Meet Me in September

     Jeopardy!'s summer hiatus begins with the end of this week.  Mr. Trebek said today that the coming weeks will feature reruns (I hate to use that word) of the teachers, college, and teen tournaments, as well as the Watson matches.  My friend Robert tells me the college tournament will be first next week.  I'll still be blogging.  Hopefully the matches I did not blog on the first time will coincide with the nights I have off from work (so I can blog on those).
     Speaking of the summer hiatus, the Summer Hiatus Challenge begins on Monday over on the Jeopardy! message boards.  I had a blast playing last year.  I hope you'll join us.
     Today's contestants:

Lisa McDermott

Justin Sausville

Marty Butterick

     Justin won convincingly yesterday, his first time.  He found the Daily Double in the Jeopardy round today, in The Department of Homeland Security.  He had 1600, Marty had 1400, and Lisa had 2200.  Justin wagered 1000 on this clue: "You'll find this branch of the military under the DHS umbrella."  Justin seemed to answer (correctly) so quickly I felt like I didn't have time to think about my response, and I didn't give one.  That's a no-no when you're keeping track of your Coryat: Incorrect responses don't count against you in that method of scoring, so it's your chance to guess.  At the first break, I'd gotten 10/15 right.  Justin had 2600, Marty had 2000, and Lisa had 3200.
     Was anyone else surprised that this clue, of all of 'em in Ray Charles, was a triple-stumper?: "Ray Charles had a No. 1 hit with this song that says, 'I'll have to pack my things and go.'"
     At the end of the round, I'd gone 16/30 including 4/6 on the $1000 clues.  Justin had 7200, Marty had 3800, and Lisa had 3400. 
     Like the Jeopardy round, I liked the categories of the Double Jeopardy round.  Marty found the first Daily Double of the round three clues in, in State Gems.  It seemed like he might have been looking for it, because he started the category at 800.  He had 5000, Justin had 7200, and Lisa still had 3400.  This was the clue: "This form of silica, also the name of a Michigan city, is Ohio's gemstone."  He and I got it right.
     I took a chance and guessed on this triple-stumper in Book Titles, which is also something of a no-no: "A bestseller by Jamie Ford is 'Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and' this."
     I almost guessed the correct response to this clue in 15 Letters or More after Justin and Marty gave responses that were ruled incorrect: "One function of the CIA is this - defending against foreign espionage."  Later, Justin's response of "counterespionage" was ruled acceptable, and they gave back the money they took from Marty after his subsequent incorrect response ("counterinsurgency").  Personally, I don't think they should've accepted Justin's response, since "espionage" was in the clue.  I also don't think they should give Marty's money back for his incorrect response.
     I've never heard of this correct response in 15 Letter or More, but I threw it out there and it was right: "After the physicist who discovered x-rays, it's another name for a doctor who interprets x-rays."
     Speaking of doctors, Marty beat Justin, a doctor, to this correct response in "V" Love Science: "The tricuspid valves help separate the atria from these heart cavities."  This one is the only one I missed in that category: "The monarch butterfly tastes bad to predators, so as a form of defense, this palatable but smaller butterfly mimics the monarch's coloration and pattern."
     When Justin found the next Daily Double in the round, Mr. Trebek said there was less than a minute to go, but there were 8 clues left!  When there were 7 left, he said there were "not too many"! ? I'm guessing it was all the triple-stumpers that wasted time.  Justin had 17200, Marty had 14200, and Lisa had 5800.  Justin wagered 2800 on this clue in Politicians: "Egan Krenz was the last communist political leader of this country that was absorbed by its neighbor in 1990."  Justin got it right immediately.
     Five clues were left on the board at the end of the round.  Justin had 20000, Marty had 14200, and Lisa had 6200.  The Final Jeopardy category was Los Angeles Landmarks.  I lived in Southern California for over 2 years, and I've been there many times, so I felt pretty good about this category.  Here is the clue: "A James Dean Memorial can be found adjacent to this structure, located at one of the high spots in Los Angeles."  I guessed what Marty and Lisa did, and we were wrong.  Lisa lost 2400, but Marty lost nothing.  Justin shrugged and looked like he didn't know what the right answer was, but he got it right!  Good thing, too: He wagered 8401 and would've lost with a miss.  So we'll see him when the new season begins, which may be later than originally planned now that Mr. Trebek has been injured.
     My Coryat today was 21400.  Justin's was 18600, Marty's was 11000, and Lisa's was 6200.

For Peter's Sake

     I wasn't planning on blogging tonight after seeing today's episode, partly because I met my mom and dad for a picnic and swimming about 70 miles from where I live.  But long-time reader Peter asked me if I would blog about these last two episodes of the season, so I will.
     Today's contestants:

Cathy Markwiese

Ryan Fox

Justin Sausville

     Ryan won yesterday.  Today, Mr. Trebek started the show by saying he is "emotional" and "demonstrative."
     The Jeopardy round started just wrong for me, with Quarterback University.  I missed all but one, including "Vince Young."  I responded with what I realized I should have for the next clue: "Steve Young."  I didn't get any others right and in fact they were way over my head.
     A always-smiley Justin found the Daily Double in The "N" Crowd.  He had 3000, Ryan had 2600, and Cathy had 600.  Justin wagered 1500 on this clue: "He not only won the 1971 Nobel Prize for Literature, he also served in the Chilean Senate."  Justin and I both got this one right away. 
     At the first break I had only 6/15.  Ryan had 3000, Justin had 5500, and Cathy still had 600.  At the end of the round, Justin was kicking butt with 12100, while Ryan had 2800 and Cathy had 1000.  Overall in the round, I was 13/30. 
     Double Jeopardy went better for me.  I swept Books and Movies, and I got 4/5 in Boning Up (just said "green" for "greenstick") and "Big" Stuff (missed "big toe" and shouldn't have).  Overall I went 21/30.
     Justin found the first Daily Double in Julius Caesar Salad, immediately after flubbing a clue which they gave him anyway: "In Spanish the name becomes this, as on former boxing champion Chavez."  Justin said "Cesar," then "Julio," when they wanted "Julio Cesar."  He had 17700 to wager on the Daily Double, while Ryan had 4800 and Cathy still had 1000.  Justin wagered 2300 on this softball: "This 5-word line spoken by the soothsayer is a quote from Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar.'"  Justin and I both got it right immediately. 
     Ryan swept The Sanders of Time and had 16000 when he found the Daily Double in Boning Up.  Justin had 24800 and Cathy still had 1000.  He wagered 4200 on this clue: "This bone with a ball-and-socket joint at one end if about 1/4 of your height."  I knew this one instantly, but Ryan missed it! :-(  He could not recover, even though he threw out a guess on the very last clue because he needed it to get within striking distance of Justin.  They ended the round with: Ryan 11400, Justin 27200, Cathy 1800.
     The Final Jeopardy category was World History.  This was the clue: "Surus was the last known one of these to survive a mountain crossing in the 3rd century B.C."  All of the contestants got it right, and so did I.  Cathy added 1798, Ryan added 7400, and Justin added 2800.  After yesterday's episode I'm a little surprised Ryan didn't win.  We will see Justin tomorrow!  My Coryat today was 24800.  Cathy's was 1800, Justin's was 25800 (wow!), and Ryan's was 15600.
     By the way, I noticed "Alex Trebek" was trending on Twitter last night.  I checked it out, and here's a story in case you didn't hear about it.
     Also, a heads-up: The season ends tomorrow, which means the Summer Hiatus Challenge on the Jeopardy! message boards is upon us.  C'mon, guys.  Play, play, play!

Bye, George (and Percy)

     Today's contestants:

Ryan Fox

Linda Percy

Amy George

     Linda was a three-time champion coming into today.  She found the first Daily Double four clues in, in Trial Participants.  She had 1200, Amy had 0, and Ryan had -600.  She wagered just 600 (why?) on this clue: "In 1633, Urban VIII had this man tried; Father Firenzuola prosecuted."  Linda seemed to know it right away.  I didn't!  She wound up sweeping the category, but as a result of her lame wager she didn't get as much money as she would have if that clue had not been a Daily Double!  I only got this clue right in that category: "Lawson Botts, who defended this fiery abolitionist at his 1859 trial, died fighting for the confederacy in 1862."
     Anyone else surprised that Linda knew "Hollaback Girl" in Abbreviated No. 1 Hits?  I swept that category.
     At the first break, Linda had 6000, Amy had 800, and Ryan had -600.  At the end of the round, I had just missed one each in The Franks (missed "Merovingian"), Face Book (missed "T.S. Eliot"), and The "Social" Network (missed "socialist republics").  Linda had 10800, Ryan had 1400, and Amy had 3800 once her "Social Compact" was ruled correct on this last clue of the round: "Implicit agreement in which the individual surrenders liberty in return for protection."
     I hadn't gotten any right in Colleges and Universities when Ryan found the Daily Double there four clues in.  He had 3000, Amy still had 3800, and Linda had 11200.  Ryan wisely wagered everything on this clue: "This New England institution is the only one of 8 Ivy League schools officially called a college."  I didn't get it, but Ryan did.
     Amy found the next Daily Double, in Laws.  By then she moved up to 11000, Ryan moved up to 12800, and Linda had 16800.  The clue was a video one, with Jimmy reading it:

     "There's a law of conservation of mass but when I add water to the superabsorbent polymer used to make artificial snow, you can see there's no law of conservation of this; mass divided by density."  I got it right, and so did Amy.  She gave a little fist-pump.  (I'm giving a little fist-pump of my own that recording and posting this video actually worked.)  There were four clues left at this time.  Linda ended the round with 19600, Amy had 15000, and Ryan had 14800.  The Final Jeopardy category was Royalty.  This was the clue: "In the run following the Siege of Oxford, he surrendered May 5, 1646 near Newark on Trent."  I'm sure some people knew this cold, and I know that I should have.  I had the name right but the roman numeral wrong.  Ryan got it right, and added 4000 to his total.  Amy got it wrong and lost all but two dollars.  Linda, too, got it wrong and wagered 10401, giving the Jeopardy! peops another chance to utilize the ZergCam:

 
     In case you can't tell, Ryan wins today.

     We'll see him tomorrow!  My Coryat today was 22600.  Ryan's was 13400, Linda's was 19800, and Amy's was 12200.  There were three clues today that I counted correct, but I'll throw them out there and if you think I should count them wrong, leave a comment.  (I want an accurate Coryat!)  Also let me know if you want to see the entire clue.  I counted "Wobegon" for "Lake Wobegon," "derring-do" for "daring," and "ringmaster" for "ringleader."
     Now, I don't know what went wrong - My DVR looked like it was recording yesterday's episode, but it did not.  Grrrrrooooowwwwwwlll!  I hate it because I was home and could've watched, but I was playing Just Dance 2 at the time, unaware that the episode wasn't recording.  So it is lost to me forever. :,-(  I've missed very few episodes in my life.  Coryats for Monday: Maggie Diamond 9600    Edgar Mihelic 4200    Linda Percy 16600    Me 19400

Bale out

     Today's contestants:

Tim Wagner

Brian McEntee (Anybody think he looks like Novak Djokovic?)

Linda Percy

     Brian took down 4-time champ Mark Runsvold in an impressive win yesterday.
     This game felt like it was kicking my butt from the beginning.  I had an "uh-oh" feeling, like I wasn't in the groove.  The very first clue, in Roles in 2010 Best Picture Nominees, was rough for both me and Brian.  This was the clue: "'Irish' Micky Ward, known to turn southpaw on occasion."  Now, no explanation had been given, and Brian responded "Mark Wahlberg."  When his response was ruled incorrect, I said "Christian Bale."  The clue was a triple-stumper, and Mr. Trebek said the correct response was "The Fighter."  After Brian's interview, Mr. Trebek said: "...We didn't say that you had to go for the film.  You gave us the name of the star, Mark Wahlberg so because we made a mistake we're crediting you with a correct response."  It was perfectly reasonable that Brian would've expected to give the person playing the character.  I've counted my response wrong, even though I had the right movie, since Christian Bale played "Dicky Eklund."  (I have not seen the movie.)  Then the next clue was about a movie I've said I will not see: "Winston Churchill, Neville Chamberlain."  In fact I didn't see any of the movies in the category, and I didn't get any of the clues right.  I did watch the Oscars, but I guess it didn't help this time.
     At the first break, Brian had 2400 (once his "Mark Wahlberg" response was accepted), Linda had 1200, and Tim had 3800.  I went on to miss four in Rhyming Nicknames, and three in General Relativity, though there were some I was just a little gunshy on.  Tim found the Daily Double, the last clue of the round, in Name That Bible Guy.  He had 6800, Brian had 4800, and Linda had 2000.  Tim wagered 1000 on this clue: "He 'said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.'"  We both got it right.
     The Double Jeopardy round started a little better.  I got 4/5 in Letter Perfect, and I swept Dam It! if "Aswan Dam" is the same as "Aswan High Dam."  I can't ask on the new Jeopardy! message boards because there is no thread yet for today's episode.  If you have a comment, I'd like to see it.  This was the clue: "It supplies about 15% of Egypt's electric power."  I did find this on ask.com.
     Linda found the first Daily Double of the round in Dam It!  She had 4400, Brian had 5600, and Tim had 9400.  Linda wagered 1000 on this clue: "Norris Dam, completed in 1936, was the first dam built by this New Deal Agency."  She got it right.
     Brian found the next Daily Double a few clues later, in Paintings in the Prado.  He had 8000, Linda had 5400, and Tim had 9400.  Brian wagered 2000 on this clue: "Spaniards well represented include Velazquez and this later great, with works like 'Saturn Devouring One of His Sons.'"  Brian got it right, and I missed it.  I missed four in that category, and I missed four in Auto Tunes, Story Within a Story, and British Titles of Nobility.
     The Final Jeopardy category was Famous Americans.  The scores were close: Brian had 13600, Linda had 15800, and Tim had 16200.  This was the clue: "In 1909 he sent the message 'Stars and Stripes nailed to the pole.'"  The correct response crossed my mind, but I went with something else, unfortunately.  Brian said the same thing I did but lost nothing.  Linda got the right response and doubled her score!  Tim got it wrong and lost all but 200.  "ZergCam," a rarity, captured Linda's surprised reaction when Tim's incorrect response was revealed:

     We'll see Linda on Monday.  Despite how shaky my performance seemed, my Coryat was 19200.  I'll take it, today.  Linda's Coryat was 16400, Tim's was 16200, and Brian's was 12400.
     Coryats from earlier this week:
7-20: Zac Youngblood 15000    Maria Boyland 10800    Mark Runsvold 22200    Me 37800 (my highest ever!)
7-21: Brian McEntee 24800    Samer Ismail 6200    Mark Runsvold 16400    Me 29400

Crash Bandicoot

     Finally, I get a chance to blog about a guy who's been making waves on Jeopardy! the last few days:

Mark Runsvold (Does he not look like Nick Carter? Or Ashton Kutcher?)

Tom Vaughan (He's a plastic surgeon, and he looks a little like Hugh Jackman!)

Christine Janson (What's with the hat?)

     Today's was Mark's third game.  He went into today's episode with over $100,000!
     I swept Musical Numbers today.  By the first break, I'd only missed this triple-stumper, in Adventures in Literature: "This thriller by Richard P. Henrick is about a mutiny aboard the USS Alabama, a nuclear submarine."  At the first break, Mark and Tom each had 3000 and Christine had 400.  The next clue was the Daily Double of the round, in Massachusetts General Hospital.  Tom found it, and I remind you he is a doctor!  He wagered 2800 on this clue: "Massachusetts General is one of the first hospitals to make genetic testing standard in cancer treatment.  Robotics allow the processing of up to 96 samples at once so doctors can immediately target patients with these changes in DNA sequence."  Tom said "cancer," and was wrong.  I got this one right.
     Tom also missed this one in Celebrated on Their Birthdays, which I as a nurse got: "International Nurses Day, May 12."  He said "Clara Barton."  Mark got that one right.
     I made the same mistake Christine did on this clue in "A" before "E": "Per Virgil, he 'was the first to journey from the coasts of Troy as far as Italy and the Lavinian shores."  She ended the word with a "d" instead of an "s."
     There were 9 clues left on the board when Mr. Trebek said there was a minute to go!  Four clues remained at the end of the round, all in a category about plumbing.  Mark showed why he's been a strong champion: He led with 5200 while Christine had 800 and Tom had -400. 
     Double Jeopardy round featured a Rat Pack theme, and I swept the category called The "Rat" Pack.
     I have to be honest, I don't know what Sami is, but I have a vague idea now.  I had only one right in that category when Mark found the Daily Double there.  He had 11200, Christine had 3200, and Tom had made a comeback with 9200.  Mark wagered 3800 on this clue: "The Sami were gravely affected by this 1986 disaster as fish and livestock meat became tainted."  Mark and I got this right.
     I was impressed by Tom's Daily Double wager later in the round, and especially how fast he figured it out: There was one more 800 clue on the board.  He had 14000, Mark had 17400, and Christine had 7600.  Tom wagered 4200, which was brilliant: He would've gotten the lead of course if correct, but if he's missed, he could still miss that 800 clue and have more than half Mark's total.  The category was Joey, and this was the clue: "Seen here is a joey of this marsupial species whose name is from the Telugu word 'Pandikokku,' meaning 'pig rat.'"

     I got this one in time, but Tom missed it.  He did get the last clue of the round, giving him 10600 going into the Final.  The Final category was 19th Century Novels.  Here was the clue: "This novel's first epilogue says, 'The activity of Alexander or of Napoleon cannot be called useful or harmful.'"  I never read this, and I'm still surprised that all three contestants got it right.  Was it really that easy?  Christine added 7500 to her score.  Tom added 7000, kind of an interesting wager.  He depended on a wrong answer from Mark, and in that case he need only have wagered 3000.  As expected, Mark wagered 3801 (to beat Tom by a dollar if he doubled).  So we'll see Mark again tomorrow!
     My Coryat today was 24000.  Mark's was 15600, Tom's was 17600, and Christine's was 7600.
     Here are my Coryats from recent games:
7-14: Janet Vigen Levy 7600    Kathleen Lee 18800    Paul Barbour 13600    Me 23800
7-15: Aric Wu 9400    Mark Runsvold 27000    Kathleen Lee 10800    Me 21800
7-18: Jerry Hou 8400    Karawan Meade 8400    Mark Runsvold 27600    Me 19000
     This weekend, I got caught up on a few weekend episodes.  I played them standing up, for practice.  My mom was good enough to keep score for me, but I didn't get the impression that she loved it.  Here are the Coryat scores:
originally 3-29-10:
 Regina Robbins 6200     Manny Maldonado III 7400     Melissa Kowalski 11200     Me 13800
originally 10-23-09: Randie Kim 10000     Johnny Forrest 22000    Jaime Mahoney 7800    Me 20200
originally 10-27-09: Imran Arif Maskatia 8000   Jamison Hedin 7200   Christine Valada 16400   Me 19800

     Today's contestants:

Damian Yu

Paul Barbour (an aspiring producer!)

Sarah Powell

     At the first break, Sarah had 1800, Paul had 2400, and we thought Damian had 1400, until his interview: Mr. Trebek informed him his response of "Rocky Horror" was unacceptable for this clue in Rock of Stages: "This stage musical around since 1973 has Brad and Janet but no 'picture' in the title."  So 400 was deducted from Damian's total.  (By the way, I was hoping to see a clue about "Rock of Ages" in this category.  I haven't seen it, but I love Constantine Maroulis.)
     The Daily Double of the round was found right when Mr. Trebek seems to like them: toward the end of the round.  Three clues remained after the Daily Double.  Mr. Trebek said it was "good news" for Damian, who found it in That's Some Nerve.  He had 5200, Sarah had 2800, and Paul had 4200.  This was the clue: "The first cranial nerve, it's responsible for the sense of smell."  I got it, and so did Damian, who added 1000 to his score.  At the end of the round, Damian had 8600 while Sarah and Paul still had 2800 and 4200.
     Damian found the first Daily Double in the Double Jeopardy round, in The 13th Century.  He had 13000, Sarah still had 2800, and Paul had 7800.  Damian wagered 1200 on this clue: "In 1215 a bloody incident on this city's Ponte Vecchio began a civil war between the Guelphs and Ghibellians."  Damian answered immediately like he was sure of the answer, but he was wrong.  I missed it, too. 
     Damian found the next Daily Double in The Next Bible Book After....  In this category, I was again called upon to use my 6th grade memorization of the Old Testament books of the Bible.  Damian had 15400, Sarah still had 2800, and Paul had 10200.  Damian wagered 600 on this clue: "Joshua."  I slam-dunked this one.  Damian missed it, which started a skid for him and a run for Paul.  In fact, Paul led going into Final Jeopardy.  He had 17800, Damian had 14800, and Sarah still had 2800.  (I don't think she said anything since Damian found the Daily Double in the Jeopardy round.)  The Final category was Name the Poet.  This was the clue: "The Spirit who bideth by himself/In the land of mist and snow/He loved the bird that loved the man/Who shot him with his bow."  I didn't get this one, but all three contestants did.  Sarah added 1200, Damian added 5201, and Paul added 12000, enough to win had Damian doubled.  So we'll see him tomorrow.
     Today felt like yet another butt-kicking, though I did sweep Who Do You Think I Am? and That's Some Nerve. My Coryat was 17600.  This, as well a less-than-stellar session of answering trivia questions with my parents today, reminds me of how much work I really have to do.  I hope I can stay motivated and I hope I don't run out of time.

These are a few of My Favorite Things

     Today's contestants:

Damian Yu

Judy Neuwirth

Ian Leggin

     I too fell for the "yellowfin" trap that Damian did on this clue in & "Low" Thing": "'Colorful' favorite around the sushi bar that's also known as buri."  He found the Daily Double in the Jeopardy round, in Fear.  This was the clue: "Ergophobia."  He got it wrong, but I got it right.  I swept this category, in fact.
     I wasn't wrong today when I responded "Alabama" to this clue in National Forest States: "Tuskegee National Forest."
     At the first break, Damian had 3600, Ian had 1400, and Judy had 800.
     My Favorite Things (about the lyrics to the "Sound of Music" song) was an easy category for me!  I slam-dunked every clue.
     Were you guys surprised when the most obvious thing about Hunter S. Thompson was the fourth clue down in the category?: "Thompson created this highly personal style of journalism that shares its name with a muppet."
     At the end of the Jeopardy round, Damian had 4700, Ian had 5200, and Judy had 3400.  Judy found the first Daily Double in the Double Jeopardy round, in Small Words.  She had 6200, Damian had 10700, and Ian had 8400.  She risked only 1200 on this clue: "Derived from a 1726 novel, this adjective can describe someone very small or petty in outlook."  She and I both missed it, but it was the only one I missed in the category.
     Ian was a Wisconsin state geography bee champion, but sadly, you wouldn't have known it today.  He missed a few he should've gotten if he ever had that title, including this Daily Double in Travels of Marco Polo.  He had 8800, while Damian had 10700 and Judy had 5000.  Ian lost 2000 on this clue: "After the Polos crossed the Pamir mountains, they followed this ancient trade route that led them into China."  I thought that one was pretty easy, actually.
     Speaking of that category, I'd heard this triple-stumper recently but I think I'd have gotten it anyway: "On Sumatra, Polo saw this animal he described as a unicorn having feet like an elephant and nearly as large."  Even Mr. Trebek seemed to say, "Duh."
     My sister texted me to say she was surprised these two were triple-stumpers, both in Philosophy.  I suspect the contestants had a hunch but were afraid to pull the trigger, as was the case with me: "In 1901 Jacques Maritain vowed to do this if he didn't find the meaning of life within a year; he lived until 1973." and "The classic 'problem of the many' is this in the sky: which droplets are part of it, and where does it start and end?"
     My sister was also surprised that two people got the Final right.  Now, I just went to the movies today.  ("Super 8," and don't waste your time.)  Had I not seen a preview for this movie, I'd not have gotten this right today, I'm pretty sure.  The Final Jeopardy category was Comic Book History.  Damian had 12700, Ian had 7200, and Judy had 6200.  This was the clue: "On the cover of the 1941 first issue of this comic book, the title hero punches Hitler in the jaw."  Damian got it right, as did Ian.  Ian added 5201 and Damian added 1701, making Damian your champion again.
     My Coryat today was a disappointing 19000.  Damian's was 13200, Ian's was 9200, and Judy's was 7400.

Yu win

     I'm so happy to be blogging again!  I was around last week, but I couldn't find much to say during Kids Week.  I did play every episode standing up.  It wasn't that easy!  I got restless and just wanted to sit down.  It makes me wonder what it's like to stand for several games in a row.  I will try that next time I watch a tapeful of weekend episodes.  On a positive note, I think I developed a "stance" while holding the buzzer that works for me. 
     I did not answer every clue right in any Kids Week round.
     Today's contestants:

Christopher Stephens



Rachel Winer

Damian Yu

     The Daily Double of the Jeopardy round was found 3 clues in ("way too early" according to Mr. Trebek) by Christopher, in Colleges and Universities.  He had 400 while Damian had 200 and Rachel had -400.  Christopher wagered 1000 on this clue: "In 2010 Cam Newton became this university's third Heisman Trophy winner."  I thought Christopher gave up way too soon, but I answered too quickly, too.  He said "Ohio State," and I said "Alabama."  I bet everyone else in the country knew the correct response.

     I was pleased about The Vatican category, but I needed help on a clue in order to figure my Coryat score.  Here's the clue: "These are against the rules at the Vatican, so Benedict XVI had to leave his shorthair, Chico, back in Germany."  I responded "dogs."  I asked two of my animal-loving friends if a shorthair is even a dog, and they both said it is.  I asked the same question on the new Jeopardy! message boards, and was told that a shorthair is also a cat, and in fact Chico is a cat.  (And, Chico wrote a book!)  I've since counted my response wrong, then.
     Those same two friends were reviewing clues with me this weekend, and we covered this subject that came up in today's episode in My Son, the Doctor: "His mother, Grace, passed away in 1928, the year he observed that a certain mold inhibited bacterial growth."
     One of those two friends also happened to mention this (I need to hang out with them more often!): "This city's 'best' is a brand owned by Starbucks."  (Category Like Some Coffee?)
     The second clue with a questionable response for me was in Double Jeopardy, in Get "Set."  I said "upset" for this clue: "You suffer one when you experience a reverse or defeat."  I threw it out on the message boards, and was told by one person it was acceptable.  So I'll take it.
     At the first break, Rachel had 0, Damian had 1000, and Christopher had 2800.  At the end of the Jeopardy round, Rachel had 600, Damian had 4400, and Christopher had 6600.
     Damian found the first Daily Double of the Double Jeopardy round, in Born and Died.  He led with 11200, Rachel had 4600, and Christopher still had 6600.  He wagered 2000 on this clue: "Born in Sweden in 1833, he went out without a bang in San Remo, Italy in 1896."  I should've gotten this right, but I didn't.  Damian did.
     Damian found the next Daily Double, too, in My Son, the Doctor.  Mr. Trebek had just given the "less-than-a-minute-to-go" warning, with four clues left.  Damian had 14400, Rachel had 8200, and Christopher had 12600.  Damian wagered 1600 on this clue: "In a scene from a 2010 HBO movie, this doctor talks about his mother's long, painful last illness."  I didn't know it, but once again, Damian did.
     The Final Jeopardy category was 18th Century Quotations.  Rachel had 9400, Damian had , and Christopher had .  This was the clue: "2 yrs. before his 1794 execution, he said, 'I am no courtier, nor moderator...nor defender of the people; I am myself the people.'"  All three contestants guessed the same thing, and were wrong!  I had no guess.  It bugged me a little when Damian said the correct response after his clue was revealed but before Mr. Trebek said what it was.  Duh, Damian: Almost anyone could get it right after Mr. Trebek gave a big hint!  Anyway, Rachel lost 1000, Christopher lost 6201, and Damian lost 7601.  He finished, then, with 1599 more than Rachel, and he is your new champion.
     My Coryat was a disappointing 18800.  Rachel's was 9400, Damian's was 15600, and Christopher's was 13600.

Stand up and take notice

     Since this is Kids Week, I decided to keep things interesting for myself and try two things: Instead of keeping track of my Coryat, try my hand (foot?) at standing up while playing.  You may recall that someone had suggested that on the Jeopardy! message boards, to help an aspiring contestant build stamina.  The idea was to play several games in a row like that, but I'll watch one at a time, every day, like I normally would. 
     Also, in the past I've tried to get every single Kids Week question right in any given round, and I have not done it yet.  I'm trying that, too.
     As for the standing, it did feel really awkward.  I just wanted to flop on the couch, also during the commercial breaks.  But I'm gonna keep doing it this week.
     Today's contestants were Charlotte Scott, Aria Gerson, and Graham Doskoch.
     The first clue of the game was a triple-stumper about football.  I missed the very next clue, though: handball?  I also missed basketball, for no good reason, as well as "spoken to" and butte.  I totally said "plateau" and thought it was right.  By the way, did you guys think Mr. Trebek shouldn't have distracted Aria while she was thinking about her Daily Double?  Four clues were left in the Jeopardy round, all in the Tweets category. 
     The first clue of the Double Jeopardy round was about John Paul Jones.  I just toured the Naval Academy last week, and I'm reading a book about Jones!  Whatcha Watchin' and Go Figure messed me up in Double Jeopardy.  I got "Animal Planet," but only after Charlotte said "Animal Channel."  I also missed Bunker Hill, Benedict Arnold, and fish.
     So I think I missed four in the Jeopardy round and eight in the Double Jeopardy round.  I got the Final right, as did Graham.  The girls both guessed "Bigfoot."  Graham didn't wager anything, but he had a lock on the game.
     So we'll try this experiment tomorrow!

There's a place for us

     First, big news: A new Jeopardy! forum has been created to replace the Sony one that's been down for so long.  (Thanks, Brandon, for letting me know on Twitter!)  I haven't had a chance to look at the forum yet, but I'm eager to.  If you go, let me know what you think.
     Some thoughts on today's episode:

• I'm not sure I've heard of "Smith Barney."
• I couldn't quite pull the trigger for "C.S. Lewis," "granita," "Alba," and "of the United States."
• In Baltimore last week, I picked up "Searching for Bobby Fischer."  I've been wanting to read it but have been worried that I wouldn't learn new things as quickly as I would reading other things.  So I was pleased to see the "grandmaster" clue, but I would've gotten it anyway, I think.  By the way, if you're ever in Baltimore, check out "Book Thing."  It's a "used bookstore" that gives its books away.  Very cool.
• Like yesterday, I was a little surprised about a "be more specific," in this case "Hillary."
• I swept the "land" category.
• I was surprised by the "emeralds" triple-stumper.  I do have two sisters born in May, but I think I would've gotten it anyway.
• I was a little disappointed in all of today's low Daily Double wagers.
• Final Jeopardy was a bit of a wild guess for me, but I got it.

     I think my scores are improving overall, because I get concerned when my score is 23400 (today's, which is almost the same as yesterday's 23600).  Rachel Winer's Coryat was 15200, Ben Wong's was 14000, and Josh Cabat's was 10400.
     Next week, the dreaded (for me) Kids Week.