It was a graveyard smash

     Today's contestants:

(from left to right; Jesse Cuevas, Ricky Kreitner, Marie Braden)

     Jesse was back after his third win yesterday.  Today's Jeopardy round had a magazine theme with categories like Reader's Digest and "Bon" Appetit.  I like the theme but the clues were rough on me.  At the first break, Ricky and I had 200, while Jesse had 3400 and Marie had 2200.  I answered often, but just not correctly!  (It appears responding correctly is critical to success on the show.)

     One of the tough (no, tricky) categories was Time.  A sample clue: "180 minutes after noon."*  That was the 200 clue and one of the easier ones.  Jesse found the Daily Double in that category.  He wagered all of his 2000 on this clue: "4 dozen minutes after 3:15 p.m."*  I was looking up as I was considering it in my mind, and I think that's why I responded with the correct minutes but the wrong hour.  Jesse got it right.  I did get the next one in the category right: "1800 seconds before 8:11 a.m."*  Ricky got that one, too.

     I had turned things around and was sweeping Car and Driver when time ran out with two clues left in the category.  Sample clue: "Marty McFly went 'Back to the Future' in this make of car."*  Jesse had 5600 at the end of the round, Ricky and I had 2200, and Marie had 2800.

     Ricky chose to start the round in Bible Book Names, and he seemed to like the category.  Marie found the Daily Double there.  Ricky had 3800, Jesse had 6400, Marie had 4400, and I had 6200.  I'll give you a sample clue before the Daily Double: "12 letters: Why?!  Why didn't I buy Microsoft when it hit the market in 1986?!  And wearing that Speedo?!  What was I thinking?!"*  Get it?  So the Daily Double was: "6 letters: Learned Hand, Joseph Crater (once 'the most missingest man in America.')"*  I don't get the clue at all, but Marie got it right.

     Ricky found the next Daily Double, in Country Clubs.  This was the clue: "Members of this club formed in 1993 include Latvia, Lithuania, and Luxembourg -- Sorry, Libya, you're not invited."*  He could not come up with it, and lost 4000 of his 5400.  Ouch.  And at that point, there was less than a minute left in the round.  Ricky ended the round with 3400, while Jesse had 12400, Marie had 14800, and I had 15800.

     The Final Jeopardy category was No. 1 Hits.  I like this category!  This was the clue: "Topping the charts on October 20, 1962, this novelty song is the only no. 1 hit to have the 'electrodes' in the lyrics."*  Marie and Jesse got it right, but Jesse had not written enough of the correct response to be acceptable.  He lost 10800.  Marie added 10000 to her total, and is your new champion!

*3 p.m., 4:03 p.m., 7:41 a.m., DeLorean, Lamentations, Judges, European Union, Monster Mash

They fought the law and the law won

     Here are my scores from Tuesday and Wednesday:
Jesse Cuevas 24000     Laura Spadanuta 0    Pam Jones-Pigott -2400    me 23602
     I loved the Final Jeopardy clue that day.  The category was Sports Venues, and this was the clue: "In 2000, the Centre Court Arena in Melbourne, Australia was renamed for him."*  Frankly, I was a little surprised that anyone got this right. It reminded me of the episode where the correct response in the final was "Roland Garros" (the venue for the French Open).  None of the contestants got that one right.  On Tuesday's episode, Jesse got the final right, and Laura was on the right track, guessing an athlete from the correct sport.  She looked anguished as her response was revealed.
     I could have won that day if I'd wagered enough.  (That sounds so silly once I read it again!)  What I mean is, I wagered enough to win if Jesse wagered just enough to win, but he wagered a little more.

Sarah Whitaker 9001     Bert Rubini 26390     Jesse Cuevas 27600     me 26402
     The same thing happened today - Jesse wagered more than was necessary to win by a dollar.

     These are today's contestants:

(from left to right; Jesse Cuevas, Barbara Brown, George Villarreal)  As for Barbara, I don't believe I have seen a contestant wear a hat before; have you?
     At the end of today's Jeopardy round, Jesse had 7400, Barbara had 4200, George had 5000, and I had 13200 after an amazing round for me.  Jesse had doubled his score with the Daily Double at one point in the round, tying him with George at 4400.  The category was Proper Names.  This was the clue: "You might remember that this herb with needle-shaped leaves is a traditional seasoning for lamb."*  I got that one, too.
     George found the first Daily Double of the Double Jeopardy round, in U.S. Islands.  He had 7000 while Jesse had 11400, Barbara had 7400, and I had 21200.  George wagered 2500 on this clue: "This 12-mile-by-5-mile South Carolina resort has 24 golf courses."*  George smiled as he read the clue, and he got this one right.
     Barbara found the next Daily Double in Unfinished Novels.  She had 9800, while Jesse had 12200, George had 14300, and I had 22400.  Barbara wagered 3000 on this clue: "Reminiscent of another of his novels, his 'The Original of Laura' features a lecher named Hubert H. Hubert."*  She couldn't remember it.
     Like in the Jeopardy round, there were three clues remaining in the Double Jeopardy round.  At the end of it, Jesse had 14200, Barbara had 7000, George had 14300, and I had 21200.  As you can see, only 100 separated Jesse and George.
     The final category was Word Origins.  This was the clue: "This 4-letter term for a religious group that holds distinctive beliefs comes from the Latin for 'follow.'"*  I answered this clue before Mr. Trebek was done reading it, but changed my answer at the last second when I reread the words "distinctive beliefs."  I was WRONG to change my response!  Jesse and Barbara got it right, while George answered what I did.  Jesse wagered a bizarre (and a little annoying) 181.  I mean, why?  I've griped about this before.  It just looks to me like you are not taking this seriously with a wager like that!  Strangly, though, I wound up beating Jesse then by 17 dollars: I wagered enough to beat everyone if I answered correctly, but I didn't.  George lost a whopping 12300, so Jesse squeaked by with another win.  That's okay with me; Overall, I like him.  What's up with these young lawyers doing well on Jeopardy! these days? 

*Rod Laver, rosemary, Hilton Head Island, Nabokov, sect

     Today's contestants:

(from left to right; Ari Stern, Reggie LaFond, Pam Jones-Pigott)

     Reggie found the Daily Double in the Jeopardy round, with one clue to go before the first break.  The category was Best Spoken Word Grammy.  This was the clue: "'The Words of Gandhi,' (1984)."*  He got it right!  At the first break, Reggie had 2200, Ari had 1800, and Pam had 1200.

     Now, you guys know how I feel about triple-stumpers.  Today, I'm including triple-stumpers that not only I got, but ones my mom and dad got, too.  Here are two from the Jeopardy round.  My dad got this one, also in Best Spoken Word Grammy: "'Gracie: A Love Story,' (1990)."*  My mom got this one, in The Executor Branch: "As sheriff of Erie County, New York, Grover Cleveland personally hanged 2 criminals, earning him the nickname 'Hangman of' here."* 

     At the end of the Jeopardy round, Ari (who said his father appeared on the show in 1985!) had 4000, Reggie had 5200, and Pam had 3200. 

     Here are some triple-stumpers from the Double Jeopardy round.  My mom got this one in Synonyms: "This synonym for 'rich' consists of an adverb, a preposition, and a verb."*  I got this one (finally!) in Literary Obituary: "19th century pickpocket gang leader, described as 'a receiver of stolen goods,' by execution."*

     Pam found the first Daily Double of the Double Jeopardy round, also in Literary Obituary.  This was the clue: "Long Island society mourns his loss, murdered in West Egg, by George Wilson."*  She got it right.  Reggie then nearly swept Pro Athletes by Number Worn, with only a few clues left on the board.  The only clue I knew in that category was this one: "Moses Malone, Derek Jeter."*  Then Pam found the next Daily Double in Lawyers.  She led, and wagered 2000.  This was the clue: "John Adams was a defense attorney for patriots like John Hancock and for British troops accused in this 1770 skirmish."*  She got it right!

     There's one more triple-stumper in the same category that I want to share, because this subject of the clue is a Nebraska native!  I learned about him in fourth grade.  This is the clue: "This prosecutor in the Scopes monkey trial fell ill and died shortly after that trial ended."*

     At the end of the Double Jeopardy round, Ari had 5600, Reggie had 8400, and Pam had 12800.  Reggie prevented an unpleasant situation (not quite a runaway) at the last second by answering the last clue, worth 2000, correctly.  Otherwise he would've had exactly half of Pam's total going into the final.

     The final category was Famous Americans.  This was the clue: "In 1886, he published his first book, 'The Trumpet and Drum,' an instructional handbook with 8 compositions."*  My mom got this right at the end of the thirty seconds, and my dad seemed like he knew it, too.  All three contestants got it right!  Ari wagered 4000 and Reggie wagered 5000.  Pam wagered 4000, which would've put her tied with Reggie if he had wagered everything.  As it is, she is your new champion!

*Ben Kingsley, George Burns, Buffalo, well-to-do, Fagin, The Great Gatsby, 2, the Boston Massacre, William Jennings Bryan

A spud went "thud"

     I am pleased to tell you that my attempt to record Jeopardy! at my parents' every week worked.  This is wonderful news!  Now I never have to miss a Saturday episode.  More practice, and more blogging.

     I watched last week's Saturday episode this morning. I kept track of my score via the Coryat method, because I didn't want to travel with my Jeopardy Challenger. Here are the scores and images of my Coryat scoresheet from the episode that aired 10-16-10 (More good news: I am able to insert images into blog entries from this computer today):

Sheryl Silverstein 12400      Chris d'Orso 6000      Dave Belote 21200      Me 17400
    




    




    

     Now, I want to gripe again about the Coryat method's shortcomings, specifically that Daily Doubles and Final Jeopardy have no bearing on one's final score.  First, I knew the answer to this Daily Double in Art and Artists and I wished I could wagered on it: "This 'Joy of Life' Fauvist studied law, but turned to painting when recuperating from an operation (Good choice!)."*  Then, I thought going into the final that I should have a chance at winning.  (Dave had a lock on the game at least against his opponents on the show.)  This time it didn't matter because I did not know the answer to this Final Jeopardy clue in The 13th Century: "In 1298 this explorer created his 'Description of the World.'"*  I am also consoled somewhat because I can still compare myself to the other players via j-archive; they include the Coryat score of each player.  In this case, I still lost to Dave. *shrug*

     This weekend's contestants were:

 (from left to right; Dave Belote, S.R. Sidarth, and Denise Feder.  My Dad remembered Dave from the last time we watched a Saturday Jeopardy! together!)

     Sidarth found the Daily Double in the Jeopardy round.  He appeared to be looking for it, as he started deep in seemingly every category he went to.  He put a twist on the old, "I've always wanted to say this..." instead saying something like, "Who hasn't wanted to say this..." (Make it a true Daily Double!)  In this case the wager was 2400.  The category was Business and Industry.  This was the clue: "In 1907 9-year-old Michael Brady posed for this company's symbol wearing overalls, a cap & wooden shoes."*  I got this one right, but Sidarth missed it.  Still, at the first commercial break, he was neck-and-neck with is opponents: Dave had 2200, Sidarth had 2000, and Denise had 1800.

     By the end of the Jeopardy round, though, Dave had a huge lead.  He swept the last category of the round, Ghostbusters, which Mr. Trebek said was celebrating its 25th anniversary last year.  My dad and I both wondered why Dave didn't go to that category sooner, since it was his wheelhouse.  It even seemed like a strong category for him when he chose the first clue of the round.  He said something like, "Gotta do it...Who You Gonna Call for 200!"  So Dave had 7600, Sidarth had 3000, and Denise had 3600 at the end of the round. 

     My dad and I were happy that "C" is for Catholic was a category in the Double Jeopardy round.  Both Dad and Dave forgot the category for this clue, which was also a triple-stumper that I got right: "It's the official renunciation of marriage for 'the more perfect observance of chastity.'"  They both said "annulment."

     Speaking of triple-stumpers, I also got this one in Notable Names: "His father Earl Little was a Baptist minister & an organizer for Marcus Garvey."*

     Sidarth found the first Daily Double in the Double Jeopardy round, in Dedicated.  He picked up 4000 on this clue: "His 'Cat's Cradle' is 'For Kenneith Littauer, a man of gallantry and taste.'"*
     Dave found the next Daily Double, in the 800 spot with two clues remaining.  He wagered a whopping 6000 on this clue in Notable Names: "This lieutenant colonel and his men were vanquished in about an hour on June 25, 1876."*  Thanks to his correct response, Dave had a lock on the game with 27200.  Sidarth had 12600, and Denise had 4800.
     The Final Jeopardy category was Toys.  The clue: "In 1963, sculptor Phil Kraczkowski was paid $600 to design this Hasbro toy's original head."*   My mom and I nodded at each other before the clue was even completely read.  Imagine our shock when our guess (which we didn't even think of as a guess) was incorrect!  Even Mr. Trebek saying afterward that there was a movie made about the toy that year (last year) led us to believe we were right.  (Although a little voice did tell me that "Toy Story 3" came out this year.)  All three contestants answered the same thing we did.  The audience groaned loudly when Mr. Trebek revealed the correct response (and at the same time seemed to say, "Duh!" with his tone).  The audience probably thought the same thing we all did.  Since Dave had a lock on the game, you will see him next week!  And I know I'll see it too because I can record it now!

*Matisse, Marco Polo, Dutch Boy, celibacy, Malcolm X, Vonnegut, Custer, G.I. Joe

Fruity language indeed

     Today's contestants:

     (from left to right; Kathleen Mikulis, Ari Stern, Mary van Tyne)

(Does anyone else thing Kathleen could double for Catherine Keener?

The resemblance was especially pronounced today.)

     You know I can't resist telling every triple-stumper that I got right!  It doesn't get old!  So here are today's, all in the Jeopardy round (and I want to know if you knew them).

     In Philosophers' Country of Birth: "Pico della Mirandola, Boethius."*  Kathleen seemed proud at the beginning of the show when Mr. Trebek acknowledged she picks clues so randomly.  She did just that and went to this one somewhere in the middle of the category, which is can make the clue more confusing than when the clues in a category had been chosen from the top down.  When she rang in on this one and missed it, she stayed true to form and went to another category.

     Kathleen's erratic manner of selecting clues is not her worst habit, though, and the randomness may even lead to this other habit:  She can at least pick clues e-x-t-r-e-m-e-l-y slowly, so much so that Mr. Trebek actually told her to hurry in the final seconds of Double Jeopardy.  I don't think he had a choice.  She took so long I had to wonder if she was ever going to pick one.  It's no surprise that there were clues left at the end of that round.

     What about this triple-stumper, in "G" Men?: "Wellington's last words, 'Yes, if you please,' came when asked if he'd like some tea, maybe this prime minister who followed him."*

     Here's one in Fruity Language: "A small reddish blemish of the skin is known as this fruit's mark."*  Now, this one did stump me too.  What I found so interesting about it is that Mr. Trebek seemed surprised that no one had heard of it (I hadn't either), yet he didn't know what a 'theremin' is?  (Ari mentioned in his interview that he can play the theremin.)  Sure, Mr. Trebek.

     Another one in Fruity Language: "Referring to something dear, this phrase originated in Deuteronomy 32:10 and refers to the pupil."*

     Double Jeopardy featured a couple 2000 clues that I thought were too easy to belong there, while more difficult clues were higher up in the category.  Like in Third Prize: "Walter Dix of the U.S. ran a 9.91 to take third in the 100-m. at the Beijing Games; this Jamaican ran 9.69 to win."*  Was that really harder than this one in the same category?: "In the 1924 Olympics she won bronze in the 100- and 400-m. free; 2 years later, she swam the English Channel."*  I mean, who is that?  

     What about this one, in Talking Real Estate: "It's the joint ownership of a vacation property by several persons with each occupying it for short periods."*  Harder than this one in the same category?: "An 'assumable' one of these legal commitments is taken over by the buyer when the home is sold."*  I realize this is an age-old argument for Jeopardy! fans, and we could go on forever!

     Ari found the first Daily Double of the Double Jeopardy round.  The category was A-B-C, and the correct responses contained those letters in that order.  Ari wagered only 800 on this clue, which wound up being a wise move: "Any of a group of chemical substances such as doxycycline or streptomycin."*  He missed it, and I'm proud to say I got it.  Did you guys know it? 

     The second Daily Double, which wound up being the last clue of the round, was found by Mary.  She had 6600, while Kathleen had 8600 and Ari had 14200.  Mary wagered 4000 on this clue in You're Fired: "If you're a Glock 17, you fire bullets of this metric caliber equal to .35 inches."*  I got it wrong, and so did she.  An inconvenient time for a miss with a pretty big wager!

     The Final Jeopardy category was The Oscars.  This was the clue: "Only Orson Welles and this man have been nominated for best actor and original screenplay in the same year while in their 20s."*  I answered confidentally while Mr. Trebek was still reading the clue.  I kept my answer, and I was oh-so-close, but wrong.  All three contestants got it right!  Ari wagered enough to win if Kathleen doubled (she didn't anyway), so he is your happy-looking new champion.  We will see him on Monday.

     By the way, I am expecting to watch tomorrow's weekend episode, and will likely blog about it Sunday.  This will also be the first chance to see if my rigging of my parents' VCR worked to record every Saturday episode.

     One more thing...GO BIG RED!

*Italy, Earl Grey, strawberry mark, apple of one's eye, Usain Bolt, Gertrude Ederle, timeshare, mortgage, antibiotics, 9 millimeter, Matt Damon

Matt van Goghs away

     I was not expecting to have the chance to blog tonight when I watched today's Jeopardy!, but now I can!  So I'll take it!
     Here are my scores for Tuesday through today:
Stephanie Bethel 8300     Jon Golbe 6800     Matt deTura 23000     me 18600
     Going into the final that day, Matt had 18000 (a runaway) and I had the 18600 that I finished with.  I didn't know whether Matt would wager anything since he didn't have to, so I didn't wager anything, and I wound up losing.  Like all the contestants, I did know the answer to this super-easy final, though, in Holiday History: "Cuba removed Christmas from its list of national holidays in 1969 & restored it in 1997 in anticipation of a visit by this man."  Actually I am three for four on finals this week, only missing that toughie about currency on Monday.

Tommy Jordan 200     Megan Griffiths (from Omaha!) 8800     Matt deTura 16401     me 16800
     The highlight of this episode (for me) was Matt saying that he was a bachelor and that he was going to utilize his status as a Jeopardy! champion in a pick-up line.  That's my cue to say: I am single, too, I too am a "sports nut" (as his Twitter profile says, although I would stop just short of saying I am a "TV addict"), and I love Jeopardy! and its champions!
     This episode featured a super-easy final, too, in Country Demographics: "Because of a policy adopted in 1979, this country's young people are collectively referred to as 'little emperors.'"* 

Kathleen Mikulis 25201     Mike Wilson 0     Matt deTura 12399     me 8200
     Today my favorite part was getting this Daily Double right on my best guess, while Matt missed it.  The category was Just the "Facts on File," Please, and this was the clue: "April 27, 2010: After 2 decades in U.S. prisons, this Central American ex-leader arrives in France to face charges."*  At the time, Matt had more than twice his nearest opponent and there was just one clue left in the Jeopardy round, so unfortunately missing it hurt him quite a bit.
     By the way, what's up with Mike not knowing who Chuck Forrest is, never mind that they are from the same town?!  He must not be a follower of the show.
     I had 8000-some going into the final, while Kathleen and Matt were neck-and-neck with 12800 and 12600, respectively.  The category was Art and Artists.  I wagered nothing.  I perceived that as a weak category for me, while even if I got it right I was unlikely to win.  This was the clue: "They are the 2 artists associated with the 1888 work seen here; one is the artist and the other is the subject."*

     Matt and Mike missed it while Kathleen got it right.  She wagered enough to win if Matt got it right and wagered everything, so even though I got it right (kind of a wild guess), I could not have won even if I'd wagered everything.  I hate to see Matt go.  I really liked him and I think he's got the chops to have at least been a contender in the Tournament of Champions.  How far do you think Kathleen go?

*Pope John Paul II, China, Manuel Noriega, van Gogh and Gauguin

Sara gets called for unsportsmanlike conduct

     It feels good to be blogging again.  I didn't even go anywhere; I had just been working kind of a lot!
     Here are my scores from last week:
Terry Andrews 800     Sara Wilkinson 25000     Suzanne Rorick 14000     Me 28798
Anjali Challiah Sawe 14799     Theo McLauchlin 4200     Sara Wilkinson 20001     Me 23000

Liz Tracey 23800     Robert Yowell 13400     Sara Wilkinson 27700     Me 19200

     I'd put an asterisk by that last game if I didn't use asterisks for another purpose in this blog, because I would have won (honestly!) if it weren't for a silly math mistake I made having to do with multiplying or dividing my score by two.  Jeopardy Challengers are so old that they still have the old clue values, before they were doubled on November 26, 2001.  (Thank you to Roger Craig and Robert for digging that up for me!)  I know many a Jeopardy contestant has made a math error, so it is still a loss, and I accept it!

     Today's contestants:          

 

(from left to right, Sara Wilkinson, Matt DeTura, Paula Currall)

     Did you guys know this triple-stumper in TV Show Addresses?  I got it despite Mr. Trebek's rather poor imitation of the lead character: "Ah geez, youse guys, the address is 704 Hauser Street, Queens."*  The next clue was the Daily Double of the Jeopardy round.  Sara found it, still in TV Show Addresses.  She led with 2800, while Matt had 800, and Paula had 0.  She wagered 1800 on this clue: "A 32-room, 14-bathroom mansion at 518 Crestview Drive in 90210 land."*  Sara seemed to think the clue was ridiculous (the closed captioning described it as "scoffing").  I loved that Mr. Trebek dished it right back at her when she couldn't come up with the correct response.  Sara's been copping a 'tude on all four of her episodes, actually.  I get the impression she thinks she's a bad-a$$.  She left a bad taste in my mouth on her first day, when she happily chirped about heckling baseball players on the opposing team.  Maybe it's for the best that her Atlanta Braves got beaten by the Phillies this postseason, although I don't really care about the National League otherwise.
     What about these triple-stumpers in the Jeopardy round?  In That's Borderline: "These two countries share the longest noncontiguous border."*  In You Take a Mile: "This Montana city with a 'hilly' name is known as 'the city that's a mile high and a mile deep."*
     At the end of the Jeopardy round, Sara had 3200, Matt had 4800, and Paula had 2000.
     I was surprised that there were two triple-stumpers in 90s Female No. 1 Hitmakers.  I have to admit I did miss one that was not a triple-stumper, but I knew these two: "1996: Because You Loved Me."*  (And that one was justifiably worth 400!)  What about this one at the bottom of the category: "1991: Rush, Rush and The Promise of a New Day."
     Sara found the first Daily Double of the Double Jeopardy round, in The Ancients Speak.  I thought this was one was a no-brainer: "In 'Epidemics,' he wrote, 'As to diseases, make a habit of two things - to help, or at least do no harm.'"*  Sara added 3500 to 9200.  She also found the second Daily Double, before anyone else had responded to any other clue, in Companies Named After People.  I thought this one was harder, but she got it right, too: "A New York bank was named for this Secretary of the Treasury under Lincoln."*  I couldn't help but remember how the other day she described William Henry Seward as her crush, then incorrectly responded with his name on this clue in Ohioans: "This Steubenville, Ohio native served Abe Lincoln as Secretary of War."*
     The next clue (after the Daily Double) was this triple-stumper, also in Companies Named After People: "In 1917, the son of an Illinois bookseller joined with a New York store and started this company."*  One category remained, Alternative Medicine, and Matt swung back into action and nearly swept it.  At the end of the round, then, Sara had 21400, Matt had 17200, and Paula had 2400.  The Final Jeopardy category was U.S. Currency.  I wagered with the assumption that Sara (as the leader) and I would miss this one, as I knew this was a weak category for me.  I mean who even cares about stuff like this: "It's the only U.S. coin or bill produced in 2010 that features the private home of a president on the reverse."*  Did you guys know this one?  Sara missed it and wagered for the win if Matt had gotten this one right, as I predicted.  Matt did get this right, thus making him your new champion.  I am relieved, and I'm also happy for him because he seems to be a lifelong Jeopardy! fan.  When he first spoke in his interview, I thought his story of his parents watching Jeopardy! lacked creativity until he told the anecdote where his mother instructed his father to get eyeglasses, and he came back with a bigger television instead.  So congrats, Matt.  Do it again tomorrow!  (And if you're reading this, how did you know that Final Jeopardy clue?)

*All in the Family, The Beverly Hillbillies, Canada and the U.S., Butte, Celine Dion, Paula Abdul, Hippocrates, Chase, Edwin Stanton, Barnes and Noble, the nickel

A princess and diva appear on Jeopardy!

     (No, not the two female contestants!):

(from left to right: Carol Denny, Suzanne Rorick, and Tim Campos)

     Carol was defending for the first time.  She had a rough go today, beginning with a mispronunciation on what was otherwise a correct response to this clue in Aliases: "Sir Percy Blakeney, a 'colorful' fop with a sword."*  (She wasn't ruled incorrect until after the first commercial break.)  Her troubles continued when she rang in but couldn't do the math in time on this clue in Goodbye, Columbus: "Columbus said goodbye for good in this year, 14 years after he set out on his most famous voyage."*  Suzanne got that one (and many others!) right.  At the first break, Carol had just 200, Suzanne had 7800, and Tim had 4600.  He had wagered and lost everything (1000) on this Daily Double in Aliases: "Harry Longabaugh, whose nickname came from the Wyoming town in which he was imprisoned."*
     Did you guys know this triple-stumper in Home Sweet Home?: "Seen here is a partial view of her childhood home in Alabama in the 1950s; notice the water pump."*

     What about these two in Before and After at the Movies: "A mouse-like boy runs afoul of a carnivorous plant."*  And "Fanny Brice takes over for Diana Ross in a biopic."*
     Suzanne found the first Daily Double of the round in Princesses.  She had 15000, Carol had 600, and Tim had 7800.  She wagered 3000 on this clue: "This 'flowery' princess was called 'the most beautiful of the dusky Dianas.'"*
     Here's a triple-stumper that wound up not being one, in Spanish to English: "In computer lingo: the four-letter equivalent of correo basura."*  Tim answered "junk," and was ruled incorrect.  I only figured out the answer after he did that!  Later, as Suzanne was getting ready to wager on the second Daily Double of the round, he was given credit for that response.
     There was less than a minute left when Suzanne found the Daily Double, bad news for still-struggling Carol.  She had gone into the hole on this clue in Spanish to English: "A delicious fruit: manzana."*  Suzanne had 20400, and Tim had 13800.  Suzanne wagered 2000 on this clue in Divas: "The Met's Rudolph Bing refused to hire this diva known as 'Bubbles' because she hadn't been trained in Europe."*  Suzanne missed it, but she still had 20400 at the end of the round.  In fact, all the scores were the same as when Suzanne found the Daily Double!  Carol, then, could not participate in Final Jeopardy.
     The category was Shakespeare.  This was the clue: "These 2 'King Lear' characters, 1 male, 1 female, both represent truthfulness; one disappears when the other returns."*  Tim and Suzanne both missed it, but Tim wagered everything while Suzanne wagered 7500.  She makes an impressive debut and returns tomorrow to defend!

*the Scarlet Pimpernel, 1506, the Sundance Kid, Helen Keller, "Stuart Little Shop of Horrors," "Funny Lady Sings the Blues," Tigerlily, apple, spam, Beverly Sills, Cordelia and the Fool

     Today's contestants were 2-time champ Mike Hodel, Dylan Payne, and Carol Denny.  Dylan said during his interview that he had been married ten days to a former contestant named "Meredith," who I've determined from the Jeopardy! message boards is Meredith Robbins.  Her episodes aired almost exactly two years ago.
     I recorded today's episode on a VCR at my parents'.  After the commercial break, I accidentally fast-forwarded through some of the category names.  My dad likes to give a thumbs-up or -down to each category (and I like it when he does that).  I rewound so he could do that and I said something about it out loud, but my dad had picked up the newspaper while I fast-forwarded, and he was completely oblivious to the categories and to what I had said.  :-)  Oh well.
     At the end of the Jeopardy round, Mike had 3400, Dylan had 6400, and Carol had 5000.  Did you guys know this triple-stumper in The Hound of Music?: "Title question posed by Patti Page in a 1953 smash."*  My mom and I answered it, and my dad knew it too.  My dad said that it was his favorite song when he was a kid, and my mom said  it was hers, too!  I guess I just guessed on it not knowing it was a real song.  I guess I thought it was just an old song that everyone knows, like "The Farmer in the Dell."
     When Mike found the first Daily Double in Libraries, he had 7400, Dylan had 9600, and Carol had 13400.  Mike wagered everything (!) on this clue: "Raffaele Farina, known as Bibliothecarius XLVI, is its head librarian."*  Mike got it right and so did I. 
     The other Daily Double was the last clue of the round.  My dad had just gotten done asking if there wasn't another Daily Double left on the board.  Carol found it, in Jersey Girls.  She had 14600, Mike had 20000, and Dylan had 12000.  She wagered 4000 on this clue: "Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001, she appointed the state's first female attorney general."*  She got it right.  I knew it and one of my parents did, too.
     The Final Jeopardy category was Prisons.  Here is the clue: "Nazi Rudolf Hess in 1941 and the notorious Kray twins in 1952 were among the last people briefly held here."*  I guessed Dachau, which I was glad to learn was the guess of at least one other person (someone on the Jeopardy! message boards), even though he said he was kind of embarrassed about the guess.  The answer stumped the three contestants and the three of us watching, too.  Dylan wagered everything (which I'd have done, too).  Carol lost 5401.  Mike lost a whopping 17300, making Carol the winner today.  Do you guys think she is strong enough to win more than one game?

*"How Much is That Doggie in the Window," the Vatican, Christine Whitman, the Tower of London

A colonel of wisdom

     As promised (or at least mentioned), I've watched Saturday's rerun, this time with my dad, mom, and sister "Peaches."  I have some sort of good news (maybe just for me) about the Saturday reruns.  I can't watch them where I live because I don't get any channel that airs them.  So the good news is that I think I've discovered a way to record them by setting a timer on a VCR at my parents' without them having to lift a finger.  We'll see if it works.  Right now Dave Belote is in the middle of his six-game run, and the likes of Stephen Weingarten and Ryan Chaffee will come up eventually.  I don't want to miss those episodes!
     Yesterday's other two contestants were Emily Brown and Todd Ryan.  Dave had just won his first game.  Todd found the Daily Double in the Jeopardy round, in Also a U.S. State.  He had 4000, while Dave had 1800 and Emily had 2600.  Todd wagered it all on this clue: "2-word beseeching request for Ms. Fanning to continue in the direction of Antarctica."*  He got it right!  I thought this next clue was going to be a triple-stumper in the same category before Dave got it in the nick of time: "First name of Ms. Engel of 'Mary Tyler Moore' fame."*
     Peaches impressed me when she answered this one at the bottom of Jailhouse Rock in the Jeopardy round: "This 'chateau' on a tiny rock in the Mediterranean was a prison in real life, not just in The Count of Monte Cristo."*  Later she told me that she actually doesn't say when she knows the answer to clues, because she lets me answer them!  So I told her again that I really wanted her to keep track of her Coryat scores.  This time, she said she would.  I think this is a good time to hold a contest similar to the one two weeks ago, where I asked you to post your Coryat scores.  Serendipitously, a prize (if you deem it prize-worthy) has presented itself: My aunt no longer has a need for two Trivial Pursuit games that I already own (the original and Baby Boomers editions).  Would you guys participate in a contest if those were the prizes?  They are in good shape, of course.  Let me know via a comment here!
     Speaking of Trivial Pursuit, Peaches and I were playing the Millennium edition of Trivial Pursuit today when she read me the following question in the Arts and Entertainment category, after saying to our mom, who was passing, "Don't tell her the answer, Mom.": "What actor portrayed Ben Hogan in Follow the Sun?"*  Now, I knew this one cold without my mom's help because I have read Ben Hogan's biography.  So I went crazy with a victory dance.  After I sat back down and answered the question, Peaches told me she hopes I react that way on Jeopardy! some day, because the contestants generally look like they lack enthusiasm (not like on Wheel of Fortune, she said).  She thinks there is "too much decorum."  I hadn't even argued with her before she added that she wants me to put another poll on this blog!  So I'm doing it.  She wants to know if the amount of enthusiasm shown by the Jeopardy! contestants is sufficient or insufficient.  So please vote and also, if you want, leave a comment about that.  For more on this, check out this entry where I got nailed by a guy (who I suspect is a former contestant) because I thought a champion looked apathetic after his wins.
     Back to yesterday's episode: At the end of Double Jeopardy, Todd led with 9400, while Dave had 5600 and Emily had 3400.  Emily found the first Daily Double in the Double Jeopardy round, in Death in Venice.  She had 5000, while Dave had 6400 and Todd still had 9400.  Emily got this one right, and so did my dad: "This physicist who noted an effect in sound waves from moving sources died in Venice in 1853 and is buried in its San Michele."*
     My dad got this toughie right, too, in Math: "The continuous summing of a change in a function over an interval, it's the inverse process of differentiation."*
     Todd drew a laugh when he answered this clue in Letter, Please about the Air Force before Dave, who is a colonel: "Tomcats, Falcons, and Eagles get this alphabetical designation in the Air Force."*
     Emily found the second Daily Double of the round, in Opera.  She had 11200.  Dave had 13200 and Todd had 20600, also their scores at the end of the round.  Emily got this one right and added 4000 to her score: "Several operas based on 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' are named for this gypsy girl."*
     It was a lucky thing for Peaches that she watched yesterday's game, as there was a category about Des Moines!  (She lives there.)  Here's a triple-stumper and the last clue of the Double Jeopardy round in the category: "Des Moinesians keep current with this newspaper, founded in a log cabin in 1849."*
     The Final Jeopardy category was Shakespeare's Women.  This was the clue: "The name of this royal daughter from a tragedy is from a word meaning 'little king.'"*  My dad and Peaches were puzzling it out, and my dad actually said the right answer without knowing it.  I was like, "That's it!"  Emily missed it and lost all of her 15200.  Todd, too, missed it, but he hadn't wagered anything.  Dave got it right and ended with 20601, beating Todd by one dollar.  And he had been trailing the whole game!  Look for Dave next Saturday, then.

*South Dakota, Georgia, Chateau d'If, Glenn Ford, Doppler, integration, F, Esmeralda, The Des Moines Register, Regan

"Put that in your blog and smoke it"

     So said my dad (yes, the Jeopar-daddy!) when he answered this clue right in Ballet, and I missed it (misread it, actually): "In 1877, 'Swan Lake' premiered at the Bolshoi theatre in this city with choreography by Julius Reisinger."*
     Today, Mike Hodel returned to hopefully prove his mettle after yesterday's narrow escape with the win.  His opponents were Alli Johnson and Brad Rodriguez.  I was excited right away about today's categories, which seemed to suit both my mom (Building a Recipe) and my dad (Hello, I'm Johnny Cash).  (Incidentally, I have to give them both props for being so patient with me while I paused and rewinded in a surely-annoying manner.)  And of course, I like crossword puzzles and thus the category Crossword Clues "C."  Why did Mr. Trebek give such a lengthy explanation of the category?  It's not like we haven't seen that one before on the show.
     And two "why"s regarding this second clue of the game in Shakespeare's Settings: "This happy play is set in Athens and a nearby wood where fairies cast their spells."*  Why did Alli screw up the title when she said it correctly in response to the previous clue?  And why didn't either of the guys get that question right when she said it wrong?  The next clue was the Daily Double of the round, and the scores were not pretty: Mike had 0, Alli had -400, and Brad had -200.  Alli wagered 600 on this clue, still in Shakespeare's Settings: "The courtyard of Inverness is the setting for Act I, Scene vii of this masterpiece."*  She got it right. 
     Did you guys know this triple-stumper in Building a Recipe?: "Before baking, I'm brushing olive oil on our puff pastries described by this 10-letter term, as they lack yeast."*
     At the end of the round, Mike had 5200, Alli had 7000, and Brad had 3000.  Here's a triple-stumper from the Double Jeopardy round, in Ballet: "In the ballet 'Petrouchka,' the ballerina is one of these doll-like toys, as is Petrouchka himself."*  And another, in French Cities? that I got in the nick of time (I love triple-stumpers when I answer them correctly!): "Multiple episodes of military service in a war zone, population 137,000."*
     At the end of the Double Jeopardy round, Mike had 10800, Alli had 9000, and Brad had 12400.  The final category was Bestselling Authors, which prompted my dad to cry something like, "Hey, my new book is out!", meaning in his workplace's bookstore.  It's a chemistry textbook that he doesn't mind me telling you is available on both amazon.com and bn.com!  He's got a bunch of 'em, actually.
     Anyway, the final clue was a toughie: "Since coming on the beat, he's had more N.Y. Times bestsellers than any other author, including over 20 in the last 5 years."*  Alli was wrong and lost everything but a dollar.  Mike was right (redemption!), and added 7300.  Brad was wrong and lost 9201, making Mike your winner for the second time.
     Tomorrow, I expect to be able to watch the Saturday evening Jeopardy! with the fam, so watch the show and come back here and see what happens!

*Moscow, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, unleavened, puppet, Tours, James Patterson

Blogging to beat the (marching) band

     I am blogging on a dead run today: Must blog and get dinner by 6:30 to watch the Husker game live! (ESPN, if you wanted to know.)  I wish I have at least touched the book I got at the library called How to Write Fast.  I sure need that knowledge right now!

     Today's contestants:

(from left to right, Don Meals, Mike Hodel, and Sarah Rabin Spira)

     Like yesterday, today's episode was loaded with triple-stumpers that I was able to answer.  See how you do on these (and please leave a comment letting me know!):

In Double Ds (I got this one in the nick of time): "An enigmatic word puzzle."*

In They Drive on the Left: "If you want to drive from Klerksdorp to Roodeport in this country, head east and hang a left at Sosolburg."*

In Food Words: "To waste little by little, or a fried treat similar to a doughnut."*

In Ancient Greeks: "Born on Samos, he's the philosopher and mathematician in the illustration seen here:"*

In McCartney: "The title of Paul's 2006 classical album 'Ecce Cor Meum' translates as 'Behold My' this."*
In Books' Other Titles: "Thackeray's 'A Novel Without a Hero.'"*
In A Business is Born: "The first drugstore in this chain began operating out of a Chicago hotel in 1901; in 2009 the 7000th store opened."*
     Probably as a result of all those triple-stumpers, I had a lock on the game at the end of Double Jeopardy with 26400.  Returning champ Don had 11400, Mike had 2800, and Sarah had 10400.  The Final Jeopardy category was Mammals.  This clue, too, was a quadruple-stumper, as I missed it, too.  I don't like this clue much, actually.  I don't think anyone really had a chance.  (And I'm not just saying that because I missed it!): "One type of this aquatic animal gives milk that's 65% fat; pups are weaned in 4 days, the least of any mammal."*  Did anyone watching know this one?  Really?
     Now, I'm not sure what Mike had in mind when he wagered 700.  Did he accurately predict Don's wager and expect him to get it wrong?  In any case, he did the right thing.  Sarah wagered ALL of her 10400 (I'd have done that, too).  Don wagered 9401, which I also would've done, because it would've given him the win if both he and Sarah got the final clue right.  Since they both missed it, though...Mike was left with the most money at 2100.  What?!  Mike's reaction:

     So do you think Mike can win tomorrow?  It will be interesting, for sure!

*riddle, South Africa, fritter, Pythagoras, Heart, Vanity Fair, Walgreens, seal

The most important Meals of the day

     The scores for Monday this week:
Don Meals     Lois Petzold     Emily Jusino     Me
   8199                 6000               599          19202

     I was proud to guess the right answer to this final in Primetime TV, when everyone else missed it.  I'm even prouder to tell you (and I'm quick to add!) I haven't seen this show in its entirety: "Now in Season 23, its producer says it's the only show with 'no script, no actors, no host, and no re-enactments.'"*

     On Tuesday, all four of us guessed the same thing on the final, and all four of us missed it!  It was a trap!  This was the clue, in Broadway Roles: "In 1955, she beccame the first and so far only actress to win a Tony for playing a male role in a musical."*  These were the final scores:

James Brown   Kristen Schroeder   Don Meals   Me
       100                 800                     13199       5598

     So Don (on the left) was back for a third day today, despite missing the final in his two games.  His opponents were Kelly Moore and Peter Landesman.

    

     I liked the Jeopardy round categories today, such as Game Time, All Hail (where you name the state the people in the clue are from), and the category Don started with, The Main Organ Affected.  He was sweeping the category, and so was I, when he found the Daily Double, the last clue of the category.  We both made it a true Daily Double.  The clue: "Pleurisy."*  We both got it right.  At the end of the Jeopardy round, Don had 8200, Kelly had 5200, and Peter had 2600.  I had 13200. 
     What stood out for me today (besides the wheelhouse categories) was the number of what I thought were easy triple-stumpers (four!).  I couldn't believe no one got this one in The Brady Bunch in Today's Workforce (another category I like): "Ironically, Greg, who once adopted the rock persona Johnny this, now works for the cable network of the same name."*  Here are the other three:
     In Prince Songs a la Trebek: "In this 1983 hit, 'I was dreamin' when I wrote this, so sue me if I go too fast'; did I say 1983?"* (Sorry to those of you will have that song stuck in your head now!)
     In Cursing in the Bible: "In his epistle to the Galatians, he declares that htose who preach a false gospel will be cursed."*  I think Mr. Trebek was surprised, too, because he pointed out the key words in the clue after time had run out.
     And in You've Got She Mail: "This poet wrote to a friend, 'We are by September and yet my flowers are as bold as June.  Amherst has gone to Eden.'"*
     Don did not miss the final today in 2010 Science News, while everyone else, myself included, did.  (Need I point out that Don is a scientist?)  Since he led going into the final with 16200, then, he won today.  Kelly had 10600 after the final and Peter had 9800.  (I had 30000.)  This is the final clue: "The IUPAC named an element for this man born in 1473 to 'highlight the link between astronomy and...nuclear chemistry.'"* 

*Cops, Mary Martin, lungs, Bravo, "1999," St. Paul, Emily Dickinson, Copernicus

And the winner is...

     The winner of Steven J. Ferrill's book The Cultural Literacy Trivia Guide is...Peter!  (In case you're wondering, I assigned a number to every Coryat score entered, then asked a friend who is clueless about the contest to pick a number.)  Thank you to all (okay, both!) who participated!  I would like to do this again soon.  You guys can still post your scores whenever you want.  And Peter, please leave a comment with how I can contact you.  You know I moderate comments, so I will not publish personal information!
     I want to let you all know that there is another game (for lack of a better word) identical to the Summer Hiatus Challenge on the Jeopardy! message boards starting today.  Play along!
     Regrettably, I can't blog about today's episode.  I can watch it, though, and will be keeping track of my score with my Challenger.  See you all later this week.

Adam misses the Mark (and the Emily too)

     Kara Spak lost her sixth game yesterday, to triathlon coach Mark McDonnell.  (He told Mr. Trebek today that he's participated in more than two dozen triathlons!)  Mark had a strong Double Jeopardy round  that day, while Kara started strong and finished slow.  My Coryat score for the day was 12200.  Today Mark (left) faced Emily Jusino and Adam Podber:

     Adam swept NFL Records.  In that category, I only got this one worth 2000 right, and only because of the Dancing with the Stars reference: "This cowboy has the most career rushing attempts with 4,409; he's not a bad dancer, either."*  That helped give Adam his lead when he found the Daily Double, the penultimate clue of the round, in A Wine-Wine Situation.  He had 10400 while his nearest opponent, Emily, had 2600.  Adam teased us when he said he'd always wanted to say...he'd wager 100 dollars.  Turns out it was a wise decision (the wager, not necessarily the joke), because he missed it.  This was the clue: "As the name implies, chambre refers to wine served this way."*  I know that 'chambre' means 'room' in French, but I couldn't come up with the correct response in time.  At the end of Double Jeopardy, then, Adam had 11300, Mark still had 1800, and Emily still had 2600.

     Adam also found the first Daily Double of the Double Jeopardy round, in Art Styles.  He still led, this time by 6700.  He wagered 2000 on this clue: "This art style that includes an artist's name was a 'brotherhood' in mid-19th century London."*  I wouldn't have gotten that one if you'd given me 100 years, and Adam missed it too.

     The next Daily Double was only two clues away!  Emily found it in 19th Century Lit, a category she seemed to like because she kept coming back to it.  She had 9800 while Mark had 3000 and Adam had 12500.  The clue: "This 'Old Ironsides' poet was also a doctor: you might recall that his son became a lawyer."*  She got it right, I got it wrong (again).

     There were four clues remaining hidden at the end of the round!  By then it was a tighter game: Mark had 9400, Emily had 9700, and Adam had 13300.  The category was Word Origins.  This was the clue: "Like the name of a minor Roman god, this word for caretaker comes from the Latin for 'door.'"*  Now, it was pretty clear to me that Emily was going to get this one right, as she had spoken Latin with Mr. Trebek during her interview with him!  I was thrown off and was trying to think of a word with the letters "port."  Adam and Mark went the same way, but Emily, of course, got it right.  Adam wagered 6101, giving Emily the win.  My own score today was 12400.

     Remember, you have until Monday at 4:30 p.m. Central time to post any or all of your Coryat scores from this week for a chance to win a copy of Steven J. Ferrill's The Cultural Literacy Trivia Guide!  So bring 'em on, guys!

*Emmitt Smith, at room temperature, pre-Raphaelite, Holmes, janitor