Pedicure-ious

      It was a busy but happy day for me that included getting my finger- and toenails done. (Emily Garber might like to know: the color is "Lubu Heels," and I love it.) I hope this doesn't gross you out:

     Can you kinda see the red glittery aspect of it? Anyway I bring this up because I often find myself at the nail place during Jeopardy!, but many times they're showing, off all things, The Weather Channel. Today? Jeopardy! I was sitting in the pedicure chair and had just gotten my fingers done, so I couldn't leave and come back. I just tried to avert my eyes and "tune out" because it was barely audible, but it wasn't working and I had to ask them to change the channel! It was kinda embarrassing but no big deal.
     So today's contestants:

Austin Baird of Provo, UT

David Menchaca of Long Beach, CA (in his best outfit yet, IMO).

Marjorie Parker of Austin, TX

     David is a four-time champ coming into today. (Don't forget: he'll be answering questions for this blog once his run is over.) I thought it a bad sign when he missed the first clue of the game, a highly gettable one in Classical Music: "J.S. Bach played a mean violin but preferred this instrument with a slightly longer body & slightly shorter name." David more than made up for it, though, responding correctly to some pretty nasty ones in this one and this one that I intend to ask him about. The list is getting so long I don't expect him to explain them all! Or maybe his Q & A will have to span two days. ;-)
     David went on to get the next three right in Classical Music, and he found the Daily Double at the end of it. He had 2600 and risked 1000. (Marjorie had gotten 2 right and had 1000; Austin had 3 right with 1 neg and 800.) This was the clue: "In 1696 John Blow, a great British composer of this musical era, wrote an ode on the death of another, Henry Purcell." I took a wild guess here since it was a Daily Double (or that's what I like to think), and I was right. David got it too! At the first break, he'd gotten 3 more right and had 4800. Marjorie had gotten 2 more right and had 1800. Austin still had 800.
     Incidentally, I loved it when Austin said during his interview, and he appeared to mean it, that he's "lucky enough to be dating the most amazing girl he knows." Aww! By the way fellas, don't propose to me the way he did to his girlfriend though, okay?
     I doubt Andy's be pleased that I guessed Montreal on this triple-stumper in I Manage: "Cito Gaston took this north of the border team to consecutive titles in 1992 and '93." I personally thought this one was easier than some of the others, but it was at 2000 and was a triple-stumper: "In every year but one from 1991 to 2005, he led the Atlanta Braves to division crowns." Marjorie said "David Justice." What?! Mr. Trebek gave the less-than-a-minute warning then, and Hershey's was the only category left. Like in the manager category, I thought this one was easier than earlier clues in the category, but it was at 2000: "Products sold under this iconic brand name include the Nutrageous bar & creamy peanut butter."
     At the end of the round, David had gotten 3 right since his Daily Double and had 6800. Marjorie had gotten 2 wrong and 6 right and had 3200. Austin had gotten 4 right and 1 wrong and had 2600.
     It was my turn to neg on the first clue of the round, this one in The League of Nations: "One of the products of the peace conference held in this city in 1919 was the covenant of the League of Nations." I knew this triple-stumper cold, in the same category: "The league dug freshwater wells in the third world & tried to eradicate this, AKA Hansen's Disease." This was Marjorie's first neg of the DJ round, but sadly, not her last. She negged on this next one but I gave the same response (same category): "In a rare success, the league decided in 1921 that the Aland Islands belonged to this country, not Sweden." I don't know about her but I was fooled by Mr. Trebek's pronunciation of "Aland" as if it began with an "o."
     David found the first Daily Double of the round in Zeus Your Daddy. He had gotten 5 right in the round, including the first two of this category, and had 10800. Marjorie had gotten 1 right and 2 wrong and had 1200. Austin had gotten 4 right and had 8200. David wagered 2500 on this clue: "Honey, it's twins! These 2 guys were often called the Dioscuri, meaning 'the sons of Zeus' (but one may have had another dad)." David teased this one out for a correct response. He had to be prompted by Mr. Trebek to respond, but he got it! He then calmly swept the category, but no one clapped. I have to be honest, I didn't notice my first time through either.
     All 3 contestants negged on this one in A Little Brit Lit: "She dedicated 'Jane Eyre' to fellow author William Makepeace Thackeray." It was kinda silly: Austin said "Austen," Marjorie tripped as she tried to say "Elizabeth Bronte," and David said "Emily Bronte." Then "Austen" was the correct response to the very next clue, and David got it: "Edmund Clerihew Bentley once rhymed, 'The novels of' this author 'are the ones to get lost in.'" Anyone else surprised this was a triple-stumper, in the same category?: "He was the 'venerable' early scholar who wrote 'The Ecclesiastical History of the English People."
     Marjorie found the next Daily Double in First Lady Michelle Obama. (Obama was reading the clues.) Marjorie had 1600. David had gotten 4 right with the 1 neg since his Daily Double, and had 20900. Austin had gotten 2 right and the 1 neg for 9400. There were 3 clues left on the board, and a lot of triple-stumpers and slow video clues may have indicated the round wouldn't finish. Marjorie wagered it all anyway on this one: "Speaking on opening night of the 2008 Democratic Convention, I noted that our meeting marked the 88th anniversary of women's suffrage & the 45th of this immortal & profoundly American speech." Poor Marjorie didn't phrase it in the form of a question anyway, but she said something like "The King speech at the Washington Monument."
     David got two of the next three, and Austin got the other, leaving Marjorie with no money at the end of the round. David had 23300 and Austin had 11000.
     The Final Jeopardy category was 2011 Musicmakers. I like this category. :-) This was the clue: "According to Billboard, the top 2 music artists of 2011 were these single-named singers, neither born in the U.S." I got one of them instantly, and the other came within seconds. The fellas got it right too. Austin added 5500 and David added 700 to become a 5-time champ. Will he become a super-champ tomorrow? You'll have to watch for yourself (sorry!) because Aaron Cappocchi's interview appears here tomorrow! Monday? Sally Greene answers questions.
     My Coryat today was 17800 (25800 without negs).
     I'm happy to have finished some GSN reruns, as I won't be able to watch any Jeopardy! for a few days and will be overwhelmed when I can get caught up - I'm off to Baltimore and on Monday, New York City! I'm planning to see Beau Henson, and cannot wait.
originally 9-29-08 (my birthday!): 18200 (25600 without negs)
originally 9-30-08: 32000 (35400 without negs) This board felt like it was made for me.
originally 10-1-08: 22800 (25600 without negs) I've been to the Newseum, but only for the finals of the National History Bowl last year.