moon rock, at Mammoth Cave Wax Museum?

Entertainment:
How old was Bjork when she signed her first record deal – 7, 11, or 15?

News:
What 2000 Republican presidental hopeful dove into a mosh pit to gain an ”endorsement” from Michael Moore’s cable TV show?

Written Word:
What dyspeptic dogs “always bark at night” according to Lewis Grizzard’s book title?

Life and Science:
What name did the World Meteorological Organization take off a list of hurricane names in 2001, after complaints from Jewish groups?

Games and Sports:
Who was the first pitcher since Mickey Lolich in 1968 to win three games in a World Series?


Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What morning malady do Outer Mongolians cure by chugging a pickled sheep’s eye in tomato juice? A hangover

Entertainment:
Who did Holly Hunter portray in the TV movie When Billy Beat Bobby? Billie Jean King

News:
What vice-presidential candidate noted in a 1985 book: “Even after three years in Congress, I could not get a VISA card”? Geraldine Ferraro

Written Word:
What beachside balladeer penned the 1998 number-one memoir A Pirate Looks at Fifty? Jimmy Buffett

Life and Science:
What European city got to play an eight-story-tall game of Pong, thanks to the Chaos Computer Club’s Blinkenlights display, in 2001? Berlin

Games and Sports:
What did Steve Williams lug for seven miles most days in 2000, to earn a reported $880,000? Tiger Woods’ golf bag

Word of the Week - 9-29-2008

Word of the Week
SCABROUS
Pronunciation: \ˈskah-bruhs also ˈskay-\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin scabr-, scaber rough, scurfy; akin to Latin scabere to scratch
Date: 1646
1: difficult , knotty
2: rough to the touch: as a: having small raised dots, scales, or points b: covered with raised, roughened, or unwholesome patches
3: dealing with suggestive, indecent, or scandalous themes : salacious ; also : squalid


Interesting Fact

Lightning may be Mother Nature’s greatest show on Earth, but scientists now know it can produce significant amounts of ozone and other gases that affect air chemistry. Researcher Renyi Zhang of Texas A&M University helped lead a study on the impact of lightning, and the results are surprising: Lightning can be responsible for as much as 90 percent of the nitrogen oxides in the summer and at the same time increase ozone levels as much as 30 percent in the free troposphere, the area that extends 3-8 miles above the Earth’s surface. The amount of ozone and nitrogen oxides that lightning creates is greater than those created by human activities in that level of the atmosphere, the study shows. "The largest source of nitrogen oxides over the U.S. is the burning of fossil fuels, but such a small emission by lightning plays a huge role in influencing regional air chemistry. The reason is that nitrogen oxides from fossil fuels burning is released close to the Earth’s surface and is consumed rapidly by chemical reactions before being transported upward. But lightning directly releases nitrogen oxides throughout the entire troposphere, or as high as eight miles," Zhang adds. In addition, Zhang says there is strong evidence that urban air pollution may contribute to more lightning, creating more ozone over the United States. Zhang says nitrogen oxides can lead to the formation of ozone and smog, and these can greatly increase chemical reactions in the atmosphere. Ozone can also affect chemical activities in the atmosphere and even affect climate changes around the world by acting as a greenhouse gas.

Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What morning malady do Outer Mongolians cure by chugging a pickled sheep’s eye in tomato juice?

Entertainment:
Who did Holly Hunter portray in the TV movie When Billy Beat Bobby?

News:
What vice-presidential candidate noted in a 1985 book: “Even after three years in Congress, I could not get a VISA card”?

Written Word:
What beachside balladeer penned the 1998 number-one memoir A Pirate Looks at Fifty?

Life and Science:
What European city got to play an eight-story-tall game of Pong, thanks to the Chaos Computer Club’s Blinkenlights display, in 2001?

Games and Sports:
What did Steve Williams lug for seven miles most days in 2000, to earn a reported $880,000?


Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What animal is central to diet and culture for the Gwich’in, the northernmost Native Americans in the U.S.? caribou

Entertainment:
What Rick Moranis movie came within a hair of being titled Teeny Weenies? Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

News:
What religious group spent five million hours digitizing data on immigrants who passed through New York City from 1892 to 1924? Mormons

Written Word:
What Mad magazine cartoonist “vroomed” around with a license plate reading, “Shtoink”? Don Martin

Life and Science:
Where did a Swedish study indicate one should insert acupuncture needles to prevent morning sickness – the earlobe, forearm or lower back? forearm

Games and Sports:
What NBA team stumbled to a 15-67 record in 1999 – 2000, the same season the Lakers went 67-15? Los Angeles Clippers

Word of the Week - 9-22-2008

Word of the Week
SINECURE
Pronunciation: \ˈseye-nih-ˌkyuhr\
Function: noun
Etymology: Medieval Latin sine cura without cure (of souls)
Date: 1662
1archaic : an ecclesiastical benefice without cure of souls
2: an office or position that requires little or no work and that usually provides an income


Interesting Fact
The Monarch butterfly is known by scientists as Danaus plexippus, which in Greek literally means "sleepy transformation." The name, which evokes the species' ability to hibernate and metamorphize, is actually inspired by the Greek myth of Danaus, in which the daughters of Danaus, king of Libya, flee Libya for Greece in order to avoid marrying their cousins. The long, migratory journey of the Monarch butterflies is reminiscent of the daughters' flight.
Each adult butterfly lives only about four to five weeks. But one of the many wonders of the Monarchs is the annual creation of a unique "Methuselah generation." As autumn approaches in their sites of migratory origin, a very special generation of butterflies is born. Unlike their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents -- all of whom had ephemeral lives measured only in weeks -- these migratory butterflies survive seven or eight months. In human terms, given our average life span of 75 years, this would be like having children who lived to be 525 years old! This generation performs the incredible feat of flying from Canada and the United States to the center of Mexico -- after which they begin the northward journey again. Once they reach the United States, a kind of relay race begins: their short-lived offspring, with only four or five weeks to live, continue making the trek northward over several generations.

Of all migrations by small creatures, few are as astonishing as the one performed by the Monarch butterfly. These insects travel between 1,200 and 2,800 miles or more between their starting and ending points. What is even more remarkable is that the ones that return to the places where Monarchs hibernate have never been there before. These are the great-great-great-grandchildren of those that performed the journey from southeast Canada and the United States to central Mexico.

The migration moves at a pace of about almost 50 miles a day, though there are some butterflies that have flown up to 80 miles in a day. At the end of October and the beginning of November, after traveling two months, the butterflies settle into hibernation colonies in the mountains of central Mexico, where the States of Mexico and Michoacan meet. There they will spend the winter hibernating. From mid-November until mid-February, the Monarchs' hibernation colonies remain relatively stable. During the second half of February, when temperatures rise and humidity decreases in the forests, the butterflies come down from the slopes to mate. And the butterflies that survive the hibernation in Mexico return in the spring to the southern United States.


Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What animal is central to diet and culture for the Gwich’in, the northernmost Native Americans in the U.S.?

Entertainment:
What Rick Moranis movie came within a hair of being titled Teeny Weenies?

News:
What religious group spent five million hours digitizing data on immigrants who passed through New York City from 1892 to 1924?

Written Word:
What Mad magazine cartoonist “vroomed” around with a license plate reading, “Shtoink”?

Life and Science:
Where did a Swedish study indicate one should insert acupuncture needles to prevent morning sickness – the earlobe, forearm or lower back?

Games and Sports:
What NBA team stumbled to a 15-67 record in 1999 – 2000, the same season the Lakers went 67-15?


Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What U.S. candy is popular in Australia, despite being sold in flavors called “Musk” and “Thirst”? Life Savers

Entertainment:
What TV clown slipped off his size 83-AAA shoes for the last time, in 2001? Bozo

News:
What former JFK aide found himself back in the news when he unwittingly passed off an Internet hoax as the real thing, in 1996? Pierre Salinger

Written Word:
What name did DC Comics’ Prince Uxas adopt when he killed his brother to rule Apokalips? Darkseid

Life and Science:
What concept did novelist William Gibson seek to clarify by noting: “It’s not really a place, it’s not really space. It’s notional space”? cyberspace

Games and Sports:
Who gave Byron Russell a little shove to free himself for the last shot of 1998’s NBA Finals? Michael Jordan

Word of the Week - 9-15-2008

Word of the Week
IRRESOLUTE
Pronunciation: \i-ˈre-zə-ˌlüt, ˌi(r)-, -lət\
Function: adjective
Date: 1579
: uncertain how to act or proceed : vacillating


Interesting Fact
Robert (Bob) Propst was the inventor of the Action Office which evolved into the cubicle office furniture system.
Robert Propst was from Colorado and worked for Herman Miller (Research) in Zeeland, Michigan. Propst's work has been exhibited at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Henry Ford Museum. When Bob Propst designed the "Action Office," he never in his worst dreams believed that the much criticized "cubicle" would be the result of work. In fact, Propst's own research into developing the action office philosophically was against the cubicle in every way. That is to say, the Action office was designed to promote productivity, privacy, and health (they attempted to increase blood flow) at the expense of some inefficient use of space. Cubicles, meanwhile, are designed to maximize efficient use of space at the expense of all else.
The reason the extremely efficient "cubicle" came into vogue was because the moveable wall design of the "Action Office" saved money in construction and development costs. Therefore, the "Action Office" materials were redesigned to pack in as many employees as possible into an office space. This vision was absolutely contrary to Propst's intentions, and he stated that the success of the cubicle was a "monolithic insanity."


Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What U.S. candy is popular in Australia, despite being sold in flavors called “Musk” and “Thirst”?

Entertainment:
What TV clown slipped off his size 83-AAA shoes for the last time, in 2001?

News:
What former JFK aide found himself back in the news when he unwittingly passed off an Internet hoax as the real thing, in 1996?

Written Word:
What name did DC Comics’ Prince Uxas adopt when he killed his brother to rule Apokalips?

Life and Science:
What concept did novelist William Gibson seek to clarify by noting: “It’s not really a place, it’s not really space. It’s notional space”?

Games and Sports:
Who gave Byron Russell a little shove to free himself for the last shot of 1998’s NBA Finals?


Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What South American nation produced a Miss Universe or Miss World eight times from 1976 to 2001? Venezuela

Entertainment:
What movie introduced film buffs to the line: “I crap bigger than you”? City Slickers

News:
What religious leader sighed: “Sometimes in dream I have violence or am meeting women. Then in dream I remember, I am monk”? The Dalai Lama

Written Word:
What standup comic managed to squeeze Brain Droppings onto bestsellers lists in 1998? George Carlin

Life and Science:
What did Duke researchers claim was at least as effective as Zoloft in fighting depression – chicken soup, exercise or singles bars? exercise

Games and Sports:
What gold medal Olympic skier nearly lost a leg in a motorcycle mishap in Radstadt, Austria? Hermann Maier

Word of the Week - 9-8-2008

Word of the Week
BABBLE
Pronunciation: \ˈbah-buhl\
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English babelen, probably of imitative origin
Date: 13th century
intransitive verb
1 a: to talk enthusiastically or excessively b: to utter meaningless or unintelligible sounds
2: to make sounds as though babbling

transitive verb
1: to utter in an incoherently or meaninglessly repetitious manner
2: to reveal by talk that is too free


Interesting Fact
The Fresh Kills Landfill on the New York City borough of Staten Island in the United States, was formerly the largest landfill in the world, at 2200 acres (890 hectares), and was New York City's principal landfill in the second half of the 20th century. The name "Fresh Kills" refers to its location along the banks of the Fresh Kills estuary in western Staten Island.
Opened in 1948, it became one of the largest refuse heaps in human history. The site is 12 square km (4.6 square miles) in area; and when operational twenty barges, each carrying 650 tons of garbage, were shipped in every day. It could be regarded as being the largest man-made structure on Earth, with the site's volume eventually exceeding the Great Wall of China. In fact in 2001 its peak was 25 meters taller than the Statue of Liberty. Under local pressure and with support of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the landfill site was closed on March 22, 2001. However, after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, the landfill was temporarily reopened in order to receive and process much of the debris from the destruction. The debris was later removed into various locations, including museums and steel mills. The site is now planned to be a city park.


Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What South American nation produced a Miss Universe or Miss World eight times from 1976 to 2001?

Entertainment:
What movie introduced film buffs to the line: “I crap bigger than you”?

News:
What religious leader sighed: “Sometimes in dream I have violence or am meeting women. Then in dream I remember, I am monk”?

Written Word:
What standup comic managed to squeeze Brain Droppings onto bestsellers lists in 1998?

Life and Science:
What did Duke researchers claim was at least as effective as Zoloft in fighting depression – chicken soup, exercise or singles bars?

Games and Sports:
What gold medal Olympic skier nearly lost a leg in a motorcycle mishap in Radstadt, Austria?


Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What nation has four times as many Presbyterians as the U.S. – Australia, Russia, or South Korea? South Korea

Entertainment:
Who said of his TV fame: “To this day, people will call me Dan Arnold? John Goodman

News:
What Ohio city’s homicide rate inspired a local radio station to offer the 100th shooting victim of 2001 a shiny new coffin? Cincinnati

Written Word:
What “Magazine for Your Me Years” selfishly closed up shop in 2001, after six decades? Mademoiselle

Life and Science:
Where can Rokon’s hefty Trail-Breaker motorbike store an additional 4.5 gallons of fuel – in the frame, in the seat, or in the wheels? In the wheels

Games and Sports:
What sport’s first Olympic giant slalom champ was a smokin’ Canadian called Ross Rebagliati? snowboarding

Word of the Week - 9-1-2008

Word of the Week
STREW
Pronunciation: \ˈstroo\
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): strewed; strewed or strewn \ˈstrün\; strew·ing
Etymology: Middle English strewen, strowen, from Old English strewian, strēowian; akin to Old High German strewen to strew, Latin struere to heap up, sternere to spread out, Greek stornynai
Date: before 12th century
1 : to spread by scattering
2 : to cover by or as if by scattering something
3 : to become dispersed over as if scattered
4 : to spread abroad : disseminate


Interesting Fact
Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or Krung Thep for short, is the capital and largest urban area of Thailand. The Thai people have not called this city Bangkok for over 200 years.


Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What nation has four times as many Presbyterians as the U.S. – Australia, Russia, or South Korea?

Entertainment:
Who said of his TV fame: “To this day, people will call me Dan Arnold?

News:
What Ohio city’s homicide rate inspired a local radio station to offer the 100th shooting victim of 2001 a shiny new coffin?

Written Word:
What “Magazine for Your Me Years” selfishly closed up shop in 2001, after six decades?

Life and Science:
Where can Rokon’s hefty Trail-Breaker motorbike store an additional 4.5 gallons of fuel – in the frame, in the seat, or in the wheels?

Games and Sports:
What sport’s first Olympic giant slalom champ was a smokin’ Canadian called Ross Rebagliati?


Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What city erected a life-sized statue of sitcom character Mary Richards tossing her hat, in 2001? Minneapolis

Entertainment:
What British superstar crooned a 45-minute set at Pete Sampras’ wedding? Elton John

News:
What outfit withdrew a line of basketball shoes after complaints that their logo resembled the word “Allah” in Arabic script? Nike

Written Word:
What magazine made Capitalist Tool fortune cookies – Forbes, Fortune or Money? Forbes

Life and Science:
What nation’s paleontologists discovered the largest dinosaur footprint ever seen, next to massive deposits of dinosaur dung, in 2001? China

Games and Sports:
What nickname did Jamil Blackmon claim he’d coined for a 76ers superstar, in a 2001 lawsuit? The Answer

Word of the Week - 8-25-2008

Word of the Week
BRUMMAGEM
Pronunciation: \ˈbruh-mih-juhm\
Function: adjective
Etymology: alteration of Birmingham, England, the source in the 17th century of counterfeit groats
Date: 1637
: spurious; also : cheaply showy : tawdry


Interesting Fact
In the winter of 1925, a diphtheria epidemic raged among Eskimos in the Nome, Alaska area. Fierce statewide blizzard conditions prevented delivery of a life-saving serum by airplane from Anchorage. A relay of dog sled teams was organized to deliver the serum. The annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race commemorates this historic event.

How the city of Nome Alaska got its name is still under debate.

The city's name may come from a point of land located twelve miles (19 km) from the city. Cape Nome received its name from an error, when a British mapmaker copied a map annotation made by a British officer on a voyage up the Bering Strait. The officer had written "? Name" next to the unnamed cape. The mapmaker misread the annotation as "C. Nome", or Cape Nome, and used that name on his map. Other sources have noted that "Nome" is a place name in one or more Scandinavian countries, long pre-dating the use on the map in question, and it is possible that the town was named after Nome, Norway by a navigator or cartographer familiar with that place.

In February 1899, some local miners and merchants voted to change the name from Nome to Anvil City, because of the confusion with Cape Nome, 12 miles south, and the Nome River, the mouth of which is four miles (6 km) south of Nome. The United States Post Office in Nome refused to accept the change. Fearing a move of the post office to Nome City, a mining camp on the Nome River, the merchants unhappily agreed to change the name of Anvil City back to Nome.


Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What city erected a life-sized statue of sitcom character Mary Richards tossing her hat, in 2001?

Entertainment:
What British superstar crooned a 45-minute set at Pete Sampras’ wedding?

News:
What outfit withdrew a line of basketball shoes after complaints that their logo resembled the word “Allah” in Arabic script?

Written Word:
What magazine made Capitalist Tool fortune cookies – Forbes, Fortune or Money?

Life and Science:
What nation’s paleontologists discovered the largest dinosaur footprint ever seen, next to massive deposits of dinosaur dung, in 2001?

Games and Sports:
What nickname did Jamil Blackmon claim he’d coined for a 76ers superstar, in a 2001 lawsuit?


Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What Montana park will need a name change as a result of global warming, according to some rangers? Glacier National Park

Entertainment:
What Boys Don’t Cry co-star did Jay McInerney christen the new “It Girl”? Chloe Sevigny

News:
What Arab leader sued Le Nuovel Observateur for libel in 1997, for calling him a “poor simpleton”, a “cretin” and a “monster”? Saddam Hussein

Written Word:
What author donned a white suit, white gloves and white homburg for a 1998 Time cover? Tom Wolfe

Life and Science:
What technological marvel did investor John Doerr credit with sparking “the greatest legal creation of wealth in the history of the planet”? the internet

Games and Sports:
What state hosted the first U.S. bullfights with matadors wielding velcro-tipped banderillas? California

Word of the Week - 8-11-2008

Word of the Week
STEREOTYPE
Pronunciation: \ˈster-ee-uh-ˌteyp, ˈstir-\
Function: transitive verb
Date: 1804
1: to make a stereotype from
2 a: to repeat without variation : make hackneyed b: to develop a mental stereotype about

Function: noun
Etymology: French stéréotype, from stéré- stere- + type
Date: 1817
1: a plate cast from a printing surface
2: something conforming to a fixed or general pattern; especially : a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment


Interesting Fact
Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by a distinctive pouch (called the marsupium), in which females carry their young through early infancy. The continent of Australia is home all of the world’s marsupials except the possum.


Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What Montana park will need a name change as a result of global warming, according to some rangers?

Entertainment:
What Boys Don’t Cry co-star did Jay McInerney christen the new “It Girl”?

News:
What Arab leader sued Le Nuovel Observateur for libel in 1997, for calling him a “poor simpleton”, a “cretin” and a “monster”?

Written Word:
What author donned a white suit, white gloves and white homburg for a 1998 Time cover?

Life and Science:
What technological marvel did investor John Doerr credit with sparking “the greatest legal creation of wealth in the history of the planet”?

Games and Sports:
What state hosted the first U.S. bullfights with matadors wielding velcro-tipped banderillas?


Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What was the only nation besides the U.S. with at least 59 active nuclear power reactors, in 2000? France

Entertainment:
Who insisted: “I have no interest in producing a ‘B. Pitty’ clothing line”? Brad Pitt

News:
What continent were Ranulph Fiennes and Mike Stroud the first two people to cross on foot without animals or machines, in 1993? Antarctica

Written Word:
What staple is referred to as “Uncle Fred” in a Cockney slang translation of the Bible? Bread

Life and Science:
What fairy-tale name do astronomers give to planetary orbits in “a region of space that is not too hot and not too cold” for life to evolve? Goldilocks orbits

Games and Sports:
What ominous image, repeated three times on the 2001 Titanic slot machine, means a jackpot? An iceberg

Word of the Week - 8-4-2008

Word of the Week
INVEIGLE
Pronunciation: \in-ˈvay-guhl sometimes -ˈvee-\
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Anglo-French enveegler, aveogler, avogler to blind, hoodwink, from avogle, enveugle blind, from Medieval Latin ab oculis, literally, lacking eyes
Date: 1539
1 : to win over by wiles : entice
2 : to acquire by ingenuity or flattery : wangle

Interesting Fact
Thomas P. Crapper (28 September 1836 - 27 January 1910) was a plumber who founded Thomas Crapper & Co. Ltd. in London. Despite the urban legend, Crapper did not invent the flush toilet. However, Crapper did much to increase its popularity and came up with some related inventions.

Crapper was born in Waterside, Yorkshire, in September. His father Charles was a steamboat captain. At the age of 14, Crapper was apprenticed to a master plumber in Chelsea, London. After his apprenticeship and three years as a journeyman plumber, in 1861 he founded his own company.

Thomas Crapper did not invent all of the flush toilet — some credit for that is usually given to Sir John Harington in 1596, with Alexander Cummings' 1775 toilet regarded as the first of the modern line and George Jennings installing the first public toilets at The Great Exhibition in 1851 — but he did help increase its popularity. He was a shrewd businessman, salesman and self-publicist. In a time when bathroom fixtures were barely spoken of, he heavily promoted sanitary plumbing and pioneered the concept of the bathroom fittings showroom.

Crapper held nine patents, three of them for water closet improvements such as the floating ballcock, but none were for the flush toilet itself.

Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What was the only nation besides the U.S. with at least 59 active nuclear power reactors, in 2000?

Entertainment:
Who insisted: “I have no interest in producing a ‘B. Pitty’ clothing line”?

News:
What continent were Ranulph Fiennes and Mike Stroud the first two people to cross on foot without animals or machines, in 1993?

Written Word:
What staple is referred to as “Uncle Fred” in a Cockney slang translation of the Bible?

Life and Science:
What fairy-tale name do astronomers give to planetary orbits in “a region of space that is not too hot and not too cold” for life to evolve?

Games and Sports:
What ominous image, repeated three times on the 2001 Titanic slot machine, means a jackpot?


Here are last week’s answers:
Global View (Geography):
What Manhattan institution at Broadway and 80th street5 is hailed as the world’s best-stocked deli? Zabar’s

Entertainment:
What punk’s days gabbing “Gabba gabba hey” were silenced by cancer in 2001? Joey Ramone

News:
What Speaker of the House defined himself as “Teacher of the Rules of Civilization” in notes released by the Ethics Committee? Newt Gingrich

Written Word:
What singer titled a slim volume of essays, poetry and sketches Chasing Down the Dream? Jewel

Life and Science:
What animals puffed crack-laced cigarettes for R.J. Reynolds in 1989, as part of tests to develop a safer cigarette – baboons, cats, or rats? Baboons

Games and Sports:
What team’s announcer Rodger Brulotte coined the home run call: “Bonsoir, elle est partie”? The Montreal Expos

Word of the Week - 7-28-2008

Word of the Week
GROK
Pronunciation: \ˈgrawk\
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: coined by Robert A. Heinlein died 1988 American author
Date: 1961
: to understand profoundly and intuitively

Interesting Fact
Captain William Newton "Bill" Lancaster was a pioneering British aviator.

Lancaster emigrated to Australia as a child prior to WWI. In 1916, he joined first the Australian Army and later the Australian Flying Corps. He remained in Britain after the war and joined the Royal Air Force, marrying in 1919 and serving in India during the 1920s. He was promoted to flying officer from pilot officer on 30 April 1921.

In 1927, Lancaster transferred to the RAF Reserve and decided to make a name for himself by flying from England to Australia. He made this flight in the Avro Avian Red Rose, accompanied by Australian Jessie "Chubbie" Miller, who helped finance the flight. It was at the time one of the longest flights made in such a small aircraft—although they were overtaken en route by Bert Hinkler in another Avian—and the first England-Australia flight by a woman. A huge crowd greeted them on arrival in Darwin, and on their subsequent tour around Australia.

In 1928 Lancaster and Miller moved to the United States, where Lancaster made a living selling British aero engines, and Miller became an aviator in her own right, competing in the famous "Powder Puff Derby" of 1929.

In 1932, Lancaster had been in Mexico looking for work. At the same time, Haden Clarke, a male American writer, had been living in Lancaster and Miller's Florida home in order to assist Miller's writing of her autobiography. Clarke and Miller had developed a relationship in Lancaster's absence, and Clarke convinced Miller to leave Lancaster and marry him instead. Upon receipt of this news, Lancaster returned promptly to Florida. On 20 April, Clarke was killed by a gunshot wound to the head. Despite the facts that the gun was Lancaster's, and that he admitted forging suicide notes found at the scene (one addressed to Lancaster and another to Miller), forensic evidence provided by the prosecution was confusing to the jury. Additionally, even though Lancaster and Miller had disolved their romance and partnership, Miller spoke in Lancaster's defense.
Lancaster was acquitted of murder in just short of 5 hours deliberation.

After the trial, Lancaster and Miller returned to England. Broke and friendless, Lancaster decided to attempt the hotly-contested England to South Africa speed record. Purchasing the Avro Avian Southern Cross Minor from Charles Kingsford Smith, he departed England on 11 April 1933. As the Avian was considerably slower than other aircraft of the time, Lancaster would have to make very short stops and get very little sleep to have any hope of achieving the record. Having got lost several times and being well behind his intended time, Lancaster departed from Reggane on the evening of the 12 April to make a night crossing of the Sahara. The Avian's engine failed after less than an hour's flying, and he crash-landed in the desert. Searches—by aircraft in the south, and a car from Reggane—were unsuccessful, and he died eight days later, on 20 April 1933. His final message, written on a fuel card on the morning of the 20th, was "So the beginning of the eighth day has dawned. It is still cool. I have no water. I am waiting patiently. Come soon please. Fever wracked me last night. Hope you get my full log. Bill"

The crash site was discovered by French troops on 12 February 1962. Lancaster's body had been mummified, and his diary and personal effects had survived intact. The diary was returned to Miller, who allowed it to be published. The wreck of the Southern Cross Minor was recovered in 1975. It now resides in the Queensland Museum in Brisbane.


Trivial Pursuit
Here are this week’s questions:
Global View (Geography):
What Manhattan institution at Broadway and 80th street5 is hailed as the world’s best-stocked deli?

Entertainment:
What punk’s days gabbing “Gabba gabba hey” were silenced by cancer in 2001?

News:
What Speaker of the House defined himself as “Teacher of the Rules of Civilization” in notes released by the Ethics Committee?

Written Word:
What singer titled a slim volume of essays, poetry and sketches Chasing Down the Dream?

Life and Science:
What animals puffed crack-laced cigarettes for R.J. Reynolds in 1989, as part of tests to develop a safer cigarette – baboons, cats, or rats?

Games and Sports:
What team’s announcer Rodger Brulotte coined the home run call: “Bonsoir, elle est partie”?


Here are last week’s answers:
The category this week is Classic:
Which Monty Python member traditonally said “And now for something completely different” ? A
John Cleese
Eric Idle
Terry Jones
Michael Palin
Graham Chapman

Who voiced Charlie on Charlie’s Angels? John Forsythe

Who shot J.R. on Dallas? Kristen Shepard

Who (influenced by BOB) killed Laura Palmer on Twin Peaks? Leland Palmer

Did Scully give birth to a boy or a girl on Season 8 of The X-Files? boy

Who was the first host of the Tonight Show? Steve Allen

On Batman, a button to access the Batcave was hidden in a bust of which famous literary figure? William Shakespeare

Who guest starred as alcoholic Uncle Ned on Family Ties? Tom Hanks

Match the show with its spin off:
Barney Miller 13 - Fish
All in the Family 12 - Maude
Maude 11 – Good Times
Murder, She Wrote 15 - The Law & Harry McGraw
The X-Files 3 – The Lone Gunmen
The Carol Burnett Show 9 - Mama’s Family
Who’s The Boss? 10 - Living Dolls
Happy Days 2 – Mork and Mindy
Soap 6 - Benson
Cheers 14 – The Tortellis
Diff’rent Strokes 5 – The Facts of Life
M*A*S*H 1 – Trapper John MD
21 Jump Street 8 - Booker
Party of Five 7 – Time of Your Life
The Mary Tyler Moore Show 4 - Phyllis

1. Trapper John, MD
2. Mork & Mindy
3. The Lone Gunmen
4. Phyllis
5. The Facts of Life
6. Benson
7. Time of Your Life
8. Booker
9. Mama’s Family
10. Living Dolls
11. Good Times
12. Maude
13. Fish
14. The Tortellis
15. The Law & Harry McGraw

Word of the Week - 7-21-2008

Word of the Week
TICKY-TACKY
Pronunciation: \ˌti-kē-ˈta-kē\
Function: noun
Etymology: reduplication of tacky
Date: 1962
: sleazy or shoddy material used especially in the construction of look-alike tract houses; also : something built of ticky-tacky

Function: adjective
Date: 1964
1 : of an uninspired or monotonous sameness
2 : tacky
3 : built of ticky-tacky


Interesting Fact
James Naismith was the Canadian physical education instructor who invented basketball in 1891. James Naismith was born in Almonte, Ontario and educated at McGill University and Presbyterian Cllege in Montreal. He was the physical education teacher at McGill University (1887 to 1890) and at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts (1890 to 1895). At Springfield College (which was then the Y.M.C.A. training school), James Naismith, under the direction of American phys-ed specialist Luther Halsey Gulick, invented the indoor sport of basketball.

The first formal rules were devised in 1892. Initially, players dribbled a soccer ball up and down a court of unspecified dimensions. Points were earned by landing the ball in a peach basket. Iron hoops and a hammock-style basket were introduced in 1893. Another decade passed, however, before the innovation of open-ended nets put an end to the practice of manually retrieving the ball from the basket each time a goal was scored.


Trivial Pursuit
Ready to test your TV acumen?
Here are the questions – 1 point for each correct answer
The category this week is Classic:
Which Monty Python member traditonally said “And now for something completely different” ?
John Cleese
Eric Idle
Terry Jones
Michael Palin
Graham Chapman

Who voiced Charlie on Charlie’s Angels?

Who shot J.R. on Dallas?

Who (influenced by BOB) killed Laura Palmer on Twin Peaks?

Did Scully give birth to a boy or a girl on Season 8 of The X-Files?

Who was the first host of the Tonight Show?

On Batman, a button to access the Batcave was hidden in a bust of which famous literary figure?

Who guest starred as alcoholic Uncle Ned on Family Ties?

Match the show with its spin off:
Barney Miller
All in the Family
Maude
Murder, She Wrote
The X-Files
The Carol Burnett Show
Who’s The Boss?
Happy Days
Soap
Cheers
Diff’rent Strokes
M*A*S*H
21 Jump Street
Party of Five
The Mary Tyler Moore Show

1. Trapper John, MD
2. Mork & Mindy
3. The Lone Gunmen
4. Phyllis
5. The Facts of Life
6. Benson
7. Time of Your Life
8. Booker
9. Mama’s Family
10. Living Dolls
11. Good Times
12. Maude
13. Fish
14. The Tortellis
15. The Law & Harry McGraw


Here are last week’s answers:
The category last week was Reality:
What sport did Ralph famously pretend to have ability in to impress his boss on an episode of The Honeymooners? Golf

Match the guest star with the show he/she appeared on:
a. The A-Team – 4. Boy George
b. Gilmore Girls – 3. Madeline Albright
c. Batman – 2. Liberace
d. Dynasty – 5. Henry Kissinger
e. The Love Boat – 1. Andy Warhol

1. Andy Warhol
2. Liberace
3. Madeline Albright
4. Boy George
5. Henry Kissinger

What was the name of the car that “ran great” in the All in the Family theme song? LaSalle

What did the abbreviation KITT on Knight Rider stand for? Knight Industries Two Thousand

Match the restaurant / bar / coffee shop with the corresponding TV series that called it home?
a. Moe’s Tavern – 5. The Simpsons
b. The Peach Pit – 9. Beverly Hills 90210
c. The Regal Beagle – 2. Three’s Company
d. Café Nervosa – 6. Frasier
e. Tropicana Club – 10. I Love Lucy
f. Monk’s Café – 4. Seinfeld
g. Boars Nest – 8. The Dukes of Hazard
h. Central Perk – 3. Friends
i. The Lobo Lounge – 1. Roseanne
j. The Bronze – 7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

1. Roseanne
2. Three’s Company
3. Friends
4. Seinfeld
5. The Simpsons
6. Frasier
7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
8. The Dukes of Hazzard
9. Beverly Hills 90210
10. I Love Lucy

What planet is ALF from? Melmac

Match the host with his game show:
a. Bob Eubanks – 4. Card Sharks
b. Chuck Woolery – 1. Scrabble
c. Bert Convy – 3. Tattletales
d. Jim Lange – 2. The $100,000 Name That Tune

1. Scrabble
2. The $100,000 Name The Tune
3. Tattletales
4. Card Sharks

Word of the Week - 7-14-2008

Word of the Week
BAWDY
Pronunciation: \ˈbaw-dee\
Function: adjective
Inflected Form(s): bawd•i•er; bawd•i•est
Etymology: bawd
Date: 1513
1 : obscene, lewd
2 : boisterously or humorously indecent


Interesting Fact

There is no single "inventor" of the game of baseball.

Abner Doubleday is traditionally credited with having "invented" baseball, in Cooperstown, NY, in 1839. However, it appears that a man named Alexander Cartwright was actually the inventor, in the respect that he first codified the rules of a game somewhat similar to today's game in 1845.
Doubleday himself never claimed credit for inventing baseball, or even for having been an important figure in its evolution. The only evidence to suggest Doubleday's involvement was a letter (written several decades later) from a man who would have been 5 years old in 1839. Even that letter did not suggest that Doubleday invented any of the modern elements of the game. Furthermore, the letter's author was insane.

In 1839, Doubleday was at the US Military Academy in West Point (he later served as an officer in the Mexican-American War, the Seminole Wars, and the Civil War, advancing to the rank of General in 1862), not in Cooperstown. Though he lived in Cooperstown before attending the Academy, his family moved away about the time he enrolled at the Academy, in 1838, so he would have had no reason to even visit Cooperstown in 1839. In any event, Cooperstown and West Point, though both in the State of New York, are separated by over 170 miles, a prohibitive distance to travel for a weekend, or even a whole week, of leave in those days.
But, to be perfectly honest, Cartwright's claim is little better than Doubleday's. It is, in fact, ridiculous to assign ONE inventor to the game. It evolved over a thousand years from games in England that bear little resemblance to the modern game of baseball, or even cricket (which, by the way, does not disprove the uniquely American nature of the current game). Sure, Cartwright wrote down the "Knickerbocker Rules", but teams had been playing under unwritten versions of those rules for years.
And, truth be told, even Cartwright's rules are a far cry from modern baseball. For example, the number of innings was not set (they played until one team reached a certain number of "aces", which we call runs now); there was no strike zone (batters had to swing and miss to get a strike); there were no home runs, except "inside-the-park homers" (any ball hit outside the field of play was a foul, even if it was over the outfield fence); foul balls never counted as strikes; the distance between the bases was not the same (and was not even standardized); the ball was pitched underhanded (by now you've probably realized that strikeouts were very, very rare); there was no "pitcher's mound", or any other place designated for the pitcher to pitch from (thus, presumably, the pitcher could stand anywhere on the field of play); a batted ball caught after the first bounce but before the second was an out (now it must be caught before the first bounce); the number of players on a team was not specified. Does that sound even remotely comparable to the modern game of baseball?

If you must assign an "inventor" to the modern game of baseball, then it has to be the MLB rules committee, and the date has to be the date (probably sometime in the last year) that the most recent of many, many official rules changes took effect. It is ridiculous to talk about some game played sometime in the past that was "essentially the same" as modern-day baseball. Thousands and thousands of minor changes add up to major changes, and the term "essentially" is way too open to interpretation.
If you want to talk about the first ever game that was called by the name "baseball", then you have to go back to at least 1744 (and completely give up any claim that it is an American invention) to a game that had very, very little resemblance even to Cartwright's rules, let alone modern Baseball.

Trivial Pursuit
Ready to test your TV acumen?
Here are the questions – 1 point for each correct answer
The category this week is Classic:
1. What sport did Ralph famously pretend to have ability in to impress his boss on an episode of The Honeymooners ?

2. Match the guest star with the show he/she appeared on:
a. The A-Team
b. Gilmore Girls
c. Batman
d. Dynasty
e. The Love Boat

1. Andy Warhol
2. Liberace
3. Madeline Albright
4. Boy George
5. Henry Kissinger

3. What was the name of the car that “ran great” in the All in the Family theme song?

4. What did the abbreviation KITT on Knight Rider stand for?

5. Match the restaurant / bar / coffee shop with the corresponding TV series that called it home?
a. Moe’s Tavern
b. The Peach Pit
c. The Regal Beagle
d. Café Nervosa
e. Tropicana Club
f. Monk’s Café
g. Boars Nest
h. Central Perk
i. The Lobo Lounge
j. The Bronze

1. Roseanne
2. Three’s Company
3. Friends
4. Seinfeld
5. The Simpsons
6. Frasier
7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
8. The Dukes of Hazzard
9. Beverly Hills 90210
10. I Love Lucy

6. What planet is ALF from?

7. Match the host with his game show:
a. Bob Eubanks
b. Chuck Woolery
c. Bert Convy
d. Jim Lange

1. Scrabble
2. The $100,000 Name The Tune
3. Tattletales
4. Card Sharks


Here are last week’s answers:
The category last week was Reality:
1. Who is the only professional dancer to appear in all six seasons of Dancing With the Stars? D
a. Louis van Amstel
b. Cheryl Burke
c. Alec Mazo
d. Edyta Sliwinska

2. Which supermodel has not sat alongside Tyra Banks at the judges’ table on America’s Next Top Model? C
a. Vendela
b. Niki Taylor
c. Paulina Porizkova
d. Twiggy

3. Which Bachelor mistakenly offered a rose to the wrong woman during the rose ceremony? C
a. Bob Guiney
b. Charlie O’Connell
c. Jesse Palmer
d. Prince Lorenzo Borghese

4. Solve these American Idol contestant anagrams?
a. Kick mink in bib Nikki McKibbin
b. Be likely mocker Kimberley Locke
c. Rainiest jams Jasmine Trias
d. I’m oily talent Elliott Yamin
e. Imitate olden doll Melinda Doolittle
f. Bonus question – what do the above answers all have in common They all came in third

5. Which was not the name of a Big Brother alliance? D
a. Four Horsemen
b. Nerd Herd
c. Chilltown
d. Bad Boyz
e. Sovereign Six

6. On Project Runway, which of the following was never given as a challenge to contestants? B
a. Make over a fellow cast member
b. Redesign the uniform worn by the UPS drivers
c. Make an outfit for a life-size Barbie
d. Create a design out of recycled material

7. Which player did not quit Survivor due to an injury? C
a. Michael Skupin (Australian Outback)
b. Bruce Kanegai (Panama)
c. Sue Hawk (All-Stars)
d. Gary Stritesky (Fiji)
e. Jonathan Penner (Micronesia)

Word of the Week - 7-7-2008

Word of the Week
ODIOUS
Pronunciation: \ˈoh-dee-uhs\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin odiosus, from odium
Date: 14th century
: arousing or deserving hatred or repugnance : hateful


Interesting Fact
George Washington’s Teeth

When George Washington was inaugurated for his first term as president in 1789, he had only one natural tooth remaining and was wearing his first full set of dentures made by John Greenwood. Previously he had had partial dentures which were held in place by hooking them around the remaining teeth. The Greenwood dentures had a base of hippopotamus ivory carved to fit the gums. The upper denture had ivory teeth and the lower plate consisted of eight human teeth fastened by gold pivots that screwed into the base. The set was secured in his mouth by spiral springs.Washington's next set of dentures was made in 1791 and a third in 1795, for which he paid sixty dollars. James Gardette made a large and very clumsy set for him in 1796. Apparently Washington was not pleased with these dentures and may have ordered another set from Greenwood in 1797. Washington often returned dentures for adjustments and repairs, at one time complaining that "they were forcing his lips out." His final set was made in 1798, the year before he died. This set has a swagged gold plate with individual backing for each tooth which was fastened by rivets. The lower denture of this set, along with others, are on display in the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry in Baltimore.Written descriptions of Washington's physical appearance note facial and vocal changes over the years. Portraits by leading painters of the day also record facial changes. Some of the alterations in his appearance may have been due to his dentures. For example, the springs, securing his dentures could have pushed his teeth forward, causing the cheeks to look puffy.In Charles Wilson Peale's first portrait of Washington in 1757, the mouth is noted to be quite small. Washington was twenty-five at that time and certainly still had some of his natural teeth. The painting done in 1776 by the same artist shows a scar on the left cheek from a fistula caused by an abscessed tooth. Here the face is long and oval. There is a story that Peale made a set of dentures for Washington when he was sitting for one of his portraits, because Peale felt that the set he was wearing was causing him too

Trivial Pursuit
Ready to test your TV acumen?
Here are the questions – 1 point for each correct answer
The category this week is reality:
Who is the only professional dancer to appear in all six seasons of Dancing With the Stars?
Louis van Amstel
Cheryl Burke
Alec Mazo
Edyta Sliwinska

Which supermodel has not sat alongside Tyra Banks at the judges’ table on America’s Next Top Model?
Vendela
Niki Taylor
Paulina Porizkova
Twiggy

Which Bachelor mistakenly offered a rose to the wrong woman during the rose ceremony?
Bob Guiney
Charlie O’Connell
Jesse Palmer
Prince Lorenzo Borghese

Solve these American Idol contestant anagrams?
Kick mink in bib
Be likely mocker
Rainiest jams
I’m oily talent
Imitate olden doll
Bonus question – what do the above answers all have in common

Which was not the name of a Big Brother alliance?
Four Horsemen
Nerd Herd
Chilltown
Bad Boyz
Sovereign Six

On Project Runway, which of the following was never given as a challenge to contestants?
Make over a fellow cast member
Redesign the uniform worn by the UPS drivers
Make an outfit for a life-size Barbie
Create a design out of recycled material

Which player did not quit Survivor due to an injury?
Michael Skupin (Australian Outback)
Bruce Kanegai (Panama)
Sue Hawk (All-Stars)
Gary Stritesky (Fiji)
Jonathan Penner (Micronesia)


Here are last week’s answers:
The category last week was comedy:
1. Fill in the missing words to these classic Ugly Betty sound bites:
a. Did you just gesture at me when you said _Kwanzaa________ ?
b. If this is what it takes to help my father, I will ride that _giant robot horse__ all the way to Mexico.
c. So this is where the _tragic__ happens.
d. I’m this close to splitting a __cobb salad___ with Sarah Jessica Parker and talking about shoes.
e. It looks like a __gay_ version of ‘Star Trek’.

2. How much was Earl’s winning lottery ticket worth on My Name is Earl? A
a. $100,000
b. $1 million
c. $5 million
d. $10 million

3. What is the name of the hospital where J.D. works on Scrubs? Sacred Heart

4. Which of the following is not a character who has appeared on The Simpsons? C
a. Sideshow Raheem
b. Rainier Wolfcastle
c. Gazoo
d. Nick Riviera
e. The Capital City Goofball

5. What is the cure for every ailment in Chris’ house on Everybody Hates Chris? A
a. Robitussin
b. Chicken Noodle Soup
c. Fresh Air
d. Grandma’s Special Concoction

6. Kevin from The Office’s Police tribute band is called…? B
a. King of Penn(sylvania)
b. Scrantonicity
c. Pennyatta Mondatta
d. Roxanne Roll

7. What is the name of Kelsey Grammer’s news anchor on Back to You? C
a. Chuck Champion
b. Chuck Wagon
c. Chuck Darling
d. Chuck Rockwood

8. Match the Desperate Housewives character with the thing that brought about his/her death
a. Nora Huntington 5
b. Victor Lang 3
c. Martha Huber 2
d. George Williams 4
e. Juanita Solis 1

1. Stairs
2. Strangulation
3. Fence
4. Sleeping pills
5. Gun