Topsy was a domesticated elephant with the Forepaugh Circus at Coney Island's
Jul 27, 2009
The Who What Quiz
1. We start with a 'naughty' one. Who are this pair? Why are they being shown here?
Ans.: The inspiration for the comic strip Dennis the Menace came from Dennis Ketcham, the real life son of Hank Ketcham, who was only four years old when he refused to take a nap and somehow messed up his whole room. Hank tried many possible names for the character, and translated them into rough pencil sketches. But when his studio door flew open and his then-wife Alice, in utter exasperation exclaimed, "Your son is a menace!", the "Dennis the Menace" name stuck. The character of Henry Mitchell bore a striking resemblance to Ketcham. The Mitchell family of Dennis, Hank/Henry and Alice were all named after the Ketchams.
2. The main people in this photograph are easy to identify. The question is, What is the event?
Ans.: The Channel Tunnel was opened in Calais on 6 May 1994 by British Queen Elizabeth II and French President François Mitterrand.
3. A mixture of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Who is he, what is his claim to fame / notoriety?
Ans.: Jim Gordon, drummer for Derek and the Dominoes, is the only murderer to win a Grammy. He won it for co-writing Layla and in 1983 was convicted of killing is mother with a hammer and knife.In the late 1970s, Gordon complained of hearing voices in his head, primarily those of his mother. Unfortunately, his physicians did not diagnose his condition as schizophrenia and instead treated him for alcohol abuse.On June 3, 1983, he murdered his mother with a hammer. It was not until his trial in 1984 that he was properly diagnosed. Due to the fact that his attorney was unable to use the insanity defense, he was sentenced to sixteen years to life in prison with a possibility of parole. He has served his sentence at the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo, Atascadero State Hospital in Atascadero, and the State Medical Corrections Facility in Vacaville. He remains incarcerated. Currently, there is a petition online to assist him in either being released from prison or placed in a facility where he is able to receive more sophisticated treatment.
4. The Sitter of the Quiz. What is being shown here?
Ans.: The Zenith Space Commander 600 remote control. The first wireless remote control invented by Zenith Radio Corporation in 1956. It was nicknamed "Lazy Bones"
5. What were these people collectively called? Explain the title.
Ans.: The Hollywood TenThe first systematic Hollywood blacklist was instituted on November 25, 1947, the day after ten writers and directors were cited for contempt of Congress for refusing to give testimony to the House Committee on Un-American Activities. A group of studio executives, acting under the aegis of the Motion Picture Association of America, announced the firing of the artists ”the so-called Hollywood Ten in what has become known as the Waldorf Statement. On June 22, 1950, a pamphlet called Red Channels appeared, naming 151 entertainment industry professionals in the context of "Red Fascists and their sympathizers"; soon most of those named, along with a host of other artists, were barred from employment in much of the entertainment field. The blacklist was effectively broken in 1960 when Dalton Trumbo, an unrepentant member of the Hollywood Ten, was publicly acknowledged as the screenwriter of the films Spartacus and Exodus.
6. This person has a unique distinction in the history of cinema. Who is he? What is the distinction he holds?
Ans.: Barry Fitzgerald. He achieved a feat unmatched in the history of the Academy Awards: he was nominated for both the Best Actor Oscar and the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the same performance, as "Father Fitzgibbon" in Going My Way (1944). (Academy Award rules have since been changed to prevent this.) He won the Best Supporting Actor Award.
7. What are we seeing here? Looong story like the event.
Ans.: Thomas J. Hicks with his supporters at the 1904 St.Louis Olympics. He won the marathon event.The funda behind the question is Conditions were bad, the course being a dirt track, with large clouds of dust produced by the accompanying vehicles. Hicks was not the first to cross the finish line, trailing Fred Lorz. However, Lorz had abandoned the race after 9 miles. After covering most of the course by car, he re-entered the race 5 miles before the finish. This was found out by the officials, who disqualified Lorz, who claimed it had only been a joke.Had the race been run under current rules, Hicks too would have been disqualified, as he had been given a dose of 1/60th of a grain (roughly 1 mg.) of strychnine and some brandy by his assistants as he was flagging badly during the race; the first dose of strychnine did not revive him for long, so he was given another. As a result, he collapsed after crossing the finishing line. Another dose may well have proved fatal. Strychnine is now forbidden for athletes.
8. We have it on record that this person is famous. Who is He? What record does he hold?
Ans.: Regis Philbin.He holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera. His trademarks include his excited manner, his New York Bronx accent, his wit, and irreverent ad-libs. He is most widely known for Live with Regis and Kelly, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Million Dollar Password, and for hosting the first season of America's Got Talent
9. This person ought to be far better known than she is. Who is she and what is her claim to fame?
Ans.: Mangte Chungneijang Merykom (aka Mary Kom or MC Merykom). She is a three time world boxing champion.
Medals won by Marykom:
Turkey 2002 - Gold Medal at the 2nd World women's boxing championships.
Austria 2005 - Gold Medal at the 3rd World women's boxing championships.
Delhi 2006 - Gold Medal at the 4th World women's boxing championships.
10. What exactly is being shown here?
Ans.:Those are frames from the film depicting the electrocution of Topsy the elephant by Edison to prove the dangers of AC current at the peak of his rivalry on that issue with Nikola Tesla.
Jul 12, 2009
Trivial Fundaez
1. Put Fundaez

Ans.: Monument erected, October, 1998, commemorating where the Martians "landed" in Van Nest Park, Grover's Mill, NJ.
This monument was erected in memory of the chaos created by the radio play The War of the Worlds by H.G.Wells, which was directed and narrated by Orson Welles. For further reading refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(radio)
2. Identify the advertiser and the concept.

Ans.: Xerox, "Borderless Printing"

3. What is contained in this test tube. Put Fundaez.

Ans.: Thomas Alva Edison’s last breath. This is placed at the Henry Ford Museum.
Supposedly Ford asked Edison's son Charles to hold a test tube next to his father's mouth when he breathed his last in 1931. Ford's motive for this odd request is obscure. He is known to have been interested in reincarnation, and some say he thought the spirit exited the body with one's last breath; ergo, what he was collecting was essence of Edison, no doubt for reconstitution at some later date. Others say he just wanted a souvenir of his departed buddy. Whatever the case, it's likely that any Edisonian vestiges, if in fact there ever were any, have long since leaked out. The tube was discovered in the Ford family home in 1950 after both Henry and his wife had died. It's now on display at the Ford museum.
4. Identify and Connect.

Ans.: Cons described in the movie Ocean’s Eleven.
In the beginning of the film, when they begin to work on the plan for the casino heist, Rusty (Pitt) says to Danny (Clooney)
"Off the top of my head, I'd say you're looking at a Boesky, a Jim Brown, a Miss Daisy, two Jethros and a Leon Spinks, not to mention the biggest Ella Fitzgerald...ever."
This list of cons was created by director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Ted Griffin that described the type of people and cons needed to knock over the three casinos.
Boesky - Saul playing Lyman Zerga. This is a reference to Ivan Boesky, a big-time trader on Wall Street who got caught committing securities fraud. The con is about a wealthy bankroller who has insider information.
Jim Brown - the confrontation between Frank Catton and Linus Caldwell, staged to distract Terry Benedict so that Linus can lift the security codes to the vault. Named for the famous American football player Jim Brown.
Miss Daisy - the SWAT vehicle used as the getaway car. From the film title Driving Miss Daisy.
Two Jethros - the Malloy brothers. "Hillbilly gear-head types" hired to take care of Miss Daisy, distraction purposes, and for general two-man work.
Leon Spinks - the disruption of the boxing match. This refers to the surprise victory of Leon Spinks over Muhammad Ali.
Ella Fitzgerald - the looped tape of the robbery that is played over Benedict's security system. A reference to a 1970s commercial for Memorex, in which a recording of Ella Fitzgerald's voice breaks a glass and the question is posed to the viewer: "Is it live or is it Memorex?"
5.Connect.

Ans.: Clockwise: Douglas Adams, John Lloyd, Isle of Sheppey in UK
Connect: Sheppey, the unit of measurement.
A measure of distance equal to about 7⁄8 of a mile (12⁄5 km), defined as the closest distance at which sheep remain picturesque. The Sheppey is the creation of Douglas Adams and John Lloyd, included in The Meaning of Liff, their dictionary of putative meanings for words that are actually just place names. It is named after the Isle of Sheppey in the UK.
6. Put Fundaez.
(Hint: "Miles and Miles and Miles")

Ans.: While on the Moon, Alan Shepard played golf with this Wilson six-iron head attached to a lunar sample scoop handle (this is housed at the USGA Museum). Despite thick gloves and a stiff spacesuit which forced him to swing the club with one hand only, Shepard struck two golf balls with a six iron, driving the second, as he jokingly put it, “miles and miles and miles”.

7. Fundaez Please.

Ans.: “The Wall” by Atul Dodiya.
A rare work by the artist - dedicated to cricket and Bollywood. It’s a triple treat for art lovers — a work by Atul Dodiya that has signatures of cricketers Rahul Dravid, Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Tendulkar and all the others cricketers who represented India in the last World Cup. And a portrait of Aamir Khan.

8. Identify.

Ans.: Masaba and Mali Richards. Born to Sir Vivian Richards, Masaba is born to Neena Gupta and Mali to Miriam Richards.
9.Id the movie from the LEGO spoof.

Ans.: The Bourne Ultimatum.

10. What did he found?

Ans.: Rotary International. He is Paul P. Harris, founder of the Club.


Ans.: Monument erected, October, 1998, commemorating where the Martians "landed" in Van Nest Park, Grover's Mill, NJ.
This monument was erected in memory of the chaos created by the radio play The War of the Worlds by H.G.Wells, which was directed and narrated by Orson Welles. For further reading refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(radio)
2. Identify the advertiser and the concept.

Ans.: Xerox, "Borderless Printing"

3. What is contained in this test tube. Put Fundaez.

Ans.: Thomas Alva Edison’s last breath. This is placed at the Henry Ford Museum.
Supposedly Ford asked Edison's son Charles to hold a test tube next to his father's mouth when he breathed his last in 1931. Ford's motive for this odd request is obscure. He is known to have been interested in reincarnation, and some say he thought the spirit exited the body with one's last breath; ergo, what he was collecting was essence of Edison, no doubt for reconstitution at some later date. Others say he just wanted a souvenir of his departed buddy. Whatever the case, it's likely that any Edisonian vestiges, if in fact there ever were any, have long since leaked out. The tube was discovered in the Ford family home in 1950 after both Henry and his wife had died. It's now on display at the Ford museum.
4. Identify and Connect.

Ans.: Cons described in the movie Ocean’s Eleven.
In the beginning of the film, when they begin to work on the plan for the casino heist, Rusty (Pitt) says to Danny (Clooney)
"Off the top of my head, I'd say you're looking at a Boesky, a Jim Brown, a Miss Daisy, two Jethros and a Leon Spinks, not to mention the biggest Ella Fitzgerald...ever."
This list of cons was created by director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Ted Griffin that described the type of people and cons needed to knock over the three casinos.
Boesky - Saul playing Lyman Zerga. This is a reference to Ivan Boesky, a big-time trader on Wall Street who got caught committing securities fraud. The con is about a wealthy bankroller who has insider information.
Jim Brown - the confrontation between Frank Catton and Linus Caldwell, staged to distract Terry Benedict so that Linus can lift the security codes to the vault. Named for the famous American football player Jim Brown.
Miss Daisy - the SWAT vehicle used as the getaway car. From the film title Driving Miss Daisy.
Two Jethros - the Malloy brothers. "Hillbilly gear-head types" hired to take care of Miss Daisy, distraction purposes, and for general two-man work.
Leon Spinks - the disruption of the boxing match. This refers to the surprise victory of Leon Spinks over Muhammad Ali.
Ella Fitzgerald - the looped tape of the robbery that is played over Benedict's security system. A reference to a 1970s commercial for Memorex, in which a recording of Ella Fitzgerald's voice breaks a glass and the question is posed to the viewer: "Is it live or is it Memorex?"
5.Connect.

Ans.: Clockwise: Douglas Adams, John Lloyd, Isle of Sheppey in UK
Connect: Sheppey, the unit of measurement.
A measure of distance equal to about 7⁄8 of a mile (12⁄5 km), defined as the closest distance at which sheep remain picturesque. The Sheppey is the creation of Douglas Adams and John Lloyd, included in The Meaning of Liff, their dictionary of putative meanings for words that are actually just place names. It is named after the Isle of Sheppey in the UK.
6. Put Fundaez.
(Hint: "Miles and Miles and Miles")

Ans.: While on the Moon, Alan Shepard played golf with this Wilson six-iron head attached to a lunar sample scoop handle (this is housed at the USGA Museum). Despite thick gloves and a stiff spacesuit which forced him to swing the club with one hand only, Shepard struck two golf balls with a six iron, driving the second, as he jokingly put it, “miles and miles and miles”.

7. Fundaez Please.

Ans.: “The Wall” by Atul Dodiya.
A rare work by the artist - dedicated to cricket and Bollywood. It’s a triple treat for art lovers — a work by Atul Dodiya that has signatures of cricketers Rahul Dravid, Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Tendulkar and all the others cricketers who represented India in the last World Cup. And a portrait of Aamir Khan.

8. Identify.

Ans.: Masaba and Mali Richards. Born to Sir Vivian Richards, Masaba is born to Neena Gupta and Mali to Miriam Richards.
9.Id the movie from the LEGO spoof.

Ans.: The Bourne Ultimatum.

10. What did he found?

Ans.: Rotary International. He is Paul P. Harris, founder of the Club.

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