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It pained me today to have to stop recording one of two U.S. Open men's matches (Verdasco/Fognini or Djokovic/Troicki) in order to watch a Celebrity Jeopardy rerun. Don't get me wrong; you know I love Jeopardy!, but I can't believe they would choose to rerun the celebrity episodes right now over anything else, like, maybe this year's Tournament of Champions? That would've made shutting the recording off so much easier, even though it had to be only half an hour. What would you guys want to see these last two weeks of the summer break? I've put up a poll. Look for it below my logo above.
Today's contestants: Julie Bowen Robin Quivers
Jane Kaczmarek
Did you guys know this triple-stumper in the Jeopardy round's Agents and Managers?: "It's the nickname of Hall of Fame baseball manager George Anderson of the Reds and Tigers."* By the first break, Julie had 3200, Jane had 1400, and Robin had 0, as she had not rung in yet. She answered her first clue (correctly) in Agents and Managers, with two categories left in play in the Jeopardy round. It wound up being the only clue she responded to in the round. Here it is: "Anne Hathaway was Agent 99 to Steve Carell's Agent 86 in this movie adaptation from the small screen."*
Like yesterday, the Daily Double of the Jeopardy round remained uncovered. Julie had 6600 at the end of the round, Jane had 5200, and Robin had 1000.
Julie found the first Daily Double in the Double Jeopardy round, in Un-outsource-able. She seemed to shun strategy and randomly choose a wager, because she said "Half" (of her 10200). Jane had 6000 at the time, and Robin had 4200. This was the clue: "This type of healer who adjusts and aligns you based on a system developed in 1895."* She got it right.
Later, Julie "moved away" from What's Opera, Doc category that Jane had been choosing. When Jane went back to it, the next clue in the category was the second Daily Double! But if Julie perceives it as a weaker category for her, maybe it's for the best that she didn't find it. Jane admitted she was following Julie's lead when she wagered 5000. Maybe they don't watch the show and don't know about wagering strategies? At any rate, this was the clue: "Marcello fetches a doctor bt Mimi still dies, leaving Rodolfo heartbroken at the end of this opera."* Jane seemed to know it right away.
At the end of the round, Julie had 15300, Jane had 23400, and Robin had 4200. The Final Jeopardy category was Film Directors. Perhaps the Jeopardy! people were hoping to draw big wagers from the contestants? This was the clue: "His work of the 1930s and 40s is so associated with sentimentality that his name is often combined with 'corn.'"* Jane was the only one to get it right, so it didn't really matter that Julie once again made an arguably unreasonable wager: She wagered everything! Jane was today's champion, then.
*Sparky, Get Smart, chiropractor, La Boheme, Capra
Today on Jeopardy!, an episode of Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational. I don't really like Celebrity Jeopardy but this is best possible week for those episodes: The U.S. Open has begun and is on ESPN2 and the Tennis Channel, all day every day this week. My DVR can only handle recording two things at once, which puts Jeopardy!, well, in jeopardy. (You know that Jeopardy! always comes first!) The solution: I have to be present to watch the show when it's actually on, and I will just have to not record about a half-hour of tennis.
Today's contestants: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Michael McKean Soledad O'Brien
Mr. Trebek mentioned at the beginning of the show that they had all appeared on Jeopardy! before. Did you guys know these triple-stumpers in the Jeopardy round? I got them right, but they were lucky guesses. The "question" to this one in Other Sports Legends could have been a bunch of people: "On Tennis Magazine's list of the 40 greatest players from 1965 to 2005, she's the top female player."* I thought Michael's guess of Billie Jean King was certainly reasonable, and Soledad's Venus Williams was decent. Here's another triple-stumper in Other Sports Legends, although Mr. Trebek indicated that Michael knew it but didn't ring in (This was was answerable without guessing, I think): "In 1996, this 'golden boy' TKOed Julio Cesar Chavez in 4 rounds; in '98, it took him 8."* The other triple-stumper that was a total guess was in Famous O'Briens: "At the end of Prohibition in 1933, Pat O'Brien converted his speakeasy to a legal bar in this city."* I don't know why I guessed what I did. I'd like to think that I remembered this one from the show's original airing! Speaking of this category, how many famous O'Briens could you name before all these clues were revealed? I could only think of the obvious one, and he wasn't even the subject of any of these clues! Then again it wouldn't have occurred to me to consider "potatoes o'brien" a "Famous O'Brien." Somehow I swept the category. At the end of the round (we didn't get to see the Daily Double or any Starts with 3 Consonants clues), Kareem had 3200, Soledad was in the hole 200, and Michael had 7000. In the Double Jeopardy round, Kareem, who was so tall that the podium was not visible when he was shown responding to a clue, embarrassed himself like crazy by thinking he was the correct response to this clue in I Went to UCLA: "Tell your old man to drag this '70s UCLA and Trail Blazer center (and Lanier!) up and down the court for 48 minutes."* What's more, it looked like he didn't know the correct response until Mr. Trebek said what it was. (No one else answered it.) Kareem's reaction: I have to admit this clue befuddled me when it originally aired and it does now, partly because Kareem selected the next clue by saying, "I Went to UCLA...almost." I just looked it up, and he did go to UCLA, but I see that was in the '60s and not the 70s. Also, he was never a Trail Blazer. But what is a "Lanier"? In the Double Jeopardy round, we got to see both Daily Doubles. In fact, the first one was the clue immediately after the one Kareem thought he was the correct response. He had 12400, Soledad had 5000, and Michael had 16200. Kareem wagered a whopping 8000 on this clue: "Kirsten Gillibrand got her law degree from UCLA in 1991 and filled the Senate seat left vacant by this woman in 2009."* Ouch: Kareem guessed a Supreme Court justice, and not a senator. When Soledad found the next Daily Double in Listen to the Flower People, she had 4200, Kareem had 4400, and Michael had 17400. She wagered 3000 on this clue: "My Latin teacher often reminded me that the name of this month comes from a Latin word meaning 'when flower buds open.'"* She got it right, but the game was still a runaway: that clue wound up being the last clue in the round. The Final Jeopardy category was Biblical Names. This was the clue: "Trees with Biblical names include the Joshua tree and the world's oldest tree, a 4,700-year-old pine named for him."* Kareem redeemed himself a little by getting it right, but I doubt anyone will remember that after the "UCLA" fiasco. Michael got it right, too, and Soledad got it wrong. So Michael earned the most dough for his charity, the International Myeloma Foundation. An update on the Summer Hiatus Challenge: We have now begun week 5 of 6. Through week 3, mrbungle (Ryan Chaffee) looks like he is in the lead among the former champs that I am following. (I'd post a "leaderboard," but it looks like there's something wrong with the spreadsheet, and I can't see everyone's name.) There's still time for you to play. If you sign up and let me know, you will have a chance to win a copy of Chuck Forrest's Secrets of the Jeopardy! Champions. *Martina Navratilova, Oscar de la Hoya, New Orleans, Bill Walton, Hillary Clinton, April, Methuselah
Today was the second day of the two-day College Tournament final. Yesterday, Surya Sabhapathy ended with 12800, Nick Yozamp ended with 20000, and Ryan ended with 14800. These scores are added to today's to determine the champion of the Tournament.
This is the first time I have pretended to play along with the contestants as though it were a two-day final for me, too. I have always thought the wagering is soooo much more difficult on both days. On the first day, not only will you not know whether you'll be right or wrong, but what are your opponents going to wager, and will they be right or wrong? On the second day, the possibilities seem endless even though they of course are not. But I am dreaming big and therefore want to practice for a two-day final as well. I had 22400 after yesterday.
Ryan found all three Daily Doubles today, with mixed success. He got this one correct in the Jeopardy round with the equivalent of one category to go, in Microbiology Milestones: "By 1980, a global vaccination effort led to the virtual eradication of this, the only time that's been done to a germ."* He doubled his score to make 2000, while Nick had 6400 and Surya had 2200. The category that remained was Opera (four of the five clues, anyway), which I cannot believe I swept. I also swept "O" Nouns. At the end of the round, Ryan had 2600, Nick had 7400, and Surya had 4400. I had 9400.
The Double Jeopardy Daily Doubles were not as kind to Ryan. This was his reaction after finding the first one of the round:
And this was his reaction upon finding the second (Maybe it was the category?): He was leading with 13000 when he found the first Daily Double. His nearest opponent was Nick, who had 9000. Ryan wagered 3000 on this clue in 1 B and 2 Ds, so even though he missed it he still led: "It's the transmission capacity of an electronic communications device."* The second Daily Double did not go better for him. The category was African History. He still led by only 1000, and that is what he wagered on this clue: "A kingdom of west central Africa founded around 1390 is called this, like 2 current countries, but spelled with a 'K.'"* That is a hard one, I think. At the end of Double Jeopardy, Ryan had 11800, Nick had 14600, and Surya had 8800. I had 23800. The Final category was Biblical Kings, something I feel pretty strong in, but I decided to wager nothing. I assumed that Nick would wager as though Ryan was going to double, making his total today 23600 and for two days 38400. If I wagered nothing today, I would have 46200 over two days. This was the clue: "These two men first meet in 1 Samuel 16 when one becomes aware of the musical talent of the other."* Ryan wagered only 1000 and got it right, making his two-day total 27600. Surya wagered 5000 and also got it right, making her total 26600. Nick wagered 3801. Can you tell by his reaction whether he got it right?: Yeah, he missed it, but it didn't matter. His two-day total was 30799, and he is the reigning College Tournament champion!
*smallpox, bandwidth, Kongo, Saul and David
I think I did well on today's Summer Hiatus Challenge questions. The categories were Clearing the "Bar" and Portmanteaus. I left one question blank and there were a couple I am still not sure of even after reading everyone else's answers! The responses were all over the place. Go have a look and play along, and let me know if you do. You'll be eligible then to win my giveaway of a copy of Chuck Forrest's Secrets of the Jeopardy! Champions.
Today was the first day of the 2010 College Tournament. The contestants: Ryan Stoffers Surya Sabhapathy Nick Yozamp
I got three triple-stumpers right today. See how you do on these: In Can I Get a Witness?: "A witness doesn't have to swear to tell the truth; some, for reasons of religion, or lack of religion, prefer this word, also an option in the presidential oath of office."* In "UO" Me: "Do not deny him or refuse his name; it's John Bartlett's 'familiar' specialty."* (I swept the category.) In The New York Times Frugal Traveler: "The Frugal Traveler suggests saving in this city by getting around on its metro or its Velib bike rental system."* Ryan found the first Daily Double today in Cycle of Life, with one category to go in the Jeopardy round. He had 3000, Nick had 6000, and Surya had 600. Ryan wagered 1500 on this clue: "In addition to a cardio workout, cycling gives strength to muscles like this 4-part one at the front of the thigh."* He missed it. At the end of the Jeopardy round, though, he had 3300, Nick still had 6000, and Surya had 1800. I had 8000. Surya found the first Daily Double in the Double Jeopardy round, in We've Got Chemistry. My dad is a chemistry teacher, and I'm pretty good with chemistry myself. I was sweeping the category when the Daily Double came up, and I wound up sweeping all of it. Surya had 3800 and wagered 2000 on this clue: "Cellulose and nylon are examples of these large molecules made up of many smaller molecules called monomers."* When I was a kid, I saw one of my dad's colleagues give a demonstration at the Children's Museum on this very topic, and it is now infamous in our family! Surya got it right, too, which left her 1000 behind Nick. Surya also found the second Daily Double of the round, in The Fiction File. She was 3000 behind Nick with 11800. She wagered 2000 on this clue: "In 'The Tin Roof Blowdown,' Iberia parish sheriff Dave Robicheaux deals with the aftermath of this 2005 event."* I can't believe that happened so long ago! Anyway Surya got it right. At the end of Double Jeopardy, then, she had 17400, Nick had 15600, and Ryan had 9300. I had 28600. Remember that contestants have to wager on Final Jeopardy considering that today's total will be added to tomorrow's to determine the champion. The final category was College History. This was the clue: "The Pittsburgh University named for Andrew Carnegie is the USA's first to offer a degree in this musical instrument."* Ryan and Nick got it right, while Surya and I guessed the same thing and were wrong. Surya ended the day with 12800. Nick had 20000, Ryan had 14800, and I had 22400. So it still clearly "anyone's game," to borrow a cliche! *affirm, quotations, Paris, quadriceps, polymers, Hurricane Katrina, bagpipes
As if it needs to! I considered saying it rocks more than usual, but I of course think it could not rock any more. Anyway, today I think I got my first "perfecto" (perfect score) of the Summer Hiatus Challenge on the Jeopardy! message boards! I was not the only one, and there may be many. I know at least that "Asphodel" ( Alison Stone Roberg) also got a perfect score. However, one of this year's Tournament of Champions finalists didn't answer on four of the same questions. So I feel good. This may be the perfect day for you to start playing if the categories Unscripted/Reality/Game Television and 21st Century Bestsellers appeal to you. And if you do sign up and let me know here, you will be eligible to win from me a copy of Chuck Forrest's Secrets of the Jeopardy! Champions.
My winning ways continued when I watched today's Jeopardy! right after answering the Summer Hiatus Challenge questions. I swept the first category, Oscars Since 2000. By the first commercial break, I had only missed one clue that I answered, this one for 800 in Name That Continent: "Kamchatka Peninsula."* (I was thinking of Alaska, but I'm not sure exactly why.) I had, then, 5000, while Lindsay Eanet had 2400, Ryan Stoffers had 4400, and Dan D'Addario had 1400.
Lindsay Eanet Ryan Stoffers Dan D'Addario (but she was wearing black today)
Lindsay found the Daily Double of the round, in Alphabetic Letter Pairs. The responses are two letters that are next to each other in the alphabet. By this time I led with 6800. I was tempted to wager it all because I was doing so well and because I'd gotten the three previous clues right in the category. Lindsay had 3600 and trailed Ryan by 1000. She wagered 1100 and I wagered 2000 on this clue: "If you have this blood type, you're lucky; it's the 'universal recipient.'"* She and I both got it right. I wound up sweeping the category. At the end of Double Jeopardy, Lindsay had 6700, Ryan had 5400, Dan had 2200, and I had 11000.
One of the Double Jeopardy categories was Band Names. Lindsay went to that category at her first opportunity. She had been saying during today's interview that she was inspired to go into journalism by the movie Almost Famous, where a guy follows a rock band. (I have not seen it; pardon my vague description!) Naturally, Lindsay was sweeping the category when she found a Daily Double there! She led by a whopping 4500, and she wagered 2000 on this clue: "This band's name refers to what bassist Mike Kroeger said when giving a coin in change at Starbucks."* She got it right and wound up sweeping the whole category.
Three clues later, Ryan found the other Daily Double, in Nonfiction. He had 5800, less than half of what Lindsay had. He wagered 2500 on this clue: "A 2009 biography of this builder of Grand Central Terminal calls him 'The First Tycoon.'"* Ryan got it right!
Did you guys know this triple-stumper in Completes the Famous Phr--?: "Apres moi, le de--"*
At the end of Double Jeopardy, Lindsay led with 18700, Ryan had 15500, and Dan had 3400. I had 24200. The Final Jeopardy category was American Heroes, and this was the clue: "He said, "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go in harm's way."* Only Ryan got it right. Lindsay lost 16543 while Ryan gained 9000, making him a finalist in the Tournament, along with Surya Sabhapathy and Nick Yozamp.
Here are my other scores for the week:
Samira Missaghi Nick Yozamp James Hill III Me
0 16001 10399 23800
Surya Sabhapathy Ashley Walker Leah Anthony Libresco Me
9500 -200 9200 14600
Tomorrow and Friday, I will play as though it's a two-day final for me, like the players on the show. I may be affected by remembering who won on the show. (He/she was just on the Tournament of Champions in May.)
FYI, I'm still planning on having a Blogger birthday party on August 31st, if anyone signs up. I've been leaving comments on blogs based in Lincoln, and one guy sounded like he was interested, BUT has not signed up. If no one signs up, I will assume no one is coming and will not be there either. Just so you know. For everyone else, look at the map below to find a Blogger birthday party near you.
*Asia, AB, Nickelback, Cornelius Vanderbilt, deluge, John Paul Jones
(6) I read that your wife watches the show with you. Has she tried out for the show?
"No, Jayshree has not tried out for the show. She feels, at least at present, that the emphasis of the clues on American topics puts her at a disadvantage relative to potential contestants born in the U.S., and has never expressed an interest even in taking the online J! test.
However, she gets the correct responses to quite a few of the Final Jeopardy! clues that I miss. :)"
(7) I read that you wanted to use some of your winnings for travel and for putting a down payment on a new house. Have you done either of those yet?
"Well, we’ve not had the time at present to take a vacation. And while the bulk of the ToC winnings after taxes have been earmarked towards the downpayment for a home, we don’t anticipate buying one in the near future."
(8) You tried out for Jeopardy! six times in 16 years. Do you have any goals that you are pursuing now?
"Well, if your question pertains to potential appearances on other TV quiz shows, I can state unequivocally that J! was it for me.
As far as my profession as a chemical engineer goes, I hope that I can make meaningful contributions to the solution of technological issues of importance to the U.S., such as satisfying our energy needs in a sustainable manner."
(9) Have you considered writing a book about your Jeopardy! experiences?
"A friend of mine, J! champion Mark Barrett, joked that I should write a book called “Chem Dog Quarter Millionaire,” about how my life experiences helped me win the ToC. ;)
Of course, I can’t say at this time if I’ll have the chance to embark upon any such project."
(10) I don’t think I saw a trophy when you won the Tournament. Did you get one?
"No, I did not receive a trophy, and, to the best of my knowledge, the College Championship is the only J! tournament to feature a trophy."
(Photos courtesy of Robert Knecht Schmidt. That's Vijay directly behind the cake, with the knife.)
Thank you so much to Vijay Balse for this entertaining and informative interview!
I am so pleased to present my interview with the winner of the 2010 Tournament of Champions, Vijay Balse! In this awesome picture of some ToC contestants with Bob Harris, Vijay is third from left in the middle row (photo courtesy of j-archive's Robert Knecht Schmidt):
Vijay says: "First of all, let me thank Jeanie Kenkel for the opportunity to share my J! experiences with readers of The Jeopardy! Fan website.
Next, I apologize for not having had the chance to respond to her queries until now.
Finally, I hope that you will also take the time to read about my ToC experiences on the J! Board, in posts by a certain bumbling reporter named Ray Porter, starting with this post, and continued in the same thread.
Now, to Jeanie’s questions…"
(1) Does Jeopardy! air in your native India?
"Not to my knowledge. In fact, my first impression about J! back in 1985 — when I moved to the U.S. as a graduate student — was being perplexed when the contestants’ responses were in the form of a question. :)"
(2) I read on the Jeopardy! message boards about your methods for learning new information while you participated in College Bowl. This includes reading material in your weaker subjects and making “question packets.” Did you continue this after College Bowl, with the thought of winning on Jeopardy! in mind?
"Well, College Bowl toss-up questions are structured so as to reward players for anticipating the questions themselves, in addition to the answers. On the other hand, J! clues are read aloud by Alex Trebek in their entirety before the contestants can respond. Hence there’s not much overlap between the two formats, and I did not write any more College Bowl “question packets” after finishing graduate school.
However, I did prepare a number of complete J! games, as well as miscellaneous sets of clues, primarily from 2003 through 2005, to help friends I had gotten to know through the J! Board, and other forums, practice their J! gameplaying skills."
(3) Did you practice ringing in?
"Actually, no. The contestant coordinators give out ballpoint pens — which are supposed to simulate the actual signaling device — during J! auditions.
I found that the actual devices are bulkier, and that the push buttons offer much more resistance than the ballpoint pens. As a result, and so as not to wear out my thumb, I decided — at some point during my third regular game — that it was best to press the button on the signaling device only once.
Of course, my luck with the timing of this single push decided whether I rang in successfully or not. Instead of waiting for the 'go' lights mentioned in various discussions about the J! signaling device, I waited for a couple of beats after Alex Trebek had finished reading the clue before ringing in."
(4) Did you tape all five of your regular episodes in one trip to California?
"Yes. Usually, a game broadcast on a Monday is the first of the day, the game broadcast on a Thursday is the first after lunch, and so on. However, in Season 26, this predictable pattern was disrupted on account of the taping of the Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational.
Thus, the game won by Jordan Brand — which was broadcast on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 — was the first taped on Tuesday, December 15th, 2009. I won the next four games taped that day. My fifth regular game — broadcast on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 — was the first taped on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009."
(5) Did you watch your regular episodes when they were on TV, before you competed in the Tournament of Champions?
"Yes, my regular games aired a couple of weeks before the ToC was held, so that my fellow contestants got the chance to assess my J! skills. Regina Robbins, on the other hand, was a complete unknown, since her first game did not air until Tuesday, March 23rd, the first day of the ToC taping.
As an aside, I have been watching J! on a regular basis since 1985, and began recording the games on a DVR starting with Season 24. As practice for my regular games, I watched the episodes available on my DVR in November and December of 2009.
With less than a month between getting The Call and traveling to Culver City for the taping, I decided to focus on being mentally ready to play J! for real.
Watching all those games helped me realize what made contestants fail at playing the game well — such as being overly cautious in wagering, getting complacent when having a large lead, and so on — and I did my best to avoid such missteps."
Come back tomorrow night to see what Vijay is planning now!
Today was the last day of the 2010 College Tournament quarterfinals. You may recall that I love Fridays of the first week of Jeopardy! tournaments, because of the excitement when the semifinalists are revealed. I was not let down today! The contestants were:
Lindsay Eanet
Leah Anthony Libresco Prashat Raghavendran
The game was off to a rough start with the somewhat easy-sounding Fill in the Song Title. Prashant missed the second and third clues, and Leah missed this triple-stumper: "Tim McGraw: 'It's a Business Doing ________ ____ ___.'"* I didn't know the song but I've heard that phrase before. The last clue of the category was a triple-stumper, too, and I didn't know it: "Whitney Houston: '_______ Dollar Bill.'"* So at the end of that first category, both Leah and Prashat were in the hole -800 and -1000 respectively. Prashat was still in the hole with -200 when he found the Daily Double in the round in World Holidays. He wagered 800 on this clue, and missed it: "This country has a Coptic Christmas, an Islamic New Year, and a Sinai Liberation Day."*
I swept New Testament Places. Did you guys know this triple-stumper?: "The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is believed to be built over this hill, site of the Crucifixion."* At the end of the Jeopardy round, Lindsay had 3400, Leah had 4000, and Prashat was still in third place with 1400. Did you guys know this triple-stumper in The Prisoner?: "This Dublin-born man was released from prison bankrupt in 1897; 'The Ballad of Reading Gaol' was released in 1898."* Prashat bounced back to some extent in the Double Jeopardy round, including getting this Daily Double correct in Name the Century: "The Normans conquer England."* He was still in third place at the end, though, with 9400. Lindsay had 14600, and Leah had 12000. The Final Jeopardy category was Recent Books. This was the clue: "In a lecture called 'Storia Senza Storia' (story without history), an Italian cardinal rebutted claims in this 2003 novel."* I knew this one instantly. Lindsay and Leah knew it, too, while Prashat lost 4000 when he guessed the right author but the wrong novel. Lindsay wagered 7500 and Leah wagered 9000, making Lindsay a semifinalist. I ended with 24002. However, Leah's score was good enough to make her a wild-card semifinalist, and boy, was she ever exuberant. Here are my other scores since I blogged last: Rebecca Maxfield James Hill III Robbie Berg Me 11974 25198 3 30600
Nick Yozamp Surya Sabhapathy Dan D'Addario Me 20000 17000 13584 32802
Now for an update on the Summer Hiatus Challenge! The final clues for week 3 were posted today, so go check it out and play along. There are still have three weeks of fun remaining with questions such as these, written by DadofTwins: THEY SEE ME MOWIN' MY FRONT LAWN 2: A lawn mower can create this five-letter lawn-enriching substance by keeping the clippings underneath the deck for repeated chopping.
4: No bull; in 2007 this Minnesota-based lawn equipment company sold off its residential equipment division to focus on commercial sales. 6: In 1963, John Reiger patented this riding mower feature when he invented a way to make the wheels rotate at different speeds.
8: In 1990, this lawn care brand became the first to purchase title sponsorship rights to the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana. 10: This insect similar to a cricket gave its name to a Kansas-based lawn mower company known for using diesel engines in their machines.
EUROPEAN RIVERS 3: This second-longest river in Russia shares its name with a mountain range dividing Europe and Asia.
6: This river flows through more national capitals – four – than any other river in the world.
9: This river, the longest on the Iberian Penninsula, forms part of the border between Spain and Portugal.
12: The central part of this longest French river's valley was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. 15: These two rivers, whose names both start with the letters “Dn,” are among the longest that drain into the Black Sea.
AND you can see how you measure up against these former Jeopardy! champs who are playing along. Through week 2, here are the point totals: mrbungle (Ryan Chaffee) 629 ptucker (Patrick Tucker) 579 emurphy (Liz Murphy) 567 Asphodel (Alison Stone Roberg) 459 aggiebud (Buddy Wright) 457 thejeopardyfan (me, and I'm a future champ) 375
Buddy and his wife, by the way, are the proud new parents of Jordan Marie, born on August 18th. She joins their son Jack. Congratulation, Buddy! You know, if you do decide to play along, let me know and you'll be entered to win a copy of Chuck Forrest's Secrets of the Jeopardy! Champions. Also, don't forget I am organizing a birthday party in Blogger's honor. My party's going to be in Lincoln, Nebraska. Sign up here. And if you blog on Blogger and you live elsewhere, look at the map below to find a birthday party near you.
*Pleasure With You, Million, Egypt, Golgotha, Oscar Wilde, The DaVinci Code SHC answers: mulch, Toro, zero-turn radius, Poulan/Weed Eater, Grasshopper, Ural, Danube, Tagus, Loire, Dniepr & Dniester
This week and next are the College Tournament that originally aired in February this year. Here are the scores from yesterday's game:
Danny Vopava Ryan Stoffers Lyndsey Romick Me
0 20311 5700 28800
I had an excellent game today. I swept THREE categories in the Jeopardy round: Going Absolutely Dental, TV Time, and Sold! Today's contestants were:
 
Samira Missaghi Ashley Walker Will Warren
At the end of the Jeopardy round, Samira had 3000, Ashley had 5400, and Will had 6200. Will was still in the lead with 8600 when he found the first Daily Double of the Double Jeopardy round, in European Bodies of Water. He picked up 1500 on this clue that he seemed to know immediately: "This longest Italian river is fed by 141 tributaries."*
Ashley found the second Daily Double of the Double Jeopardy round, after she'd answered several clues in a row and taken the lead. The category was Classical Music. She added 2000 to her 13400 on this: "At 7, he wrote a polonaise in G Minor; a year later he performed for Czar Alexander I, who was in Warsaw at the time."* Will then widened the gap when he lost 2000 on this triple-stumper in Non-Edible Fruit Terms: "This name of a fruit can also mean 'highly desirable;' it's often found before 'job.'"*
Did you guys know this triple-stumper in Commencement Speeches?: "This science guy told the Harvey Mudd class of '08 that rumors were harder to start before the Internet."*
One of the highlights of today's game, I'd have to say, is when Mr. Trebek blew a raspberry as a clue in Non-Edible Fruit Terms. Incidentally, I would not call that a genuine raspberry, as he did not have his tongue out. I've just got to include a picture:
At the end of the Double Jeopardy round, Samira had 9400, Ashley had 17000, and Will had 7700. The Final Jeopardy category was Famous Americans: "At his death in 1790, he left 200-year trust funds to the cities of Boston and Philadelphia."* I knew this one instantly. Samira and Ashley knew it, too. Ashley wagered enough to win even if Samira doubled her score, so we will see her again next week.
Now for an update on the Summer Hiatus Challenge: Perhaps the most meaningful news to you and me - It looks like there is going to be an official division devoted to (presumably) most of us, first-time players of the Challenge. That is, the highest-scoring rookie will get to compete in the Tournament of Champions at the end of the Challenge. Kids and teens have their own division, but so far there are only three playing. The guy who runs the contest put a poll on the boards asking participants what they think about this. The poll is open until August 22nd. I'll keep you posted. Of course I support giving rookies their own division no matter what, but I was a bit disheartened (and more than a little surprised!) when I read the list of these rookies. ALL of the former champs I am keeping track of here are rookies in the Challenge! Here are their scores (and mine) through week 1:
mrbungle (Ryan Chaffee): 318
ptucker (Patrick Tucker): 269
emurphy (Liz Murphy): 268
Asphodel (Alison Stone Roberg): 250
aggiebud (Buddy Wright): 216
thejeopardyfan (me): 205
You may recall that I thought my dad would start playing the Challenge again when I told him that clues about lawn-mowing were featured one day. He didn't exactly jump out of his chair like I thought he would when I told him. He did ask me if the questions were hard. I don't want to pressure him, so I told him I could get him started the next day. He nodded, but he didn't mention it the next day. I've decided I will let him bring it up again if he wants to play.
So far, one person has entered my contest where the prize in Chuck Forrest's book Secrets of the Jeopardy! Champions. She is continuing to play the Challenge, too, and I thank her! Everyone else - Don't miss this opportunity to have fun, learn a lot, and maybe win a prize!
Also, don't forget to sign up for my Blogger birthday party in Lincoln, NE on August 31. (Look at the map below to find a party near you.)
*Po, Chopin, plum, Bill Nye, Benjamin Franklin
I was lucky enough to be at home (my parents') today, and both of them watched Jeopardy! with me. I was expecting my dad to remind me that I once said on this blog that watching with him is my favorite way to watch Jeopardy! He didn't this time!
Speaking of my dad, I had recruited him play the Summer Hiatus Challenge on the Jeopardy! message boards, but his first try didn't go well. It wasn't that he knew fewer answers than other people, it's just that it was difficult to figure out how to post. I tried to give him instruction over the phone, but it didn't work, and he hasn't played since. Today he told me that he thought the questions were hard, too. I can't wait to tell him what one of today's categories is: "THEY SEE ME MOWIN' MY FRONT LAWN," devoted to, yes, lawn-mowing. My dad is a lawn-mower extraordinaire. I feel sure he'll play today, especially after I give him a lesson on posting in person. He told me I could give you his message boards username, by the way: jkenkel. (By the way, you can still enter my giveaway of Chuck Forrest's Secrets of the Jeopardy! Champions. Just sign up to play the Summer Hiatus Challenge, and let me know here that you did.
Here are the clues from the most recent completed round. The first set of questions was written by DadofTwins. "Paucle," a moniker on the message boards, is the author of the second set of questions:
RELIGIOUS HEADWEAR
2: This hemispheric skullcap worn by observant Jews is sometimes called a kippah or hech cap.
4: The face- and head-covering portion of this politically-controversial garment is sometimes called the purdah or the hijab.
6: Catholic and Anglican bishops both wear this, from a Greek word meaning “headband.”
8: A person who has successfully completed the hajj traditionally wears this color turban.
10: From the Latin for “three kings,” this traditional papal tiara has not been worn since Paul VI laid it on an altar in 1963.
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT (by Paucle)
3: The Grammies started awarding this genre in 1989 when DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince triumphed.
6: This comedy style likes to employ exaggerated violence, yet generates little bodily harm.
9: This control device first appeared in arcades in 1972 on Pong; Magnavox home consoles had them later that year.
12: George Robert Philips McFarland was better known as this when he hung out with Our Gang.
15: This furniture construction method can use rattan vines, wicker, or other similar weavable materials.
Today was the last day of the Teen Tournament that originally aired in November last year. You recall that the final of the Teen Tournament consists of two days, and the scores from the two days are combined to determine a winner. On yesterday's episode, Rachel Rothenberg ended with 33000, Will Dantzler ended with 26000, and Aidan Mehigan ended with 0. Today, my dad gave a thumbs-up to the first round categories On the U.S. Map and Biblical Women. I liked Let's Go for a Swim, because, coincidentally, my mom and I were going to the pool tonight!
Rachel had 600 when she found the Daily Double in Biblical Women today. She wagered 1000. She looked shocked after answering confidentally (but incorrectly) on this clue: "Her name comes from the Hebrew word for 'life.'"* Rachel bounced back, though, and by the end of the Jeopardy round she had 8000, while Aidan had 1400 and Will had 5200. Rachel continued to roll in Double Jeopardy, including adding 2500 on this Daily Double in National Geographic Channel Expedition Week: "'When Crocs Ate Dinos' takes us to this period, named for chalk cliffs, the dinosaurs' final period."* Rachel ended the round with 21300. Will had 17600, and Aidan had 9400. The Final Jeopardy category was Historic Speeches. This was the clue: "He said, 'We look forward to a world founded upon' freedom of speech, of worship, from want & from fear."* Aidan lost all of his 9400 on the clue, so his two-day total was 0. Will lost 12000, making his two-day total 31600. We knew, then, that Rachel would be the winner even before her response was revealed, because her total on the first day alone was 33000. But, as one might expect, she got it right! She wagered 9500. Rachel is the reigning Teen Champion! Mr. Trebek addressed the boys, and I was expecting him to console them and tell them how well they did. Instead he said something like, "You guys played against a super champion." Well, it wasn't a lie.
Don't forget that I am organizing a " birthday party" for Blogger in Lincoln, NE on August 31st. You can meet other bloggers, exchange ideas, and just have fun! Sign up today!
*Eve, cretaceous, FDR
Answers to the above Summer Hiatus Challenge questions: yarmulke, burka, miter, green, triregnum, rap, slapstick, paddle, spanky, caning
In honor of its 11th birthday, Blogger is encouraging its bloggers to organize birthday parties on August 31st, three weeks from tonight. I've gotten the ball rolling for bloggers in or near Lincoln, NE. This is the kind of event I've been dreaming about. It will be so much fun and a great way to spread the word about our own blogs to fellow bloggers. Let me know if you're interested via comment here, e-mail, or Twitter. You can also sign up on the Blogger Fiesta website. To find a party near you, see the map below.
I knew who won today's episode, not because I remember but because I saw it on j-archive.com yesterday when I was looking at something else. It didn't affect my play, though. That is, I would've played everything the same way.
Poor Gabriel Johnson could not catch a break today: He started strong and had 5200 when he found the first Daily Double, while his nearest opponent, Will Dantzler, had 1600. Gabriel wagered everything on the clue in "Text" Me, which really can't be considered a bad move: If one were to consider advice I got on the Jeopardy! message boards from a former 4-time champ and Tournament of Champions runner-up, wagering it all when you have a commanding lead early in the game is smart. Plus, Gabriel had done well in this category, and how many words or phrases with "text" can there possibly be? Anyway, I didn't get the answer to this one, either: "This is an ostensible reason put forward to conceal a true purpose or object."*
After missing that one, Gabriel soon found himself in the hole after missing this triple-stumper: "In 2009, she headed out of 'The Hills' and published her first novel, 'L.A. Candy.'"* At the end of the Jeopardy round, Gabriel had 1200, Will had 4400, and Solomon Howard was in the red, -400. I had 10800.
Gabriel found the first Daily Double in the Double Jeopardy round, too. The category was Oh, What a Knight. He lost 1400 on this clue: "In the 'Song of Roland,' this code asked knights 'to keep faith' and 'to fight for the welfare of all.'"* What makes this even sadder is that Gabriel seemed to be fishing for the Daily Doubles, in both rounds. To make matters worse, Solomon then answered his Daily Double correctly, although he was trailing for much of the game. He was 2200 behind Gabriel, his nearest opponent, and he wagered 2000 on this clue in Ships: "Tragically, in December 1941 this battleship sank in less than 9 minutes, with 1,177 of her crew."*
At the end of Double Jeopardy, Gabriel had made a nice recovery with 15000. Will had 17600, Solomon had 2400, and I had 25200. The Final category was Architecture. This was the clue: "De Maupassant, Zola & Dumas fils were among those signing a petition decrying it as "a gigantic... factory chimney."* All three guys got it right, and so did I. Gabriel doubled his score, but Will wagered enough to win and ended up with 30001. So he moves on to the Final round, which begins Thursday. (I ended today with 30002.)
As always, a friendly reminder to sign up for the Summer Hiatus Challenge on the Jeopardy! message boards. Once you have, let me know via a comment here and you will be eligible to win Chuck Forrest's Secrets of the Jeopardy! Champions. Anyway, participating is a prize in itself! It's fun!
*pretext, Lauren Conrad, code of chivalry, the Arizona
Today began week 2, the semifinals, of the Teen Tournament that originally aired in November 2009. The contestants today were all winners of their games last week (as opposed to wild-cards): Hema Karunakaram, Aidan Mehigan, and Zach Blumenfeld. Zach found the first Daily Double today in U.S. Cities, only 4 clues into the game. He wagered all of his 1000 on this clue: "This Florida city was first called Cowford but was renamed in 1822 for a man who would soon become president."* I got this one in the nick of time, and Zach got it too.
Did you guys know this triple-stumper in Name Game?: "The name of this villain in 'Othello' is a Spanish version of James."* My question is, why then doesn't anyone else have this name, besides the parrot in 'Aladdin'? I got this clue right, and I swept "B.C." and History via Stick Figures. My score at the end of the Jeopardy round was 11600. Zach had 6600, Aidan had 6000, and Hema had 2600.
The Daily Double was again the fourth clue into the round, in Recent Books. Aidan found it and wagered 800 on this toughie: "This restaurant chain is the title of Catherine Gilbert Murdock's novel about D.J. Schwenk, a girl on a Wisconsin farm."* Strangely, I answered the same thing Aidan did, and we missed it.
I would've gotten this triple-stumper in Recent Books, but I added an "s" to the guy's name: "This British author of "About a Boy" turned to young adult fiction with "Slam."*
Aidan found the second Daily Double of the round in Art and Artists, and this time wagered 1800 of his 8800. Zach followed closely with 8600. Aidan had just professed to loving art in today's contestant interview! Here is the clue and the accompanying image: "There's no wry smile on this Italian's 'Ginevra de'Benci,' which you can see right here in the U.S. of A."*
Aidan got it right. Zach, however, responded by sweeping Name Their Century, where contestants were given a figure in history, and they were to give the century in which they lived.
At the end of Double Jeopardy, Aidan led with 23000, Zach had 19800, and Hema had 4600. I had 25600. The Final Jeopardy category was The Old Testament. This was the clue: "This man was given the armor, helmet, and sword of the first king of Israel, but refused to use them."* I thought this was quite easy. Aidan and Zach got it right, and Hema missed it. Aidan wagered enough to beat Zach if he doubled, and I wagered enough to beat Aidan in that case. So I win, but Aidan won among the contestants on TV, moving on to the finals of the Tournament.
An update on the Summer Hiatus Challenge: I purposely avoided looking at the message boards all weekend, thinking the break would invigorate my writing today. I panicked a little this morning when I saw the questions for round 2, day 1 were already posted! I don't want to miss a day, so that I can have my best possible score! They'd only been posted the night before, though. The most recent results are through Day 4. Here are the scores of some former contestants, plus me. (Look here for how the scoring works.):
75 aggiebud (Buddy Wright) (He was one of 12 people who didn't miss any questions that day. Wow.)
57 Asphodel (Alison Stone Roberg)
54 mrbungle (Ryan Chaffee)
53 ptucker (Patrick Tucker)
49 emurphy (Liz Murphy)
42 thejeopardyfan (Me)
And the questions from that round, written by DadofTwins (He writes a blog, too!) The answers appear at the end of this entry:
INTERNET “ABC”'s
Each correct response will begin with one of those letters.
2: This text file sent by a server to a user's PC when the user visits a web site is named for a small baked good.
4: This type of software or website collects and consolidates RSS feeds and displays them in a single browser or desktop window.
6: Measured in bits per second, this term refers to the amount of information that can be transmitted over a connection.
8: Abbreviated CTR, this online marketing measurement calculates the percentage of a web page's viewers who subsequently choose to view an ad on the page.
10: When data is streamed from a high-speed device to a low-speed device, the information is stored in this area of memory until the transfer is complete.
HOMOGRAPHIC PHRASES
(Each clue leads to a two-word phrase where both words are spelled the same but are pronounced differently. Example: “A Peruvian bean” is a Lima lima. However, since the SHC isn't an oral game, you only have to type the correct word once.)
3: A silver cleaner made in Lodz.
6: A dog chain made of old pipe.
9: A person who stitches drainage pipes.
12: A deep-voiced animatronic fish.
15: A more anesthetized digit.
Don't forget to enter my contest to win a copy of Chuck Forrest's Secrets of the Jeopardy! Champions. If you don't understand how to sign up and play the Challenge, please leave a comment, e-mail me, or contact me through Twitter.
Finally, the poll about my plan to study for Jeopardy! closed recently. The results: 37% said the plan was "overboard," 37% said the plan was inadequate, and 25% said the plan was adequate. For a while, only one person said my plan was inadequate. I was eager to ask for that person's thoughts! I still do, as well as anyone else's! I've gotten some interesting and thought-provoking comments so far, and I appreciate them. They really do help.
*Jacksonville, Iago, Dairy Queen, Nick Hornby, DaVinci, David
SHC answers: cookie, aggregator, bandwidth, click-through rate, buffer, polish, lead, sewer, bass, number
I love Fridays of the first week of Jeopardy! tournaments. It is so exciting at the end of the show when the semifinalists are announced. I really love it when one of the semifinalists played that day and lost but had enough to qualify as a wild-card. They always look so surprised and happy. That happened today, the end of the Teen Tournament quarterfinals, with Gabe Orlet! I won handily today:
Stephanie Radke 700
Gabe Orlet 16500
Hema Karunakar am 18901
Me 26800
It helped that I swept Pop Toppers, where a current (then, anyway) pop song was provided, and the contestants were to give the artist. Sample clue: "Disturbia."* I also got this triple-stumper, in Famous Latinos and Latinas (Yeah, I know, that really helped me win): "Univision host Raul de Molina, AKA 'El Gordo,' meaning this, is the author of 'La Dieta del Gordo.'"*
How many time did Mr. Trebek say "Right you are" today? It seemed like he said it with most correct responses. I wish I'd have kept track. In fact, after this episode aired the first time, I noticed Mr. Trebek kept saying it, and I did start to keep track! I think this one would take the cake, though. Did you guys notice it?
Now for an update of the Summer Hiatus Challenge. (Informal poll - Do you guys say "hiatus" with a long or short 'a' sound?) Scores for Day 2 are now posted. Here are the scores of the former champs I mentioned in my last post (If you are a former champion playing along and I have not mentioned you, please let me know!):
39 emurphy (Liz Murphy)
32 mrbungle (Ryan Chaffee)
30 ptucker (Patrick Tucker)
24 thejeopardyfan (Actually, that's me)
23 aggiebud (Buddy Wright)
15 Asphodel (Alison Stone Roberg)
Let me explain the scoring, but first, the questions from Day 2, written by DadofTwins. The correct answers are at the end of this entry, but give them a try before you peek!:
MIDDLE EASTERN CAPITALS
2: The first historical mention of this Syrian capital is in a list of cities conquered by an eighteenth dynasty Pharaoh.
4: This Saudi capital has grown nearly fifty-fold in the last fifty years.
6: This is the only Asian national capital with a beach on the Mediterranean Sea.
8: This city east of the Jordan River was named Philadelphia when it was conquered by Ptolemy II.
10: The Dhofar Rebellion resulted in this city becoming the capital of a re-organized Sultanate of Oman.
MUPPET SHOW GUEST STARS
3: His 1973 album “Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player” includes his first number one hit in America, “Crocodile Rock.”
6: Thirty-three years before her appearance on the Muppet Show, she sang the title song in the movie “Stormy Weather.”
9: Paul Williams, a guest from Season 1, wrote the lyrics for this brother-sister duo's hits “Rainy Days and Mondays” and “We've Only Just Begun.”
12: This season two guest star hit number one on the R&B and Easy Listening charts and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 with “You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine.”
15: He sang his number one hits “When I Need You” and “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” on the second episode of season three of The Muppet Show.
You get the question's value if you answer it correctly. You don't gain or lose anything when you don't answer. (They call that a "clam.") For the first five questions (the Jeopardy round), you lose 1/2 of the question's value when you answer incorrectly. For the second set of five questions (Double Jeopardy), you lose 1/3 of the question's value when you answer incorrectly.
So, I got questions 2, 4, 8, 3, 6 (Double Jeopardy), and 9 correct. I guessed incorrectly on 6 (Jeopardy round) and 15. I didn't guess at all on 10 or 12. My score, then: 2+4+8+3+6+9-3-5=24. Does that kind of make sense?
Speaking of the Challenge, still no one has entered my giveaway of Chuck Forrest's book Secrets of the Jeopardy! Champions. Don't miss the fun of the Challenge and the opportunity to own this out-of-print book!
Also, you have one more day to vote in my poll, below. I could use your feedback, even after the poll has closed!
*Rihanna, fat
Summer Hiatus Challenge answers: Damascus, Riyadh, Beirut, Amman, Muscat, Elton John, Lena Horne, the Carpenters, Lou Rawls, Leo Sayer
So far, no one has entered my giveaway of Chuck Forrest's book Secrets of the Jeopardy! Champions. All you have to do is sign up for the Summer Hiatus Challenge on the Jeopardy! message boards, and leave a comment here telling me you did. (And please play the Challenge, of course!) I'm having a good time playing, and I think I'm doing at least okay on it. I'm listed as 84th of 129 after Day 1, but that doesn't take into consideration that they thought I "clammed" (didn't respond at all) on a question when in fact I'd gotten it wrong. BUT (I'd like to think it is because I am new), I didn't realize when I responded to that first day's clues that if I opted not to answer, it wouldn't hurt my score. So I guessed on every question but one, even if I knew I was wrong, and that cost me 6 points. (This sounds a little familiar!) My ranking sounds bad, but, before adjusting my score, I was two places ahead of a former Tournament of Champions finalist on the real show, that I really respect and admire. I wish I had known about the Challenge in previous years. It makes the summer break from the show much easier to take. No Jeopardy! fan should miss it.
Care to match wits with these Jeopardy! heavyweights? They're playing the Challenge. (Pictures are courtesy of Robert Knecht-Schmidt at j-archive.com, except where noted.)
Ryan Chaffee, 4-time champ and Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist, is "mrbungle."
Liz Murphy, 5-time champ and Tournament of Champions semifinalist, is "emurphy."
Patrick Tucker, College Championship winner and Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist, is "ptucker."
(Incidentally, Ryan, Liz, and Patrick played each other in the Tournament of Champions this year!)
Buddy Wright, a 4-time champion (and possibly a future Tournament of Champions contestant) from this last season, is "aggiebud." (Thanks to Buddy, via Jeopardy!, for his picture.)
On to this week's shows. Here are my scores. (Nothing against teenagers, but I'd rather not lose to them!):
Tuesday:
Kennedy Stomps 6600
Samantha Roback 13598
Zach Blumenfeld 51999
Me 32802
I wagered enough on the Final to beat Zach if he wagered nothing (because he didn't need to). But he wagered HUGE anyway, and I would've lost in that case, even if I had doubled.
Wednesday:
Forrest Sturgill 2800
Lindsay Oxx 17900
Gabriel Johnson 21995
Me 21800
Thursday:
Rachel Rothenberg 13800
Aidan Mehigan 22800
Solomon Howard 17001
Me 24002
Finally, I see there are two Jeopardy Challengers available on eBay right now! Now I don't know ANYTHING about the sellers or these particular items, so I don't take any responsibility if something's wrong. But if you want a Challenger, now may be your chance.
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