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I'm back at my big keyboard and screen tonight, which is something of a relief. (By the way, I had no further car trouble!)
After watching Tuesday's episode, I kind of wished I was blogging about that one, which featured a Blogs and Bloggers category (no, I wasn't featured, ha ha) and Phyllis', um, R-rated comment about meeting her husband. To be fair, I don't think Phyllis was thinking about how it sounded, judging by the shocked expression on her face when Mr. Trebek reminded her this was daytime television. Incidentally, my Coryat score Tuesday was 22800. I am blogging about Wednesday's more recent episode, which featured, among other things, Mr. Trebek referring to a guy as a "yo-yo." (It was a guy Kara witnessed trying to cross in front of a train on a bicycle.) We saw three female contestants again on this episode: From left to right: Kara Spak, Claire Bea, Molly Zeigler
Were you guys surprised that this one was a triple-stumper, in Literary Lines?: "The first line of this novel says, 'It was Wang Lung's marriage day."* That book and The Odyssey were my two favorites from high school.
I was equally surprised that they all missed this last clue before the first commercial break, in Alliteration All Around: "John Roebeling designed this NYC landmark, but working on it cost him his life."*
The last clue of the round was the Daily Double, also in Alliteration All Around. Kara had control of the board at the time. She had 5600, Claire had 3600, and Molly still had 1200, the amount she had at the first commercial break. Kara wagered 3000 on this clue: "To stem bleeding, use this alliterative spot where an arter lies over a bone, like in the upper arm and the top of the thigh where it meets the abdomen."* She got it right. Claire found the first Daily Double of the Double Jeopardy round, in 20th Century History. I liked her wager of 3600 (all she had). She needed a move like that to catch Kara, who had 13000. This was the clue, a video: "It's the year of the promised return seen here."*:
I felt bad for Claire when Mr. Trebek made it seem like she missed it by the hundred years in the century. (She only missed it by four.) I missed all the clues in that category, and the contestants struggled with it, too. I only "rang in" on one of them, though, luckily for my Coryat score.
Claire found the second Daily Double too, and she looked happier than she had been throughout the episode. I didn't like her wager this time, although I believe it was too late to matter: She wagered 1000 of her 2800, while Kara had 13400. This wager to me was "playing not to lose," rather than playing to win. I wouldn't have wagered everything since it was almost the end of the round, but probably 2700 or so because of the situation whether you like the category or not. In this case, it was Sacred to This Religion (you name the religion). This was the clue: "The Potala Palace."* Claire missed it.
So at the end of the Double Jeopardy round, Kara could not be caught. The final category was Geographic Terms. This was the clue: "As their bordering countries are all this adjective, Liechenstein and Uzbekistan are considered 'double' this."* I knew this one immediately. Claire and Molly knew it too. What was Kara laughing at as they panned across the contestant panel? I wonder if she did not take the clue seriously since she had the game locked up. At any rate, this time Claire did double her score, and so did Molly except for a dollar. Kara wagered a "modest" amount in the words of Mr. Trebek, and she will be back tomorrow. If Kara does win tomorrow, she will be only the twelfth person and second woman (other than Larissa Kelly) to win more than five games since the limit was removed. OH, and I almost forgot my Coryat score: 20200. Keep 'em coming, guys, if you want a shot at the trivia book I am giving away!
*The Good Earth, the Brooklyn Bridge, pressure point, 1944, Buddhism, landlocked
You know where this is going, right? Or not. You would not believe the day I've had. I am traveling today, and planned to be at my hotel in time to watch Jeopardy! And I mean, I was really looking forward to it. I was eager to post my first Coryat scores tonight and encourage you to do the same (in order to enter my contest). You might say I had trouble when my car started shaking violently and wouldn't accelerate. I had to pull over and call for help. A nice guy called back and thought my fuel filter was the problem. I made it another few miles to Crook, CO, and he and his men fixed it for me. Or so I thought. I get back on the freeway, and it's still doing it! I called him and he told me now he thought it was the fuel pump or "vaporlock," and he wanted me to drive to Sterling 16 miles away. By the grace of God I made it, but by now it was 6 p.m. (goodbye, Jeopardy!) and it would cost a fortune to have someone come and fix it. My hotel is still 30 miles away. A new guy told me to fill with gas, let the car cool for an hour, then try again. So I'm following his advice and blogging from McDonald's in Sterling. I hope and pray I can make it to my hotel tonight and get the car looked at again tomorrow. (I will take your prayers, too!)
ANYWAY, I still want to give you my score for Monday (15600), in the hopes that it will get you guys started. I will watch today's and tomorrow's episode from home and give my scores to you tomorrow. Peace.
Before I tell you what that's all about, I want to remind you about a contest starting tomorrow that involves keeping track of your scores at home using a simple scoresheet. The more you play, the more chances you have to win. The prize is Steven J. Ferrill's book The Cultural Literacy Trivia Guide. Click on the link above for details, and please ask if you have any questions!
I was lucky enough to catch this weekend's rerun of Jeopardy!, which was rather unexpected. But, when I use a recording device other than my own, I frequently run into problems. Once again, this time it was no sound on the recording! I had muted the TV while I set up the recording (the show was on at 4 in the morning), not knowing that I couldn't watch the episode with sound if I wanted to once it was recorded. But I watched anyway, and my sister joined me. (She helped with the title of this entry!)
The contestants were Kimberly Jantz, Shawna Brandle, and Ryan Swaim. (Like last time I blogged about a rerun, I am not able to upload pictures. I think it must be this location.)
Were you surprised that Alex didn't know what a "parrothead" was in the contestant interviews? (Ryan says he is one.) I did not know, though, what a "gateway drug" is, which is what knitting is for Shawna. I did look it up just now. The Jeopardy round featured a chess theme. I thought this second clue in King Takes Queen, which was a triple-stumper, was pretty hard, and I'd like to know if any of you answered it (or can answer it) in the allotted time. You have to name the two people who got married: "London, England. January 25, 1533."* I mean, come on! I don't think it belongs anywhere on the board, but especially not for 400. Kimberly found the Daily Double of the round, in Prawns. She had 2600, Shawna had 3000, and Ryan had 1000. Kimberly wisely wagered all of her 2600 and got it right. This was the clue: "If you're enjoying prawns puri in Dhaka, they probably came from this large bay."* So at the end of the round, Kimberly had 7800, Shawna still had 3000, and Ryan had 2800. Ryan found the first Daily Double of the Double Jeopardy round, in That's What She Said. (Barf.) He had 3600, Shawna still had 3000, and Kimberly had 10200. Ryan wagered everything, which was a good idea, but it didn't work out. This was the clue: "'I'll paint (the flower) big and they'll be surprised into taking time to look at it.'"* Ryan almost seemed frustrated when he suddenly picked a 1000 clue the very next time. When he got that one right, he went back to a 200. There were two clues left (but one remained hidden) when Kimberly found the next Daily Double in T.S. Eliot. She had 14600, Shawna had 8200, and Ryan had 8000. The clue: "Appropriately, this verse drama was first produced at the 1935 Canterbury Festival."* Kimberly lost 2600 on the clue. Strangely, the next correct response, given by Shawna, was the response that Kimberly had given for her Daily Double! So at the end of Double Jeopardy, Kimberly had 12000, Shawna had 9800, and Ryan had 8000. The final category was Political Philosophy. This was the clue: "The subtitle of this influential 1762 treatise is 'Principes du Droit Politique.' (Principles of Political Right)"* Kimberly and Ryan missed it, while Shawna not only got it right, but doubled her score! So she is the champ. I noticed that there are some great matches in the coming weeks and months: Tournament of Champions contestant Dave Belote plays next week. Ryan Chaffee and Stephen Weingarten will follow soon.
*Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Bay of Bengal, Georgia O'Keeffe, "Murder in the Cathedral," "The Social Contract"
Now that I have the attention of you Jeopardy! fans: Yes, it's time for another contest. As I mentioned in a previous post, I am giving away a copy of Steven J. Ferrill's The Cultural Literacy Trivia Guide. Here's what you need to do: First, do you remember when I experimented with keeping track of my scores via the Coryat method (as opposed to using my Jeopardy Challenger)? Well now I'm asking YOU to do it. Click here for a copy of the score sheet, and here are some examples of the score sheet once filled out: (The scoring sheet was designed by Josh Horstman, by the way.) I checkmark the clues I got right, I 'x' clues I got wrong, and I leave blank those that I either didn't answer or were not revealed in the round. I put the balance of each row on the right side, then added that column to come up with my score. So that's what I'm asking you NEXT WEEK to do to be eligible for the trivia book. Each time you post your score for the day (as a comment), you will have another chance to win. I will give you til 4:30 p.m. Central time on Monday, October 4 to post any or all of your scores. You can post them under any post; I moderate comments and will see it no matter what. And you can post them separately or at one time or in any combination; it doesn't matter. I will join you in keeping track of my scores this way next week. Do you have any questions? Here are my scores for the week, using my Jeopardy Challenger: Russ Porter Destiny Lilly Jelisa Castrodale Me 20001 19999 991 9800
Kara Spak DJ Schepker Russ Porter Me 24001 6300 19000 21198
From left to right: Kara Spak, Hillary Janikula, Lyssette Flinchbaugh
Lyssette found all three Daily Doubles today. The first was in Who Said It, Shakespeare? She had 1600 at the time. Kara had 3800, and Hillary had nothing, which surprised me, because she had been answering. I had 4800. Lyssette wagered a conservative (and random?) 600 on this clue: "Here's the smell of the blood still: All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand."* She got it right. Incidentally, I was glad to get this clue right that tricked Kara in the same category: "O True Apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss, I die."* At the end of the Jeopardy round, I had 7400, Kara had 6000, Hillary had 600, and Lyssette had 3800. Lyssette seemed to stumble upon the first Daily Double in Colleges and Universities. (I mean that she was not going down a column of clues when she found it, and it was in the 800 slot!) She had 5000, Kara had 6400, and Hillary still had 600. (And this after Mr. Trebek told us Hillary said she had just gotten the hang of the signaling device!) Here was the clue, which Lyssette wagered 2000 on (random again?): "Founded in 1789, this Washington D.C. school was the USA's first Catholic college."* She got it right again. Lyssette found the next Daily Double in It's a Plain. She had 8200, Kara had 11200, and poor Hillary had 2200. Lyssette wagered 1000 (random a third time?) on this clue: "Stonehenge stands out on the landscape of this largely treeless 300-square-mile area."* She got that one right! So at the end of the round, Lysette led with 20800, Kara had 13200, and Hillary had 1000. I had 24600. The Final Jeopardy category was Presidents. Not narrowed down that much! But I don't know of a better category for this clue: "He served the shortest amount of time as president before running for and winning reelection."* Hillary's answer was illegible but wrong when she said what it was supposed to say. Kara got it right and wagered 2000. I actually said out loud, "What kind of a wussy wager is that?"...until it was revealed that Lyssette got the final wrong. Then it became clear: Lyssette wagered as could be predicted, so that she would beat Kara by a dollar if she got it right and if Kara doubled. Kara wagered assuming Lyssette would wager that way, but get it wrong, which is what happened. The crowd "OOOOHHed"! Kara had won by a dollar. It was a savvier wager than I thought. My final score was 23699. The crowd would oohed in horror if they'd seen my final response. I'll spare you the pain! We'll see Kara next week! How long do you guys think she can last?
*Lady MacBeth, Romeo, Georgetown, the Salisbury Plain, LBJ
Here is Part Two of my interview with 4-time Jeopardy! champ and 2010 Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist Ryan Chaffee. (Below, a picture of him with his sister the night before his original taping.)
J: A guy left a comment on my blog asking you to elaborate on your Tournament of Champions experience.
R: Oh, man. It was such a mix of emotions. It was completely the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, yet I went down hard in game one, so in the immediate aftermath I was pretty crushed. I live about four miles from the hotel they put us up at in Century City, so the actual "trip to the tournament" was a fairly uneventful one. But the two days of cramming trivia in the hotel before the tournament really amped up the stress for me. After I checked in, I went with my friend David down to the hotel lobby bar where I heard a guy go, "Aren't you Jeopardy! champion Ryan Chaffee?", and I turned around and it was Jason Zollinger. It was pretty awesome to see one of my fellow ToCers in the flesh (Jason was fully nude, by the way). I stupidly asked Jason whether he had ever been to Los Angeles before, and he was like, "Uh, yeah. I was out here when I taped the show," and I was like, "Oh, right." I didn't see the other players until the lobby on the morning of day one. What a rush. All these great people I had imaginarily known in my head for months. And they were all as wonderful and as cool as I had hoped. I rode the shuttle to the studio seated beside my regular-game vanquisher, Stephen Weingarten, and I told him how much my family hates him and suggested that we really crank up the animosity between us and give the outward impression of a mean and angry rivalry. But Stephen and I turned out to be too nice to really pull that off. It was great to reunite with Maggie and Robert and Glenn and Corina. I especially love Maggie, and she will always hold a special place in my heart. Sadly, I did not get an opportunity to hang for very long with everyone in the green room, as I got the call for game one along with Liz Murphy and Patrick Tucker. On the upside, however, I got to hang out a lot with Liz and Patrick. We split a locket into three parts and each took a piece and by that holy locket and this oath we souls three are bound for eternity. The main way I assuaged my shame and disappointment for the rest of the tournament after I lost was by making lame jokes for Nick Yozamp to laugh at. Nick went above and beyond in indulging me with that. After the final game on day two, there was champagne and cake for all and I got to meet the families of everyone who brought family and it was just a really nice ending to an event that I will remember fondly for all of my days. It took a long time for the hurt of losing in the quarterfinals to wear off, but seeing the actual broadcast was a relief (during the actual game, it felt like I answered like a million questions wrong), plus a friend (and fellow ex- Jeopardy! ToCer from a few years earlier) wrote me a beautiful and spot-on email of condolence that captured the feeling and put it all in the proper light.
J: Is there anything you wish you'd done differently either on the show or in preparation for the show?
R: I would not change anything about the way I prepared, and I am thoroughly satisfied with my performance during my original five games. I wish I had done a better job of maintaining my mental composure during Final Jeopardy! of my Tournament of Champions game, because I know the information was in my head, but having just been soundly schooled by Liz "The Murderer" Murphy, I wasn't able to
keep it together enough to fish out the response in time. But all in all, I am extremely pleased with how everything worked out.
J: I asked Stephen Weingarten (who, as you mentioned, ended your run in the regular season) and Vijay Balse, and I ask you, too: Have you considered writing a book about your experiences?
R: I have not considered writing a book about my Jeopardy! experiences. I have, however, considered writing a book about the time I was ostracized by my village and forced to wear embroidered typography because I out-of-wedlockly got it on with a preacherman, but I fear people might find it boring.
J: Do you have any goals or plans that you are working on? (I read that you are pursuing screenwriting?)
R: As I believe I replied to a question from Maggie during the "Winner's Circle" segment following my first win, "I have won a game of Jeopardy!, which--aside from finding a woman to love and be loved by me--was pretty much my only well defined life goal. I can die now." I would also like to sell a screenplay some day.
J: Do you write screenplays of a particular genre?
R: Yes, comedy (hopefully!).
J: Have you completed any?
R: I have completed six screenplays (half solo, half with a partner), and I (and a partner) am (are) about to finish number seven.
J: Do you have any advice for aspiring contestants or anything else you want to say?
R: I think the Jeopardy! goal is kind of the perfect goal to have, because in some respects, perhaps since it involves appearing on national television, it seems so unreal, glimmering in the far-off impossibleness. But it is totally attainable and something you can actively and rewardingly work toward with a reasonable hope of fulfillment. Just do like the classic motivational kitty poster says and HANG IN THERE, BABY!
J: Awesome, Ryan. Thanks again. Best of luck!
Here is Part One of Two of my interview with 4-time Jeopardy! champ and 2010 Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist Ryan Chaffee. Thanks, Ryan! (Below, a picture of him with his dad the night before his original shows taped.)
Jeanie: I read on j-archive that you watched Jeopardy! every day with your dad when you were a kid. I love that! I too took the teen test in Kansas City, when I was 16.
Ryan: Yeah, Jeopardy! remains a significant geographical-distance-diminishing source of bonding for my dad and me. We've both been pretty impressed by the performance Roger Craig has been putting on lately. I had forgotten until a family friend reminded me a few months ago, but in addition to the time when my dad drove me from Minnesota to Kansas City for the teen test, I took the teen test a second time a year or two later at the Mall of America. How was your Kansas City teen test experience?
J: I, too, got "destroyed" by the test, as you put it on j-archive. Of course they don't tell you how you did on the test, but that's sure how it felt. Not very many people passed. It was over so quickly. I remember they called someone's name that sounded vaguely like mine, so my mom and I made sure it wasn't me. Of course, it wasn't.
I love your attitude about wagering nothing in Final Jeopardy as opposed to wagering as much as you can without jeopardizing your win. It always comes across to me as greedy when I've seen people do that. I've intended to do like you did when I'm on the show someday.
R: I wish you all the luck there is, Jeanie. Where are you at in the getting-on-the-show process?
J: I take the test every time I'm eligible, so I last took the online version in January this year. I didn't hear from them, so I'll take it again this coming January.
Do you think being a tutor helped you on the show? How long have you been a tutor? (I didn't know before preparing for this interview that you studied English at Yale!)
R: I have been a tutor since 2003, which was when I got laid off by the independent record label I was working for in New York and moved to Los Angeles and collected glorious unemployment insurance until it ran out and I had to go on craigslist to find a job and applied to work for a tutoring company (revolutionprep.com) that was just starting up and thereby stumbled upon my dream job. I absolutely love the work. My job is to learn about things and try to help other people understand them. And being a tutor totally helped me on Jeopardy!, particularly with the history material. But being a hardcore Jeopardy! fan was pretty key also, because whenever I come across information while tutoring that commonly appears on the show, I know to add a special mind-asterisk to it because, "Hey, that's Jeopardy! stuff!"
J: That's almost like studying for Jeopardy! for a living! How many people (friends/family) are you allowed to bring to watch you on the show?
R: I believe they tell you that you can bring up to six guests. The thing about the Jeopardy! people, though, is that they are the nicest human beings on Earth, so if you ask whether you can bring more people, they totally accommodate you. I brought nine guests to my first tape date, and it was absolutely no problem
(though the person you call to tell your guest list to will make a mock-annoyed "Oh, I've heard about you. Trying to make trouble for me, eh?" joke).
J: I read that you had read Bob Harris' book and Ken Jennings' books before you appeared on Jeopardy! for the first time. Did you study specifically for the show before you found out you were going to be on? Did you study for Jeopardy! between your regular episodes and the Tournament of Champions?
R: I pretty much consider my entire life to have been just one, extended Jeopardy! study session. And in addition to watching and playing along with Jeopardy! since forever, I have been playing bar trivia for years (my team, Mr. No Poster Shop, is currently the reigning Los Angeles citywide champion -
dreambuildersmm.com - depending, that is, on whether or not you consider that organization to be the definitive crowner of the best team in Los Angeles, which my team for obvious reasons does). I did not begin intensive preparations using j-archive.com until i got the call to be on the show, and then I got pretty obsessive about it, just playing through game after game after game. I also bought and consumed Chuck Forrest's awesome Secrets of the Jeopardy Champions book. Sadly, in my final regular game I was unable to pull up the response to the "NOBEL LAUREATES IN LITERATURE" clue "1932: 'For his distinguished art of narration which takes its highest form in "The Forsyte Saga,"'" which is definitely covered in the Chuck Forrest book. But there were a bunch of things from that book that I did manage to remember on my road to winning valuable cash and prizes. My friend and fellow Jeopardy! obsessive Boomie is currently in the
contestant pool and is studying pretty intensely pre-getting-the-call. He's making flash cards for god's sake! I didn't even know they still had those. And in answer to your second question: Yes, I studied pretty hardcore between my regular episodes and the Tournament of Champions. Fat lot of good that did me! Possibly the most painful studying-related twist of fate was that prior to the tournament I read the book An Incomplete Education and didn't really pay much attention to the sort of tongue-in-cheek chapter devoted entirely to carriages (titled "Carriages: Wheels of Fortune") because I thought no way I might have to know this in the tournament... and of course, what should I see appear as one of the categories in the Double Jeopardy! round of my Tournament of Champions game? That's right: "CARRIAGES."
J: Did you watch your regular episodes before you appeared on the Tournament of Champions?
R: Yes. One of my friends hosted a viewing party for my first game on a Friday in December in Los Angeles, and I watched the remaining four games the next week while home for the holidays with my family in Minnesota. Then, for the next two months, I cheered for all the three-game champions to lose, lose, lose! I found out I qualified for the Tournament of Champions at the end of February, and it was filmed in March.
Learn more about Ryan's Tournament of Champions experience here, tomorrow!
Today's episode was smokin' hot. I just loved it! Today's contestants: 
Roger was vying for his sixth win today. Mr. Trebek noted that Roger, having won $230,200, has been earning more per hour than A-Rod of the Yankees. I can't decide what to call the color of Roger's suit. Lemon? Cream? Eggshell? Some other pie ingredient? Do you guys have other suggestions? I swept But What Am Eye? today. Roger departed from his usual M.O. and stuck with one category. It was Jelisa, in fact, who acted more like him and jumped around the board more often. (Jelisa, by the way, mentioned in her interview that she is a stand-up comedian as well as a sportswriter. I don't think she looks like a stand-up comedian; do you guys think so?) She found the Daily Double in the Jeopardy round, in That Hurts. She had 2000, trailing Roger by 600. I think she should have made this a true Daily Double, but she almost did, wagering 1500. It makes me wonder why she didn't go all in. Here was the clue: "Before 'group,' it means a sect separate from a larger body; by itself it refers to a small shard of wood or bone."* She knew it immediately, and so did I. I wagered everything on it. Jelisa continued to roll in the round. Roger looked almost dejected when he selected for the first time in a while. At that time, believe it or not, he had less than half of Jelisa's total! Wow. The clue he picked was a triple-stumper, in The Comedic Calvin Coolidge: "This beloved humorist of the day said Cal's wit was too subtle for most people."* At the end of the Jeopardy round, Roger had 6000, Matt (a police officer who does look like a police officer) had 1600, and Jelisa had 7500. This time, there was only one clue left uncovered on the board. I had an amazing round (plus I don't have to worry about ringing in first), and amassed 17200. Speaking of Matt being a police officer, he unintentionally drew a laugh from Mr. Trebek and the audience for answering this clue correctly in Pillow Talk: "Folks with tailbone injuries find sweet relief sitting on pillows in the shape of these sweet, baked treats."* (Hint: you know, long-standing joke about policemen and _________.) In the Double Jeopardy round, Roger was doing well in I Know Ur when he found a Daily Double there. He had 9600, Matt had 1200, and Jelisa had 7500. Roger wagered 4000, conservative by his standards. The clue: "Ur is dominated by one of these stepped, pyramidal temple towers dating from the third millennium B.C."*:
He got it right, as did I. Roger had been on a long answering streak when Jelisa found the next Daily Double, in Movies at Sea. She had 11500 and Roger had 22800. She wagered 5000 on this clue: "One tagline for this 1997 Oscar winner was 'Collide with destiny.'"* We both got it right. I thought it was an easy one, actually. Did you guys know this triple-stumper in the round, in Words with Diacritical Marks?: "This 2-word Native American Tribe lived in the Pacific Northwest."* At the end of Double Jeopardy, Roger had 22000, Matt had 6000, and Jelisa had 19700. I was having perhaps my best day ever, with 34400. The Final Jeopardy category was Sports and the Media, seemingly well-suited to Jelisa! The clue: "On February 8, 2010, the headline in a major newspaper in this city read, 'Amen! After 43 years, our prayers are answered.'"* Roger and Matt looked perplexed as the camera panned across the contestant panel. Jelisa, naturally, looked confident! I got this one right, only because of the "Amen" and "prayers are answered" and the date. Matt missed it and lost 1000. Jelisa got it right, and doubled her score except for one dollar. Smart! Incidentally, I just got done reading a very funny book by tennis coach and commentator (and former #4 player in the world!) Brad Gilbert, called I've Got Your Back. In it, he reminds us not to play to not lose. In other words, play to win, which is what Jelisa did today. Roger MISSED this one. Gasp! He lost 17401, which would've secured him the win had he gotten the answer right. Instead, Roger's sweet run ends today. It's too bad. I really liked him. But we will see him again someday at the Tournament of Champions. Til then, Roger. Over and out. (And we'll miss you!) Come back tomorrow for Part One of my interview with 4-time Jeopardy! champ and Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist Ryan Chaffee.
*splinter, Will Rogers, ziggurat, doughnuts, Titanic, Nez Perce, New Orleans (because of the Saints)
The week kicked off today with these three contestants:
Mary Keating Roger was in his usual form today. When he found the Daily Double in the Jeopardy round, he had 4000, Mary had 3400, Marisa had 600, and I had 6400. The category was Good Causes. This was the clue: "A 'mission' to help the homeless is named for this lower Manhattan street known as a skid row since the 1800s."* Roger took a long time to answer, and he looked as surprised that he got it right as I was that I got it right. I don't know how that word came into my head. I don't even really know what that is. Roger added 2000 to his score. At the end of the round, he had 10000, Mary had 4400, and Marisa had 1200. Mary found the first Daily Double in the Double Jeopardy round. I was really, really hoping she would wager everything: She had 7200 at the time, while Roger had 15200. She needed to wager everything, and it could well have made a difference in the outcome of the game. At any rate, she wagered 4000 on this clue in Eponyms: "Meaning elegant or fancy, it's from the name of a hotel chain founded by a Swiss businessman."* She knew it immediately. Roger found the second Daily Double, in "A" Science Category. (Incidentally, a friend of mine who lives in Newark, Delaware tells me that Roger's undergraduate degree is in chemistry! My friend also tells me Roger tried out for Jeopardy! more than once before making it on the show.) Roger had 20000, and Mary, his nearest opponent, had 14400. Roger immediately wagered 12000, as if he had some kind of formula for coming up with that wager. I don't know how he thought of it, and it stumped Mr. Trebek, too. This was the clue: "These are just small masses of lymphoid tissue in the nasopharynx."* Roger knew it right away. Did you notice that Roger seemed to slow the pace way down when there weren't many clues remaining, almost like he didn't want to give his opponents a chance to be within reach? I've also wondered if he goes to the clues with higher values first, so that he can build a big lead and then leave his opponents little chance of catching him? Although there were clues remaining today (two), the tactics didn't work. Mary barely had enough to catch Roger. He had 35200, and she had 18000. Marisa had 6400. I had 25600. The Final Jeopardy category was The Western Hemisphere. This was the clue: "Made up of one large and many smaller islands, it's the most populous of Britain's remaining overseas territories."* This one was tough. All three contestants missed it, and so did I. I'm glad I'm not the only one for whom geography is not a strong subject! As could be predicted, Mary bet it all (making up for not betting it all on her Daily Double), and Roger wagered 801, which would've given him the win as long as he got a correct response. So Roger is the champion again. Another successful Roger (Federer) has a fan who holds a sign saying, "SHHH! GENIUS AT WORK!" at his matches. Much more of this, and someone in the Jeopardy audience will be holding that sign for Roger Craig! I know this: I want to talk to this guy bad about his preparation and his secrets to his success. Speaking of getting secrets to Jeopardy! success, I'm going to be interviewing Ryan Chaffee, 2010 Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist. Do you have anything you want me to ask him? This is a golden opportunity for you Jeopardy! hopefuls!
Also, gillianwallis is the winner of the book Secrets of the Jeopardy! Champions by Chuck Forrest. If you didn't win, don't worry. A new contest is in the works. I will be giving away a copy of the book The Cultural Literacy Trivia Guide by Steven J. Ferrill. Mr. Ferrill comments on this blog from time to time. He is in the process of updating this book, and generously gave me a copy to give to you! The contest will begin next week, on Monday. Check back here for details before you watch Monday's Jeopardy!
*Bowery, ritzy, adenoids, Bermuda
As promised, here's a recap of tonight's Jeopardy! Like this morning, I took pictures of tonight's contestants and have tried to upload them, but am unable to. Arrggh!
Speaking of "Arrggh," did you guys notice that both rounds had clues left over again? Boo! Tonight's contestants were two-time champ Jody Allen, Kimberly Jantz, and Leigh-Anne Marcellin. The Jeopardy round featured a poker theme. Did you guys know these triple-stumpers in the round? In I Have 5 Kings: "In 1926 W. L. Mackenzie King was prime minister of this country twice (he gave it up in June but had it back by September."* What about this one in The Ace of Hearts?: "During WWI, Lt. Henry goes AWOL and excapes to Switzerland to be with his love Catherine in this Hemingway novel."*
When Jody found the Daily Double of the Jeopardy round, he had 2400, Leigh-Anne had 3400, and Kimberly had 1800. He wagered everything (and missed) on this clue in The Ace of Hearts: "This Shakespearean tragedy, one of his last, is based on Plutarch's 'Lives.'"* By the end of the round, Jody was right back in the hunt with 3000, while Leigh-Anne had 3200 and Kimberly had 2600.
Jody found both Daily Doubles in the Double Jeopardy round, the first one just 4 clues or so in. He was in the lead, and wagered 1000 on this clue in Architecture, read by Jimmy of the Clue Crew: "In a cruciform church, the central part is called the nave; it ends in a recessed area that is usually vaulted, called this."* He got it right. When he found the next Daily Double in It's Official, he was leading by 200. He wagered 3000 on this clue: "Give me 60 seconds, lass, and I'll tell you this name of the official juice of NASCAR."*
At the end of the Double Jeopardy round, Jody had 11000, Leigh-Anne had 6000, and Kimberly had 14200. The Final Jeopardy category was Political Nonfiction. This was the clue: "This book begins, 'June 17, 1972. Nine o'clock Saturday morning.'"* All three contestants got it right. Jody wagered 10999. Mr. Trebek had indicated at the top of the show that Jody's last two games had been runaways, and he had wagered conservatively in the finals. Not today! Mr. Trebek also indicated that Kimberly looked unhappy when the answer to the clue had been revealed. If so, it was an act, because she got it right and wagered enough, 8000, to make her the champion. Then the sad face became a full-blown smile!
*Canada, A Farewell to Arms, Anthony and Cleopatra, apse, Minute Maid, All the President's Men
Yesterday's contestants were Ryan Hedlund, Shaama Pandya, and 4-time champ Roger Craig, who Mr. Trebek mentioned is averaging more than 40,000 dollars per win. I took pictures of the contestants, but for some reason am having trouble uploading them today. It's too bad, because I also took two funny pictures of Mr. Trebek saying, "Arrrggh!" after describing the category Talk Like a Pirate. So I will say, "Arrrggh!" too. I will be blogging about tonight's episode, so I will try to include those pictures in that entry.
Did it bother you that both rounds had clues left in play when time ran out? The Jeopardy round had a whopping five clues left, and the Double Jeopardy round had four clues left. The interviews were pretty good and they didn't seem too long. So I don't know what caused it.
At the end of the Jeopardy round, Roger had more than twice his nearest opponent, which is no surprise. He found the round's Daily Double in Hello Cleveland! and doubled his 4200 on the clue: "John D. Rockefeller co-founded this company in Cleveland in 1870."* Ryan had 4600 at the end of the round, and Shaama had 1400.
Did you guys know this triple-stumper in September's Here Already?: "I'm 2 weeks late with my 73rd birthday gift for this L.A. Olympics organizer and ex-baseball commissioner."*
Ryan and Shaama each found a Daily Double in the Double Jeopardy round, only two clues apart. They both got theirs right. Did you guys think they were both pretty easy? I did. Ryan still had less than half of Roger's total when he found his. He wagered 3000 on this clue in Metals: "Logically, it was the radioactive transuranium metal discovered right after neptunium."* This was Shaama's, in The Votes Are In: "In 1967, this colony voted to reject Spanish rule and to remain rock solid under British sovereignty."* She too wagered 3000, which was a true Daily Double for her.
Did you guys know this triple-stumper, in Yankee Magazine?: "A travel article says Arlington, Vermont is like something he would've painted -- which he did, and lived there, too."*
At the end of Double Jeopardy, Roger could not be caught with 26800. Ryan had 11600, and Shaama had 4400. I found today's final rather easy, and all three contestants got it right. The category was Rivers: "These 2 rivers, each more than 1,000 miles long, rise in the Armenian plateau in Turkey."* Mr. Trebek did scare me, though, when he said no one talks about these rivers much. I thought, then, that the names must be more obscure than what I had answered.
Will Roger become a six-time champion on Monday?
*Standard Oil, Peter Ueberroth, plutonium, Gibraltar, Norman Rockwell, Tigris and Euphrates
The new season of Jeopardy! has begun, and I finally have a chance to blog about it! What do you guys think of the new Jeopardy! set? I noticed the floor is black now instead of blue. The set feels darker to me, and I don't really like it.
Here are my scores for this week:
Tuesday: Mandy Strine Tony Fan Roger Craig me
-400 10000 77000 10802
(That's not supposed to be 7700; yes, Roger Craig smashed Ken Jennings' one-day record with 77000 dollars. Wow. I actually knew about it before the show aired in my area, because of a comment someone left on this blog. But that's okay.)
Wednesday: Katie Ganfield Kevin Knudson Roger Craig me
6400 200 24401 12398
Today's contestants: (Roger Craig) Ruth Anne Stevens-Klitz
All three players were active in ringing in and answering. Les Taub found the first Daily Double before the first commercial break, in Silence. If you've been watching the past few days, you know that Roger has been wagering huge on Daily Doubles, even wagering 10000 on one once! So a contestant would do well to keep that in mind and maybe do the same thing. When Les found this Daily Double, he had 2600 while Roger had 1400 and Ruth Anne had 1800. Les wagered 1500 on this clue: "The type used for a trumpet or sax is more familiar, but string instruments can also be muffled with this device."* He got it right. At the end of the Jeopardy round, Les led with 9900, Roger had 3400, and Ruth Anne had 2200.
Roger found both Daily Doubles of the Double Jeopardy round, which makes it difficult for his opponents because of the big wagers and because he gets so many clues correct. He wagered 7000 both times, and got them both right. So you see what I mean? In the case of the first Daily Double, the 7000 wager was a true Daily Double. This was the clue, in Dow Jones Industrial Average Companies: "Its original purpose was to insure people on journeys."* This was the second Daily Double, in Photographers: "He once said that his life was 'colored and modulated by the great earth gesture of the Sierra.'"*
There were still two clues left at the end of the Double Jeopardy round, which could have prevented a runaway: Roger had 30200, Les had 13100, and Ruth Anne had 9000. Those two clues may have made a difference in the Final Jeopardy wagers, then. No one got this Final Jeopardy clue right, in Word and Phrase Origins: "Meaning 'rapidly,' this term began in England, referring to the speed with which the mail was delivered."* I too thought this one was a toughie, and I missed it. Did you guys know it? Roger only wagered 1800 on this clue, making his total for the day 28400.
So how far do you guys think Roger can go? Do you think he is as good as Ken Jennings or Brad Rutter?
Also, does anyone know the tournament or opponent that this clue refers to, in Good Sportsmanship?: "The chronicles of this hard-serving American include, in 2005, calling an opponent's shot in, costing himself the match."*
In other news: Thank you to those who participated in the poll above. I am confused, though: most people voted that, during the summer hiatus, they'd rather see something other than this year's Tournament of Champions or the Million-Dollar Celebrity Invitational. Good, but no one left a comment about what they'd rather see! You still can, if you feel like it. I'd still like to know.
Speaking of the hiatus, the Summer Hiatus Challenge on the Jeopardy! message boards is over, for most of us. Congrats to gillianwallis, the winner of my giveaway of Chuck Forrest's Secrets of the Jeopardy! Champions. (Gillian, please leave me a comment with your e-mail address. I moderate comments and will NOT publish your address, of course!) Sadly, none of the champs I was following has made it into the Challenge's Tournament of Champions, although they did do quite well. On a happy note, "mrbungle" ( Ryan Chaffee) has agreed to be interviewed for this blog! Details to follow. You can follow the action of the Tournament of Champions by clicking on the message boards link above.
*mute, Travelers, Ansel Adams. posthaste, Andy Roddick
If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I could have seen Saturday's episode of Jeopardy! but missed it because football ran through the 6:00 p.m. half-hour, and I had told my sister we could start watching U.S. Open tennis at 6:30. (They pulled a fast one and Jeopardy! aired at 6:30 instead.) Now for a bigger heartbreak: I have to miss the season-opener of Jeopardy! tomorrow (Monday) because the men's final is rained out today and they are going to play it tomorrow. It's going to air at the same time and on the same channel as Jeopardy! This kills me. I mean I will miss it completely. I have e-mailed the station asking if it will air at another time. My only other hope is asking my parents to record it for me, but I won't get to see it til the weekend, which is still better than nothing. Anyway, I'm sure I'm not the only Jeopardy! fan affected, and I am still happy for you who get to enjoy the first day. Feel free to comment here about it!
I know that I've complained a lot about these reruns of the Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational. I was surprised, then, by how irritated I was when a phone call I made during a commercial break yesterday lasted 13 minutes, 10 minutes longer than I thought it would take. I couldn't watch the whole show at that time, then, and it bothered me! Today is the last day of the Invitational (and the summer hiatus!), and Season 27 begins Monday. Meg Miller is the returning champion. Ooh, I am so excited!
On this, Day Two of the Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational, I was pleased when Cheech found the Daily Double with about a minute left in the Jeopardy round. At that time, he was leading with 4600, while Michael had 1600 and Jane had 2200. Unfortunately, Cheech lost 2000 on it in Brands That Sound Like Verbs: "This 6-letter telecom company sounds fleet of foot."
Cheech lost his slim lead in the Double Jeopardy round. At Final Jeopardy on Day Two, Michael had 12100, Cheech had 6000, and Jane had 10000. Their totals from Day One were 31600 (Michael), 6600 (Cheech), and 29000 (Jane). If I were Michael, I'd have wagered 5301. That is the minimum he would need to beat Jane if she did all she could and doubled her score to 20000 on Day Two. She would have 49000 for the two days. If Michael wagered 5301 and answered correctly, he would have 17401. Add that to 31600, and he'd have 49001. (Make sense?)
As it were, Michael wagered (and lost) 8000 on this clue in Middle East Countries: "In 1949, this kingdom dropped the word 'trans' from the beginning of its name." Jane, too, missed this one, and lost 9999. Cheech had the pleasure of being the only one to answer this one correctly, and he doubled his score that day to 12000. (Did you guys know this one?) That makes the totals of the two days...Michael 35700, Cheech 18600, and Jane 29001. Michael wins! And as predicted, screams rang out from the audience. And most importantly, he won 1 million dollars for his charity, the International Myeloma Foundation.
Congratulations to gillianwallis, who by entering the Summer Hiatus Challenge on the Jeopardy! message boards has won a copy of Chuck Forrest's Secrets of the Jeopardy! Champions. The last clues of the Challenge are posted now. After this week's scores are determined, a "Tournament of Champions" week will begin for the high scorers for each week (plus three wild cards with high scores for the tournament), past champions of the challenge, the high scoring "kid/teen/college" player, high scorer who has never appeared on Jeopardy!, and high-scoring rookie. (Phew!) I've been following several recent Jeopardy! champs throughout the challenge, and all of them are rookies! Through week 4 (if I'm reading it right), mrbungle (Ryan Chaffee) is the highest-scorer of the champs I'm following.
*Sprint, Jordan
(This entry is a rerun itself, since I have blogged on today's episode in the past. Enjoy.)
Cheech Marin was the winner of the first Celebrity Jeopardy tournament, Mr. Trebek reminded us (twice). So it was surprising to me that he struggled to keep up with Michael McKean and Jane Curtin from the word "Select." Going into Double Jeopardy on Day One, Michael had 8800, Cheech had 3200, and Jane had 3800. Jane answered the first two clues of Double Jeopardy correct, in Americans in Paris, then nailed the Daily Double in that category: "In March 1971, this rocker closed the door on his band and moved to Paris to focus on his poetry."* She added 3000 to her 5000. Incidentally, I love Jane's enthusiasm and look of delight when she gets a tough clue or a Daily Double right, and rightfully so! I love, too, how on Day Two she said she has loved every minute of her experience. You go, girl. Jane then found the other Daily Double in the round, in I Could Use Some Self-Help. She picked up another 3000 on this clue: "'The Art of Happiness' was written by this Asian man who was picked out for his present job at the age of 2."
Going into Final Jeopardy on Day One, Cheech trailed with 11600. Michael and Jane were neck-and-neck with 21600 and 19000, respectively. The Final Jeopardy category was American Literature. The clue: "A contemporary review of this 1851 novel said, 'Who would have looked for...poetry in blubber?'" Cheech seemed to misunderstand the clue, as he responded with the author of the correct novel. He lost 5000 of his already-third-place total. Michael and Jane both responded correctly, and both added 10000 to their totals. Remember, their totals from Days One and Two are added together to determine the winner of the tournament. How do you think you'd have wagered in a situation like this? I wonder about that when I'm watching a two-day final. Should contestants be conservative? Should they take a risk? I don't know what I would do, but I hope to find myself in such a position one day (and have figured it out by then, of course!)
*Jim Morrison, the Dalai Lama, Moby Dick
(This entry is a rerun itself, since I have blogged on today's episode in the past. Enjoy.)
Today the third spot in the finals of the Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational was decided. The contestants were Neil Patrick Harris, Jane Kaczmarek, and Cheech Marin. All three proved their mettle. At the end of the Jeopardy round, Neil and Jane were tied at 3800, and Cheech had 7000. In the Double Jeopardy round, Neil wisely wagered it all on a Daily Double in Rhyme Time: "A radio personality who provokes and pushes the limits of decency."* I might have gotten it with a little more time. Neil did get it and doubled his score. Jane found the other Daily Double late in the round, with two clues remaining on the board. She (also wisely, as it turned out) wagered 5000 of her 8600 on this clue in Mayors: "In the 1800s, Josiah Quincy, his son, and grandson all served as mayor of this capital." She got it right. Cheech answered the last clue of the round correctly for 2000, also in Mayors: "The song of Italian immigrants, he served in the House of Representatives before becoming NYC's mayor in 1934." So Cheech was in the lead with 16200. Neil had 12000, and Jane had 15200.
The Final Jeopardy category was Movie History. I suspect the crew was hoping for big wagers, and they got them from two of the celebrities. Here is the clue (ding!): "During the making of this classic, sets from 'King Kong' and 'The Gardens of Allah' were intentionally burned down." I didn't get this one, but all three celebrities did. Neil again wagered it all and doubled his score. Jane wagered only 1001, giving her a $1 lead over Cheech, but he wagered a whopping 15000, giving him a spot in the 2-day finals along with Jane Curtin and Michael McKean. Three comedians! Any predictions this time? It should be a good one, although I kind of wish Neil Patrick Harris and Isaac Mizrahi were going to be there.
Finally: I had a comment on the last entry from a woman who watches Jeopardy in Honduras. I noticed that many people are reading this blog from other countries, according to the graphic at the bottom of this page. I'm curious; does anyone out there watch Jeopardy! in Germany?
*shock jock, Boston, LaGuardia
(This entry is a rerun itself, since I have blogged on this episode in the past. Enjoy.)
This is the final week of the Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational. I haven't loved the celebrity episodes in the past, because the clues are at least thought to be a little easier. Today, I thought they were pretty tough, especially in American Dramatists and Directors' First Features! I was impressed by the performance of all three contestants: Charles Shaughnessy, Isaac Mizrahi, and Michael McKean. They deserve to be in the final week. Going into Final Jeopardy, Isaac had 14600, Charles had 18000, and Michael had 19600. He picked up 2800 on the last clue of the round, the Daily Double (although he insisted twice, "I know nothing!"). In Forbes' Richest People: "The appropriately named Li Ka-Shing is the richest man from this island territory that changed hands in 1997."*
As a proud Nebraskan, I had to laugh that no one got this clue correct, for 1200 in Forbes' Richest People (and I think this is the only one that all three guys couldn't get!): "Last year's No. 2, this Nebraskan dropped to No. 3 with a mere $47 billion." Did you guys know that one? What about this Final Jeopardy clue, in Official State Songs?: "In 1953, it became the only state whose official song was written for a Broadway musical." I have to admit I missed this one! Isaac and Michael answered correctly, while Charles missed it. Michael wagered 17500, enough to win. The crowd (okay, Annette O'Toole according to Mr. Trebek) went wild! Makes you wonder how she'll react if he wins the finals on Friday. Tomorrow's contestants are Cheech Marin, Neil Patrick Harris, and Jane Kaczmarek. Any predictions?
*Hong Kong, Warren Buffett, Oklahoma
Labor Day's episode was pre-empted where I live by golf on NBC and tennis on CBS. What I can do, though, is update you on the Summer Hiatus Challenge happening on the Jeopardy! message boards. Week 6 begins today. You still have a chance to get in on the action. If you do, let me know here and you will be eligible to win a copy of Chuck Forrest's Secrets of the Jeopardy! Champions.
Here are the scores of the former champs that I am following, through week 4:
mrbungle (Ryan Chaffee): 1242 with two perfect days
emurphy (Liz Murphy): 968 with one perfect day
aggiebud (Buddy Wright): 886 with one perfect day
ptucker (Patrick Tucker): also 886 with one perfect day!
Asphodel (Alison Stone Roberg): 805 with two perfect days
I have 770 with one perfect day.
Below is a sample set of questions, written by DadofTwins. Are these difficult for anyone else? I only got #s 2 and 9 right, and I didn't guess on any of the others:
FRANCE IN THE NEW WORLD
2: “Alphabetical” code names for French agents Jean Conrad Hottinguer, Pierre Bellamy, and Lucien Hauteval, whose attempts to extract bribes nearly led to war with the United States in 1798.
4: Seventy years before the first permanent French settlement in Canada, he mapped and explored the St. Lawrence River.
6: The European Space Agency's major spaceport is in Kourou in this South American department of France.
8: Napoleon III backed the installation of Maximilian I as emperor of this country in 1864.
10: In 1673, he and Jacques Marquette led an expedition that explored the Mississippi River from the Great Lakes to the mouth of the Arkansas.
JAPANESE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
3: When Yomiyuri won Japan's league championship in 2002, this team with the same nickname won the National League pennant in the U. S.
6: This animal nickname is shared by the American League and Japanese Central League 2006 pennant winners.
9: In 2009, he became the first person to earn an MVP Award in both the Japan Series and the World Series.
12: This largest incorporated city in Japan, not Tokyo, is home to the Baystars, the only team in the NPL not named for its corporate owner.
15: The total number of teams in the two Japanese major leagues, or the maximum number of innings that can be played before a regular season game is declared a draw.
I hope your Labor Day was a happy one.
Answers: X Y and Z, JACQUES CARTIER, FRENCH GUIANA, MEXICO, JOLIET, GIANTS, TIGERS, HIDEKI MATSUI, YOKOHAMA, 12
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