TOSSUPS – GRAND LARSONY



TOSSUPS – THE CURIOUS GERBIL OF BENJAMIN BUTTON TRASHMASTERS 2008 – UTC

Questions by Mark Coen, Chris Rosenberg, Greg Sorenson and James Quintong

1. This two-word phrase is the on-air brand of KDND 107.9 in Sacramento, as well as 107.7 KNDD, Seattle. In a 2006 book by this name, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire discover their family history on an unnamed island, and are finally are rid of Count Olaf. In film, it's the title of a 1978 movie directed by and starring Burt Reynolds. It's also the title of Track 16 of Abbey Road, which asks, "Are you going to be in my dreams tonight?" as well as track 11 of The Doors' self-titled debut; a song which Francis Ford Coppola notably used in the opening scenes of Apocalypse Now. FTP, give this phrase which would not be found in the middle or beginning of this question.

Answer: The End

2. Among its stories not yet filmed are "Strawberry Spring" and "Gray Matter."  "The Ledge" and "Quitters, Inc." were filmed for the anthology Cat's Eye, while "The Woman In The Room" and "Sometimes They Come Back" were shot as features. "Trucks" has been shot twice; once as a 1997 TV movie starring Timothy Busfield, and in 1986 as the author-directed Maximum Overdrive. "The Mangler," "The Lawnmower Man," and "Children of the Corn," appear in, FTP, what 1978 collection of short stories by Stephen King?

Answer: Night Shift

3. She lost her son to illness when he was 12, and nearly died herself in the episode "Live Alone and Like It" due to an accidental overdose of arthritis medication. She kept her retired husband, Gil, on ice for nearly a decade after he died so she could continue to receive his pension checks. Her house collapsed during a tornado, killing her best friend, Ida Greenberg, but she was at least able to honor Ida’s last wishes by spreading her ashes on a local baseball field. Also on the plus side, her ratting out of Bree Van de Kamp helped her stave off alcoholism, and she prevented Edie Britt's fake suicide from becoming real. Now Edie's husband David is trying to get people to think she's suffering from dementia. This is some of the twisted life of, FTP, what elderly resident of Wisteria Lane played by Kathryn Joosten on Desperate Housewives?

Answer: Karen McCluskey

4. A member of the Manatee East Little League Team that was runner-up in the 1997 Little League World Series, he was the 12th player drafted in the 2003 amateur draft. When he reached the major leagues in 2006, he was the youngest player in baseball. His first major league home run came in the bottom of the 10th to tie a game with the Giants, and his high-fiving of fans gave him the reputation of a hot dog. Traded by the Mets for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider after the 2007 season, he has yet to show his flashes of brilliance are worth the lack of fundamental skills. FTP, name this Nationals outfielder, so named because his mother decided she would have no more children.

Answer: Lastings Milledge

5. A small Illinois town is mysteriously destroyed and all inhabitants are missing. Investigative reporter Audrey Aimes follows the story to a lab run by Dr. Ed Wainwright. The two discover that the town was destroyed by grasshoppers that had grown exponentially after feeding on radioactive wheat. The grasshoppers then menace some very realistic postcards of Chicago before Wainwright, played by Peter Graves, gets them to drown themselves in Lake Michigan while chasing a motorboat broadcasting a cricket mating call.  A sixth season victim of Mystery Science Theater 3000, FTP, name this 1957 sci-fi movie, whose title refers to what could be the start of the elimination of mankind.

Answer: The Beginning of the End

6. The namesake of an asteroid discovered in 1995 by Petr Pravec and Lenka Sarounova, he would contemplate retirement in 1999 after his team lost the Stanley Cup finals, a move that would further alienate him with teammates already mad about his role in the ouster of coach Ted Nolan. He would retire in 2002 after winning the Cup with a different team, but return in 2004, only to see that season mostly lost to injury. He'd then join Ottawa as a free agent, only to return to his previous team the next season, and would win his second Cup two years later as the second-oldest player in the league. Along the way he also won a 1998 Olympic gold medal, six Vezina Trophies and two Hart Trophies as league MVP. Name, FTP, this "dominating" Czech goalie who won both of his Cups with the Detroit Red Wings.

Answer: Dominik Hasek

7. This color's most well-known institutional user represents it with hexadecimal FFCC33 on the Web, and in print with Pantone 143 or 129 depending on paper coating. Of the eight colors retired from the standard box of Crayola crayons in 1990, it was the only shade with a one-word name. In quizbowl, its namesake "pages" refer to a resource portal including a directory of teams and organizations.  FTP, name this shade of yellow which, with blue, are the colors of the University of Michigan.

Answer: Maize

8. The name's the same, first and last. One, a womanizing tennis pro in Dunn's River, Connecticut, was found murdered in 1978. Jessica Tate was convicted at the time, but the true killer's identity was the cliffhanger of the season-one finale. The other is first seen in 1960 jockeying for position at Sterling Cooper and leaving his own bachelor party for a booty call with new secretary Peggy Olson.  FTP, give the name shared by these two television characters, the first played by Robert Urich on Soap, the second by Vincent Kartheiser on Mad Men.

Answer: Peter Campbell

9. Reissues of this band's catalog were issued in spring and summer 2008, and included rarities such as "A Toe Needs A Shoe" and "If Only You Were Lonely," but the news was tempered by the death of second drummer Steve Foley.  The song "The Last" fittingly turned out to be the final track on their final studio album, 1990's "All Shook Down", though they did reunite to record two new songs, "Pool & Dive" and "Message to the Boys," for the 2006 compilation album, "Don't You Know Who I Think I Was?" FTP, name this Minneapolis indie band led by Paul Westerberg, best known for 1984's Let It Be and its single, "I Will Dare."

Answer: The Replacements

10. It was announced at a press conference led by Pete Estes, who told those assembled that they were all members of the Society to Extinguish Panthers from the Automotive World. Originally designated the XP-836, reporters who asked what its name meant were told that it stood for "a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs."  Unveiled in 1966 to make up for sales lost by the discredited Corvair, it would be based on the F-body platform during its entire initial run. Its third generation unveiled the most changes, including a hatchback model and the sportier IROC-Z variant. Retired in 2002 due to low sales, it was unretired for the 2009 model year, and this fifth generation will replace the first-gen model that was used to portray Bumblebee in the 2007 Transformers movie. Name, FTP, this revived pony car from Chevrolet.

Answer: Chevrolet Camaro

11. David Wills calls himself one of these when performing as a member of Negativland, and a 2005 Gore Verbinski film starring Nicolas Cage has one as its titular character. Real life examples include Enron CEO Jeff Skilling's brother Tom; Pat Sajak before getting gameshow gigs, and David Letterman. Fictional ones include Ron Burgundy's sidekick Brick Tamland, and Harris K. Telemacher, played by Steve Martin in LA Story. FTP, name this broadcasting position best exemplified by Willard Scott or Tom Roker, the colloquial term for male meteorologists.

Answer: weathermen (acc. singular or plural, prompt on meteorologist but do not accept it; the first clue is very specific)

12. His first stab at head coaching was a brief six-game interim gig with the Calgary Stampeders in 1976. He started making a name for himself as offensive coordinator at Washington State from 1987-90, where he helped mentor Drew Bledsoe. That led to a six-year run as Wyoming's head coach, where he won 10 games in 1996 thanks to his innovative high-powered offense. He took that "basketball on grass" spread offense to the Big Ten in 1997, reviving a former power house and earning 10 bowl bids in 12 years before turning the reins of power to Danny Hope. FTP, name this recently retired head coach at Purdue. 

Answer: Joe Tiller

13. In it we learn that the title character owns a restaurant named for his wife, who died of cancer in 2002. He is drawn to the climactic event of the movie due to several things, including a strained relationship with his son, played by Milo Ventimiglia, and a computer simulation of the event run by a cable network. That event, a fight for charity in Las Vegas, is against Mason "The Line" Dixon, the reigning heavyweight champ whose popularity has faded due to fighting a string of tomato cans. Not sure how a bout with a 60 year old would help. This is the very basic plot of, FTP, what series-ending film that shares the name of its main character, played by director Sylvester Stallone?

Answer: Rocky Balboa

14. A bonus track on its album's 1992 release, it would get listed on the 2001 re-release and is still its final track. Among the people named in the song is Mandy May, an apparently underage woman who the singer has relations with, resulting in six months behind bars. Trina recorded a reponse song in 2000, while Lil' John included a version on Crunk Juice, but it’s best known for the cover that was retired after this year's Bonnaroo festival, only to be unretired at Glastonbury two weeks later. This cover hit the Billboard Hot 100 after being made the B side of "Landed," a single from Songs for Silverman. Calling out Eazy-E as one of the title people, name, FTP, this song first appearing on Dr. Dre's The Chronic but more widely known as a Ben Folds live performance staple.

Answer: Bitches Ain't Shit

15. It was the first in its series to feature a soundtrack not solely created by Nobuo Uematsu, and was the title that saw the Active Time Battle system replaced by the Conditional Turn-Based Battle system. It also marked the series' first foray into 3D backgrounds and voice actors, and the replacement of experience points with a Sphere Grid that allows for less linear character improvement. Taking place on the planet Spira, it features the blitzball player Tidus, who leads a group to defeat the creature Sin, whose cycle of death and rebirth leads to the repeated destruction of cities on Spira. This is some of the background of, FTP, what entry into a long-running video game series by Square Enix?

Answer: Final Fantasy X

 

16. In reality, it names a group of vacation cottages along Stanley Lake in Iron River, Michigan. In its most well-known iteration, its motto is "Living has no limits" and is located just north of St. Augustine, Florida. Among its denizens are Mabel Choate, who moved from New York after she was mugged for a marble rye, and fitness freak Izzy Mandelbaum. Frank and Estelle Costanza lived here briefly despite being told there no units available here, while an incident walking barefoot in the clubhouse cost Kramer a shot at being its president. FTP, name this retirement community that was a home to Morty and Helen Seinfeld.

Answer: Del Boca Vista

17. A founding member of the Screen Actors Guild, she was a favorite of James Whale, but a lack of starring roles caused her to retire from the movies in 1946, focusing on making decoupage furniture and oil painting. She would return to the screen 30 years later in a TV movie about Lizzie Borden, and would get back to the big screen in 1982's My Favorite Year, where she danced with Peter O'Toole but had no lines. She made her last film appearance in Wim Wender's Land of Plenty, but would be best known for a 1997 role that saw her snag her first Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG Award nods, of which she only shared the last with the winner of the other two, Kim Basinger. Name, FTP, this actress who hit the big time as an 89-year-old playing 101 year-old Rose Calvert in Titanic.

Answer: Gloria Stuart

18. This person's "Machete" blog claims "Ockham had his razor. He shaved with Delicacy. I Sever with Blunt Force." It's been dormant since February 2008, so it didn't cover his June comeback win over Orlando Jordan to claim the NWE belt, but has lots to say about Vince McMahon, who unsuccessfully claimed to own the rights to this character's makeup and persona. FTP, name this wrestler from Parts Unknown, who defeated Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania IV for the heavyweight title, and legally changed his name from Jim Hellwig.

Answer: The Ultimate Warrior

19. Among the final recipients were George C. Scott, Glenn Close, Alfre Woodard, Judd Apatow, Sandra Oh, Emeril Lagasse, and Kel Mitchell. The first time they were awarded on television was in 1982, when Cloris Leachman hosted at the Beverly Theater in Los Angeles. The 1983 broadcast on WTBS was interrupted by a backstage fire. Paula Poundstone was the first woman to win one for stand-up comedy. FTP, name this goofy 9-inch silver spade statuette on a black base, first awarded by the National Cable Television Association, then by the National Academy of Cable Programming, and last awarded in 1997.

Answer: Cable ACE Awards

20. Derived from a 1961 composition by Paul Leka and Dale Frashuer, it was originally recorded to be a B-side for a single by Gary DeCarlo, who sings lead vocals on the song. However, the original recording would be attributed to a fictional band whose name came from an incident with a manhole the day the song was recorded. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts in December 1969 but it wouldn't become a pop cultural icon until 1977, when Comiskey Park organist Nancy Faust used it during White Sox games when an opposing pitcher was taken out or the home team was going to win a game. FTP, name this now staple song of sporting events performed by Steam.

Answer: Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye

21. says the cocktail version of it is Absolut Mandarin, soda, and cranberry juice, while Wikipedia says it's vodka, Kahlua, and orange liqueur. Friendly's restaurants offer sundaes with this name. Kristy McNichol sings of her desire for one "every time" in the finale of The Pirate Movie. Avril Lavigne regrets the loss of hers in a 2004 Top-10 song, lamenting "All the memories so close to me just fade away / All this time you were pretending." Baz Lurhmann's Australia is said to have a traditional form of this now, thanks to studio pressure. Larry David procures yet another kind of one for his dad, Nat, in a Season 6 Curb Your Enthusiasm episode, but Nat ends up falling in love with the "giver."  FTP, give this two-word phrase most commonly referring to non-tragic plot resolution or a handjob during a massage.

Answer: Happy Ending

22. It is based on a novel by Louis Begley, in which the title character is a lawyer living on Long Island. Like the book, the movie does feature the main character's daughter’s marriage to a man he doesn't approve of, but in the film he's waterbed salesman and pyramid schemer Randall Hertzel.  Also like the book, the main character loses his long-time spouse, but in the movie it comes the day after retiring from his job as an actuary for Woodmen of the World, sparking his solo Winnebago journey from Omaha to Denver for the wedding, during which we only learn of his internal struggles through the letters he writes to a Tanzanian boy he "adopted" through Childreach. Featuring Hope David, Dermott Mulroney and Kathy Bates, this is, FTP, what 2002 movie that saw Jack Nicholson land his 12th - and most recent - Oscar nomination?

Answer: About Schmidt

BONI – THE CURIOUS GERBIL OF BENJAMIN BUTTON TRASHMASTERS 2008 – UTC

Questions by Mark Coen, Chris Rosenberg, Greg Sorenson and James Quintong

1. This year’s presidential election was about change, and so is this question. Answer the following vaguely related questions for 10 points each.

a. In this 1990 black comedy, Grimm, Phyllis and Loomis successfully and rather easily rob a New York City bank. During their getaway, their car gets destroyed, a psychotic bus driver demands exact change only, they rip off the mob and Loomis jumps off a moving bus before they board a plane bound for South America that also has a mob boss on board.

Answer: Quick Change

b. Don Ameche plays Gino, a Chicago shoe-shiner who looks like a mafia don and gets paid off to take the fall for a murder. Joe Mantegna plays Jerry the small time hood who is supposed to keep an eye on him, but takes him to a Lake Tahoe casino, where wacky antics ensue.

Answer: Things Change

c. Ben Affleck plays a lawyer and Samuel L. Jackson plays an insurance salesman who collide on FDR Drive in New York. Affleck leaves Jackson stranded so he loses custody of his children. Jackson won’t return a file Affleck needs. Road rage runs amok and wacky antics ensue.

Answer: Changing Lanes

2. With so many mavericks in the race, one question just wasn’t enough. Answer the following questions FTPE.

A. This small forward led UCLA to the Championship Game, losing to Louisville, and in 1980 became the first player drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the 11th pick. He refused to sign, forcing a trade to the Denver Nuggets where he became a two-time All-Star before moving on to the Portland Trailblazers, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers.

Answer: Kiki Vandeweghe

B. This University of Michigan star was selected as the 7th overall pick in 1986, and made the All-Rookie Team, kicking off a career that seemed destined for greatness. Unfortunately, he couldn’t lay off the smack, and was banned from the league for life in 1991. In 1994, he apparently died, as he was reinstated, before again being bounced for failing the league’s drug policies and was reduced to trolling for jobs with various Greek professional teams and the CBA’s Michigan Mayhem.

Answer: Roy Tarpley

C. Drafted 9th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks and traded immediately to the Mavericks, this 7-time All Star set the team’s all-time scoring record with 16,644 points in his first 743 games.

Answer: Dirk Nowitzki

3. Don't call it a comeback; I been here for years. Rockin' my peers and puttin' suckas in fear. FTPE:

a. Those lyrics are the opening lines from what Grammy-winning 1990 LL Cool J single, the title track from his fourth album?

Answer: Mama Said Knock You Out

b. LL released this, his final album for Def Jam, in September 2008. It features the singles "Baby" and "Feel My Heart Beat", and its title refers to the number of albums LL recorded for the label.

Answer: Exit 13

c. LL starred in this sitcom for two seasons on NBC and three more on UPN from 1995 to 1999.

Answer: In the House

4. FTPE, name these brands of Coke that have been retired.

a. Coke's response to the low carb trend was this brand, which was sweetened with Ace-K, sucralose, aspartame and high fructose corn syrup, resulting in it having half of the sugar, carbs and calories as standard Coke.

Answer: Coca-Cola C2

b. This coffee-flavored brand that also had reduced calories - but nearly twice the caffeine as regular Coke - was discontinued earlier this year due to, not surprisingly, low demand for a coffee-flavored cola.

Answer: Coca-Cola Blak

c. When Coke phased out Vanilla Coke and renamed Cherry Coke in 2005, it rolled out this product the next year to fill an expected gap. When Coke determined that consumers really just wanted Vanilla Coke back, they phased this hybrid brand out during Vanilla Coke's 2007 relaunch.

Answer: Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla

5. TV shows that, as the saying goes, may or may not be related FTPE.

A. Airing from 1975 to 1989, this ABC soap focused an Irish-American family who ran a bar on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, with most of the stories focusing on the family’s aspirations and dreams. And a gorilla that kidnapped a girl and a search for a missing Egyptian queen.

Answer: Ryan's Hope

B. A down-to-earth happily married mother of three living in Glen Falls, Ohio reluctantly takes in her actress sister who has just been killed off of the soap opera The Sacred and the Sinful. Faith Ford and Kelly Ripa kept this on the air for three seasons despite the presence of Ted McGinley

Answer: Hope & Faith

C. Set in Pittsburgh, this sitcom starred Cynthia Stevenson as the annoyingly perky producer of The Dennis Dupree Show and Jessica Lundy as her best friend, a brassy hairdresser with a 5-year old son. Alan Thicke co-starred as Dupree.

Answer: Hope & Gloria

6. In my day, videogames didn't have final bosses; we just played the same screen over and over until we died. Identify the video game from their finales, FTPE:

A. After defeating Jeane to attain the top assassin's ranking, Travis Touchdown faces his twin brother Henry in this rated-M Wii game.

Answer: No More Heroes

B. After clearing all the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame level songs, you get to play an encore of "The Train Kept A-Rollin'"

Answer: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

C. In this pre-Halo first-person shooter by Bungie, your forces attempt to dispose of Balor's head. Soulblighter is making things difficult for you, though, and returns to get his name in the sequel.

Answer: Myth: The Fallen Lords

7. FTPE, name these things you may need around the house once you've retired.

a. Founded in 1987, this wireless call button usually worn around the neck vaulted to pop culture fame with ads in which an elderly person had fallen and couldn't get up. Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop is a spokesperson and user.

Answer: Life Alert

b. June Allyson is the best-known shill for these adult diapers, which were introduced in 1980.

Answer: Depend(s)

c. You'll also want a policy from this company represented on SNL by Sam Waterson, as for $4 a month they'll cover anyone over the age of 50 for injuries sustained in a robot attack.

Answer: Old Glory Insurance

8. Some people go out with The Dark Knight; some get stuck with Transformers: The Movie. Identify the cinematic swan songs, FTPE:

a. This writer-director-costar of Waitress was killed months before her film's debut at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.

Answer: Adrienne Shelly

b. Her last movie work was as the voice of Yubaba in the English version of Spirited Away, but she was best known for TV sitcom work, garnering Emmy nominations as Emily Hartley.

Answer: Suzanne Pleshette

c. After appearing in the first two films in the series, this actor was replaced by Michael Gambon in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Answer: Richard Harris

9. In case you were in a coma this year, they closed Yankee Stadium in a quiet, understated manner. Answer the following questions about the finale for the stated number of points.

a. FFPE, these Yankees teammates made the last start and threw the last pitch in stadium history. The starter won his 215th career game - 178 with the Yanks - while the closer did not earn his 483rd save.

Answer: Andy Pettite, Mariano Rivera

FTP, this infielder was the last Yankee to bat in the stadium, grounding out to end the eighth inning and go 0-for-5.

Answer: Derek Jeter

c. FTP, although his ‘stache was not supported sufficiently to make the All-Star Game, this Yankee first baseman recorded the last hit in stadium history.

Answer: Jason Giambi

10. While it hit number one in eight other countries, it could only manage a top 10 Billboard spot in 1986 for the band Europe. FTPE:

a. Name this song, the biggest hit and title track of the band's third album.

Answer: The Final Countdown

b. "The Final Countdown" bumped this Berlin song from the Top Gun soundtrack when it became the UK's number one single.

Answer: Take My Breath Away

c. "The Final Countdown" got a pop culture boost when it was used as the introduction music for this character's magic act on Arrested Development.

Answer: G.O.B. (JOBE) or George Bluth II

11. First uttered in its current form by Chevy Chase in 1975, it's similar to John Daly's signoff in the 1950s. FTPE,

A. Give this seven-word phrase following "That's the news," the best-known signoff on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update segment.

Answer: Good Night and Have a Pleasant Tomorrow

b. "Good Night and Good News" was Ted Baxter's signoff on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. This SNL castmember, a relative of a previous castmember, cribbed it when hosting Weekend Update in 1981-82, then called SNL Newsbreak.

Answer: Brian Doyle-Murray

c. Complete this catchphrase another anchor, Dennis Miller, used to close Weekend Update: “That’s the news and…”

Answer: “I am outta here!”

12. Game over, man, Game over. Answer these questions about game-ending conditions in boardgames, 10PE.

a. The current version of this Milton Bradley game is much less harsh than the 1960s version, as losers can now retire to "Countryside Acres"  instead of the Dickensian "Poor Farm".

Answer: The Game of Life

b. Winning Moves now publishes this variant of Go-Moku, in which the object is to place five stones in a straight line or capture five pairs of opponent's stones.

Answer: Pente

c. This Avalon Hill game designed by Sid Sackson may end when all corporations on the board are 11 tiles or larger, *or* when one reaches 41 tiles or larger. Final dividend payouts then take place.

Answer: Acquire

13. Answer these questions about the living dead, FTP:

a, Played by Nick Frost, this best friend of Shaun ends up shackled in the garden shed playing PS2 in Shaun of the Dead.

Answer: Ed

b. This titular Xbox character can possess people, throw exploding entrails, and can use his detached head as a weapon in this 2005 game, subtitled "Rebel Without a Pulse."

Answer: Stubbs the Zombie

c. In this Jonathan Coulton song, Bob, the jerk from down the hall, throws a lot of office buzzwords at Tom, while insisting "we're not unreasonable; I mean, no one's gonna eat your eyes."

Answer: Re: Your Brains

14. Identify these possibly-related things FTPE:

a. Hallelujah, AKA Holly; Charlemagne, and Gideon are characters appearing in songs such as "How a Resurrection Really Feels," "Crucifixion Cruise," and "Killer Parties" by this Craig Finn-led band whose latest album is Stay Positive.

Answer: The Hold Steady

b. This singer/actress's fourth CD, 2005's Rebirth, hit #2 in the US and featured the singles "Get Right" and "Hold You Down."

Answer: Jennifer Lopez

c. "Ballad of a Comeback Kid" is one of three songs by Dan Bejar on Electric Version, the second album by this Canadian group featuring Carl Newman and occasionally Neko Case.

Answer: New Pornographers

15. FTSNOP, answer these questions about athletes who have unretired.

a. In week 10 of the NFL season, the New York Jets and Detroit Lions both started quarterbacks who had unretired. FFPE, name them.

Answer: Brett Favre, Daunte Culpepper

b. FTP, this boxer unretired in 2007 to fight Ricky Hatton, which he won by TKO to retain his WBC welterweight championship belt. He would retire again this past June.

Answer: Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

c. Recently namedropped on an episode of Chuck, this five-time Stanley Cup winner came back with the Rangers and Nordiques from 1988 to 1991. He remains Montreal's all-time leading scorer.

Answer: Guy Lafleur

16. FTPE, name these dinosaurs.

a. Brought to you by the same people who gave us Voltron, this "last" dinosaur taught Jeremy and his multicultural band of chums about ecology and friendship while they taught him to skateboard and protected him from concert promoter Martin Fizzback, who wanted to capture him and go on tour.

Answer: Denver

b. This radiated pteranodon was often pitted against Godzilla, but would also ally with him to fight off greater threats, such as King Ghidorah. He can create hurricane-force winds when he flies, has strong wings and talons, and later had some sort of atomic breath.

Answer: Rodan (also accept Radon, his original Japanese name)

c. This Dilbert character gives wedgies to the deserving, has a wife named Dawn and a son Rex. He once claimed to be a thesaurus.

Answer: Bob

17. Name these things that aren't in Las Vegas any more, FTPE:

a. In financial trouble upon its opening in 2000, this desert-themed casino became the Planet Hollywood in 2007.

Answer: Aladdin

b. Debt and union problems forced this Fremont Street casino's sale to Harrah's. While still open under a family name and called a "Gambling Hall," Harrah's took the million-dollar display, the World Series of Poker, and the rights to this "lucky" brand.

Answer: Binion's Horseshoe (prompt on Binion's)

c. On the TV show Vega$, Dan Tanna was the house detective at this resort. Its golf course was redesigned and is now part of the Wynn Las Vegas.

Answer: Desert Inn

18. Despite hasty organization, his comeback special revitalized his career in the face of a threat from Gabbo. FTPE:

a. Name this character on The Simpsons, the son of the rabbi at Temple Beth Springfield, voiced by Dan Castallanetta. 

Answer: Krusty the Clown or Herschel Krustofsky

b. As a human cannonball on the comeback special, this "worthless half-brother's" trajectory was through a window, into a sandpaper factory, into jars of acid, then finally into a pillow factory before it's blown up. 

Answer: "Sideshow" Luke Perry

c. The Red Hot Chili Peppers being asked to change lyrics in "Give It Away" was reminiscent of The Rolling Stones and The Doors being asked to change lyrics during performances on what CBS variety show, which ran from 1948 to 1971?

Answer: The Ed Sullivan Show [EDITOR’S NOTE: The Stones acquiesced, the Doors didn’t.]

19. "Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in."  FTPE:

a. What character speaks this line in The Godfather: Part III?

Answer: Michael Corleone (prompt on last name)

b. Michael is pulled back into Mafia business by this illegitimate nephew, whose brutal retribution against the family's enemies lead Michael to cede power over the family to him.

Answer: Vincent Mancini (accept either name)

c. Michael's final break with his criminal past comes after a botched assassination attempt against him that leads to the death of this woman, his daughter, played by Sofia Coppola, after which he would retire to Sicily and die alone.

Answer: Mary Corleone (prompt on last name)

20. She announced a retirement in 2000, but picked up the pen again with 2002's Quentins. FTPE:

a. Name this female-friendly Irish novelist whose post-unretirement work also includes Nights of Rain and Stars and Whitethorne Woods.

Answer: Maeve Binchey

b. Binchy is best known for this 1990 novel turned into a 1995 movie starring Minnie Driver and Chris O'Donnell.

Answer: Circle of Friends

c. Binchy's latest book, which shares its name with a beginner's piano piece, centers around cardiac specialist Clara Casey, who has to juggle two grown daughters, her ex-husband, a new job and a cast of characters including a new doctor named Declan and a Father Brian Flynn, whose reputation has been threatened.

Answer: Heart and Soul

 

21. Those HBO moms are some baaad mother (shut your mouth!) Just talkin' 'bout moms on HBO series, FTPE. Can you dig it?

A. Living up to her name, this scheming matriarch played by Nancy Marchand put a hit on Tony before having a stroke in the Sopranos Season 1 finale.

Answer: Livia Soprano

B. The real-life character was never involved with Mark Antony, but Polly Walker's character on Rome forced daughter Octavia to divorce, then pimped her out to Pompey. 

Answer: Atia of the Julii

C. This Tilghman Middle School student and son of Wee-Bey was sent to sling drugs on the corner by his mom, De'Londa, after the Barksdale organization cuts them off. He's eventually taken in by Bunny Colvin. 

Answer: Namond Brice

22. Answer these questions about Broadway shows that dimmed their marquees for good in 2008 FTPE:

a. Woody Allen vet Tony Roberts played Sonny Malone in this adaptation of a 1980 film. On-stage audience seating and additional Electric Light Orchestra songs couldn't keep this show from closing in in 15 months.

Answer: Xanadu

b. For three months, Hank Azaria starred as television's inventor in The Farnsworth Invention, a pet project from this screenwriter and TV showrunner.

Answer: Aaron Sorkin

c. This show finally left the Nederlander Theatre after 12 years, a 2005 film adaptation directed by Chris Columbus, and a good skewering in Team America: World Police.

Answer: Rent

23. Hey, Lance Armstrong is back!  Better have your specimen cups handy. FTPE:

a. Armstrong's return will be with the Astana team, which has caused friction with this rider, the team's leader who won the 2007 Tour de France and the tours of Italy and Spain in 2008, only the third rider ever to win both races in the same year.

Answer: Alberto Contador

b. While he has stated he is returning specifically to win the Tour de France, Armstrong will first ride with Astana in a stage race in January 2009 in this country, home to riders Baden Cooke and Robbie McEwen, the first UCI ProTour event held outside of continental Europe.

Answer: Australia

c. Among Armstrong's pre-Astana race schedule was the Tour de Gruene, a small race held, appropriately for him, in this state.

Answer: Texas

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