Jan 19th Trivia

Another crowded night at Land of a Thousand Hills Thursday night, with twelve teams competing. I sat next to Joel, and across from Kevin, Will, Michael, and Jon. We answered 13 of the first 14 questions correctly, and tied for the halftime lead. Had I not gotten the one question wrong, we would’ve led by ourselves. In the end, it didn’t matter.

MATH: How many EDGES does a cube have? Joel immediately scribbled an answer and prepared to hand it to Trivia-Master Erin, but Kevin quickly stopped him. After a short discussion, we answered correctly: TWELVE. Five points.

FOOD: Dave Thomas founded what national restaurant chain? WENDYS. Jon asked me how I knew. “I’m old!” Actually, Dave used to star in his own commercials, and I heard him speak at a graduation. Three points.

RADIO: Who retired in 2009 after hosting “American Top Forty” for 39 years? The team looked to me, and I answered Dick Clark. It was CASEY KASEM. My co-workers all knew. At least we only missed out on one point.

GEORGIA: What famous hiking trail has its southern end in Georgia? We all knew: The Appalachian Trail. Five Points.

MOVIES: In the movie “Walk the Line” (one of Erin’s favorites), Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon portrayed what two country music singers? I knew: Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. Three points.

LITERATURE: What two fictional boy detectives lived in the fictional town of Bayport? THE HARDY BOYS. Will, Michael, and Jon knew, having read the series. They submitted their first names, but didn’t receive extra credit. One point.

RECREATION: A swimming pool must have a minimum of how many lanes to be considered Olympic-sized? We guessed correctly: EIGHT. One point.

COMIC STRIPS: The fictional characters Mom, Dad, Peter, Paige, and Jason Fox are featured in what comic strip? Joel knew: FOXTROT. Five points.

AMERICA: Which state has the largest Native American population? Several were suggested, and we went with my vote: OKLAHOMA. Three points.

HALFTIME: Name the state capitals. Joel studied, and didn’t need help: Alaska (Juneau), Arizona (Phoenix), Connecticut (Hartford), Vermont (Montpelier), Wisconsin (Madison). Ten points. It was longtime employee Lizzie’s 21st birthday, so we all joined in to sing.

TELEVISION: What cable channel appropriately has its headquarters in downtown Nashville? Kevin was the first to say: CMT. Four points.

GEOGRAPHY: What US state’s capitol is closest to the equator? Joel started drawing a map of the United States. By then I knew he was off the mark. While writing the Expedition Skit, I researched the Galapagos Islands. This helped me deduce the correct answer: HONOLULU. Six points.

COFFEE: What country is said to be where coffee was discovered? Joel knew: it was ETHIOPIA. Erin said it’s also where humans first lived. Two points.

ART: St. Petersburg Florida has a museum dedicated to what off-the-wall Spanish artist? After licking his chops when the category was announced, noted Facebook artist Michael didn’t know. We guessed Rafael. It was Dali. A two point miss.

HISTORY: At 42, what man became the youngest US President? An interesting question. Last week Erin asked which President was the youngest to die. The question didn’t say “elected” but it didn’t stop me from immediately responding JFK. Erin did require the first and last name, which should’ve been a hint. It was TEDDY ROOSEVELT. Just the day before I checked out a book on him, but it was too late. A six point miss. Bama knew, but they had already faded from the leaders.

POLITICS: According to American criminal law, what is the minimum number of people required to be considered a riot? We said two. It was three. A four point miss, and Joel was reeling.

TOYS: What type of dolls was so popular in 1983 that some sold for over $100.00? Having stood in line for hours to get the original, hand-made “Little People” dolls autographed by their creator, artist Xavier Roberts, I knew: CABBAGE PATCH DOLLS. Four points.

SPORTS: The largest football stadium in the US seats 109,998. What state is it in? I didn’t hear Kevin mention Tennessee, and I knew two stadiums had gone back and forth for the most. We went with my answer: MICHIGAN. Six points.

ACRONYMS: What does EPCOT stand for? Another Disney question that Kevin didn’t know. Only one team did. Erin read all the amusing answers, saving mine for last: Erin Plays Crazy Old Tunes. Actually, it’s the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. A two point miss. Going into the final question, our 58 second-place points put us seven behind the leaders, the Hustlers.

FINAL: Name the four largest world religions, with a bonus for putting them in order. After a discussion, Joel submitted the right answer: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. The Hustlers also got it right, so we finished in second.