Opening Day in America!

Time for that seminal rite of spring, Opening Day for Baseball!  Thanks to George Will and the Washington Post for reminding us what really counts right now - at least until October.

"There'll be two buses leaving the hotel for the park tomorrow.

The 2 o'clock bus will be for those of you who need a little extra work.

The empty bus will leave at 5 o'clock."

— Dave Bristol, Milwaukee Brewers manager, 1972

Everyone needs extra work to prepare for the season. [answers below (full disclosure - I got only 14 right)]

1. Name the fourth player (the others are Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays) with a career .300 average, 500 home runs and 100 stolen bases.

• Mark McGwire
• Reggie Jackson
• Albert Pujols
• Harmon Killebrew

2. Name the player that played in the most wins.

• Cal Ripken Jr.
• Pete Rose
• Hank Aaron
• Brooks Robinson

3. Name the last player to get 3,000 hits without winning a batting title.

• Ichiro Suzuki
• Derek Jeter
• Rafael Palmeiro
• Craig Biggio

4. Who got 30 homers and 100 RBIs in a season for five different teams?

• Xavier Nady
• Bobby Bonds
• Alfonso Soriano
• Gary Sheffield

5.  Which player struck out three times in a game just once in 13 seasons?

• Joe DiMaggio
• Tony Gwynn
• Ozzie Smith
• Ozzie Guillen

6. Who hit .461 at home but .286 on the road?

• Roberto Alomar
• Gil Hodges
• Larry Walker
• Carl Yastrzemski

7. Who was the last person to enter September batting over .400?

• Daniel Murphy
• George Brett
• Jeff Bagwell
• Rod Carew

8. What player led his league in hits for three different teams?

• Juan Pierre
• Napoleon Lajoie
• Willie Keeler
• Paul Molitor

9. Who hit .408 in a season but lost the batting title?

• Shoeless Joe Jackson
• Ty Cobb
• George Sisler
• Ted Williams

10. Who hit at least 40 doubles in 10 seasons?

• Stan Musial
• Tris Speaker
• Wade Boggs
• Harry Heilman

11. Who was the first 40-year-old with a 100-RBI season?

• Willie Mays
• Dave Winfield
• Andres Galarraga
• Edgar Martinez

12. Which player is the most recent to win consecutive MVP awards?

• Alex Rodriguez
• Albert Pujols
• Miguel Cabrera
• Mike Trout

13. Who had the most career homers (399) without a 30-homer season?

• Al Kaline
• Andres Galarraga
• Dale Murphy
• Joe Carter

14. Who has the highest career batting average among players with at least 300 homers?

• Rogers Hornsby
• Lou Gehrig
• Babe Ruth
• Ted Williams

15. Who is the only non-Yankee with 500 home runs and three championships?

• David Ortiz
• Ted Williams
• Albert Pujols
• Jimmie Foxx

16. Who are the four right-handed hitters to lead the major leagues in hitting at least three times?

• Rogers Hornsby, Napoleon Lajoie, Roberto Clemente, Miguel Cabrera
• Tommy Davis, Roberto Clemente, Wade Boggs, Tony Gwynn
• Rogers Hornsby, Tommy Davis, Roberto Clemente, Miguel Cabrera
• Napoleon Lajoie, Tommy Davis, Wade Boggs, Miguel Cabrera

17. Who are the two pitchers to have 300 more strikeouts than walks (not counting intentional walks) in a season?

• Bob Feller and Nolan Ryan
• Sandy Koufax and Nolan Ryan
• Bob Feller and Randy Johnson
• Sandy Koufax and Randy Johnson

18. Which player was the only batter to average 200 hits per season in his first 14 seasons?

• Ichiro Suzuki
• Paul Waner
• Pete Rose
• Derek Jeter

19. Who holds the career record for doubles?

• Carl Yastrzemski
• Ty Cobb
• Tris Speaker
• Stan Musial

20.  Who are the three pairs of rookies of the year who were later enshrined in Cooperstown?

• Luis Aparicio and Frank Robinson, Tom Seaver and Rod Carew, Andre Dawson and Eddie Murray
• Willie McCovey and Don Drysdale, Tom Seaver and Rod Carew, Luis Aparicio and Tony Kubek
• Luis Aparicio and Tony Kubek, Andre Dawson and Eddie Murray, Don Drysdale and Brooks Robinson
• Don Drysdale and Brooks Robinson, Luis Aparicio and Frank Robinson, Andre Dawson and Eddie Murray

21. Who holds the record for most four-strikeout games?

• Ryan Howard
• Reggie Jackson
• Adam Dunn
• Pete Incaviglia

22. Who struck out in a record 37 consecutive games in a single season?

• Brad Hawpe
• Jarrod Saltalamacchia
• Adam Dunn
• Aaron Judge

23. What player was the first to win three MVP awards?

• Carl Hubbell
• Jimmie Foxx
• Stan Musial
• Roy Campanella

24. Who are the two third basemen with 500 home runs?

• Eddie Matthews and Mike Schmidt
• Eddie Matthews and Mel Ott
• Jim Thome and Mike Schmidt
• Mike Schmidt and Ernie Banks

25. Who was the first player to get 3,000 hits in the 20th century?

• Eddie Collins
• Napoleon Lajoie
• Honus Wagner
• Ty Cobb

26. What player had 999 walks with three starts to go in his career and did not reach 1,000?

• Greg Maddux
• Jim Bunning
• Jim Perry
• Fergie Jenkins

27. Who were the only two players to bat cleanup in a World Series at age 20?

• Ty Cobb and Miguel Cabrera
• Andruw Jones and Raul Mondesi
• Miguel Cabrera and Andruw Jones 
• Ty Cobb and Raul Mondesi

28. Who led his league in RBIs in 2014 while batting second?

• Mike Trout
• Rickey Henderson
• Chase Utley
• Johnny Damon

29. Although not in the Hall of Fame until 2017, what player reached base more than Jeff Bagwell, Roberto Clemente and Tony Gwynn and had five seasons with at least 30 doubles and 70 stolen bases (Ty Cobb had only three)?

• Tim Raines
• Craig Biggio
• Alan Trammell
• Shoeless Joe Jackson

30. What player is the only player with at least 100 triples, 150 homers and 600 stolen bases?

• Kenny Lofton
• Honus Wagner
• Rickey Henderson
• Tim Raines

31. Who was the only 300-game winner between the world wars?

• Carl Hubbell
• Lefty Grove
• Ted Lyons
• Wait Hoyte

32. What pitcher threw a no-hitter with no walks and 17 strikeouts?

• Don Wilson
• Max Scherzer
• Nolan Ryan
• Warren Spahn

33. Who scored the most World Series runs?

• Derek Jeter
• Yogi Berra
• Mickey Mantle
• Roger Marris

34. Who was the first White Sox player to be named MVP?

• Nellie Fox
• Dick Allen
• Luke Appling
• Eddie Collins

35. Who won 25 or more games three times in the 1960s but never won a Cy Young award?

• Sam McDowell
• Denny McLain
• Bob Gibson
• Juan Marichal

36. Which player won the most ERA titles?

• Pete Alexander
• Roger Clemens
• Sandy Koufax
• Lefty Grove

37. Who is the only catcher to win three batting titles?

• Joe Mauer
• Ernie Lombardi
• Eugene "Bubbles" Hargrove
• Rogers Hornsby

38. Who led his league in batting average his first two seasons?

• Napoleon Lajoie
• Ichiro Suzuki
• Tony Oliva
• Rod Carew

39. Which player had three seasons with 40 or more homers and fewer strikeouts than homers?

• Johnny Mize
• Ted Kluszewski
• Lou Gehrig
• Joe DiMaggio

40. Who was the Hall of Famer who hit a record four triple plays?

• Deacon McGuire
• Joe Start
• George Sisler
• Brooks Robinson 

41. Bonus question: What manager said, "Our phenoms aren't phenomenating."?

• Casey Stengel
• Gil Hodges
• Lou Piniella
• Lefty Phillips

ANSWERS:

1. Albert Pujols
2. Pete Rose
3. Derek Jeter
4. Gary Sheffield
5. Joe DiMaggio
6. Larry Walker
7. George Brett
8. Paul Molitor
9. Shoeless Joe Jackson
10. Tris Speaker
11. Dave Winfield
12. Miguel Cabrera
13. Al Kaline
14. Rogers Hornsby
15. David Ortiz
16. Rogers Hornsby, Napoleon Lajoie, Roberto Clemente, Miguel Cabrera
17. Sandy Koufax and Randy Johnson
18. Ichiro Suzuki
19. Tris Speaker
20. Luis Aparicio and Frank Robinson, Tom Seaver and Rod Carew, Andre Dawson and Eddie Murray
21. Ryan Howard
22. Aaron Judge
23. Jimmie Foxx
24. Eddie Matthews and Mike Schmidt
25. Honus Wagner
26. Greg Maddux
27. Ty Cobb and Miguel Cabrera
28. Mike Trout
29. Tim Raines
30. Tim Raines
31. Lefty Grove
32. Max Scherzer
33. Mickey Mantle
34. Nellie Fox 
35. Juan Marichal
36. Lefty Grove
37. Joe Mauer
38. Tony Oliva
39. Ted Kluszewski
40. Brooks Robinson
41. Lefty Phillips

Baseball Answers

How'd you do?

1.  Name the team that won a record 26 consecutive games (but finished fourth).

1. 1916 New York Giants

2.  Name the player among those with 3,000 hits, the player with the fewest home runs.

2.  Eddie Collins

3. Who is the player who led both leagues in homers and triples (not in the same season)?

2. Sam Crawford

4.  Who hit the only game seven World Series walk-off home run?

4. Bill Mazeroski

5.  Name the four players who hit World Series homers in three different decades.

1. Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Eddie Murray, Matt Williams

6.  Who was the first manager to lead three teams to pennants?

2. Bill McKechnie

7. Who, after managers Connie Mack and John McGraw, had the most consecutive years managing one team?

4. Walter Alston

8.  Who was the first player to hit 30 home runs, score 125 runs and steal 45 bases in a season?

1. Mike Trout

9.  Name the four hitters who, since World War II, had five or more seasons batting .350 or better.

4. Wade Boggs, Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Ted Williams

10. Name the five hitters ranked in the top 25 in career singles, doubles and triples.

2. Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, Tris Speaker, Paul Waner, Honus Wagner

11. Whose 44 hits in his first month is second to Joe DiMaggio's 48?

3. Yasiel Puig

12. Who are the four Hall of Fame pitchers DiMaggio faced during his 56-game hitting streak?

4. Bob Feller, Lefty Grove, Ted Lyons, Hal Newhouser

13. Who was the youngest player to lead the National League in hits?

3. Starlin Castro

14. Name the three players to get two extra-base hits in an All-Star game before age 23.

3. Ken Griffey, Jr., Mike Trout, Ted Williams

15. Who played seven straight seasons with a .300 average, 20 homers, 100 RBIs and 100 walks?

1. Frank Thomas

16. Name the Hall of Famer who played most of his games as DH.

4. Frank Thomas

17. Who was the second player, after Ty Cobb, to have at least 221 hits, 46 doubles and 54 steals in a season?

1. Jose Altuve

18. Name the team that had five consecutive Rookie of the Year winners.

4. Los Angeles Dodgers

19. Who was the player who slugged .826 in a six-game World Series, with a record 10 RBIs, but whose team lost?

2. Ted Kluszewski

20. Which player had the most consecutive World Series hits (7)?

3. Billy Hatcher

21. What is the record number of games in a season in which a team homered?

4. 131

22. Who had the most career RBIs (1,903) without ever leading the league?

3. Willie Mays

23. Name the player who reached a base in a record 84 consecutive games.

4. Ted Williams

24. Name the most recent former Rookie of the Year elected to the Hall of Fame.

2. Mike Piazza

25. Which two pitchers pitched 27 World Series innings without yielding an earned run?

2. Christy Mathewson, Waite Hoyt

26. Who was the only player in the last 100 years who twice in a season scored four runs in a game without a hit?

2. Bryce Harper

27. Name the pitcher who won 107 games before age 23.

2. Bob Feller

28. Which pitcher was the first to have two 300-strikeout seasons?

3. Rube Waddell

29. Name the four pitchers to win at least two Cy Young awards, to win at least two World Series rings, and pitch a no-hitter.

1. Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, Tim Lincecum, Jim Palmer

30. Who were the three pitchers who started five All-Star games?

4. Don Drysdale, Lefty Gomez, Robin Roberts

31. Name the team that had the highest American League season winning percentage.

2. 1954 Cleveland Indians

32. Name the team with the most wins in an AL season.

3. Seattle Mariners

33. Which NL team holds the best single-season winning percentage since 1900?

2. 1906 Chicago Cubs

34.  Which team that existed in 1900 took the longest to win a World Series?

4. Philadelphia Phillies

35. Name the youngest unanimous MVP.

1. Bryce Harper

36. Name the three pitchers to strike out 150 in each of their first nine seasons.

1. Hideo Nomo, Tom Seaver, Don Sutton

37. Who was the first infielder (other than first basemen) to hit 500 home runs?

4. Eddie Mathews

38. Name the manager of the AL team with a season-record 116 wins.

3. Lou Piniella

39. Who won a home run title with a batting average lower than that year's Cy Young winner, Steve Carlton (.218)?

4. Dave Kingman

40. Name the pitcher who retired 46 consecutive batters.

1. Yusmeiro Petit

Bonus question: Who said, "All of the Mets' road wins against the Dodgers this year occurred at Dodger Stadium."?

2. Ralph Kiner

Baseball Is Back, Baby!

To commemorate the return of America's Pastime - here is George Will's Annual Baseball Quiz.  How well do you know baseball?  Answers on Thursday - the day of the Nationals Home Opener.

1.  Name the team that won a record 26 consecutive games (but finished fourth).

1. 1916 New York Giants
2. 1935 Chicago Cubs 
3. 1998 New York Yankees 
4. 2002 Oakland Athletics 

2.  Name the player among those with 3,000 hits, the player with the fewest home runs.

1. Stan Musial 
2. Eddie Collins 
3. Rickey Henderson 
4. Pete Rose 

3. Who is the player who led both leagues in homers and triples (not in the same season)?

1. Albert Pujols 
2. Sam Crawford 
3. Fred McGriff 
4. Mark McGwire

4.  Who hit the only game seven World Series walk-off home run?

1. Joe Carter 
2. Jack Morris 
3. Mickey Mantle 
4. Bill Mazeroski

5.  Name the four players who hit World Series homers in three different decades.

1. Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Eddie Murray, Matt Williams 
2. Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, Bill Skowron 
3. Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Hank Aaron, Goose Goslin 
4. Babe Ruth, Matt Williams, Duke Snider, Frank Robinson

6.  Who was the first manager to lead three teams to pennants?

1. Joe McCarthy 
2. Bill McKechnie 
3. Tony La Russa 
4. John McGraw

7. Who, after managers Connie Mack and John McGraw, had the most consecutive years managing one team?

1. Bobby Cox 
2. Joe Torre 
3. Sparky Anderson 
4. Walter Alston

8.  Who was the first player to hit 30 home runs, score 125 runs and steal 45 bases in a season?

1. Mike Trout 
2. Jose Canseco 
3. Gary Sheffield 
4. Ken Griffey, Jr.

9.  Name the four hitters who, since World War II, had five or more seasons batting .350 or better.

1. Barry Bonds, Rod Carew, Nomar Garciaparra, Roberto Clemente 
2. Todd Helton, Tony Gwynn, Roberto Clemente, Larry Walker 
3. Paul Hoover, Stan Musial, Albert Pujols, Barry Bonds 
4. Wade Boggs, Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Ted Williams

10. Name the five hitters ranked in the top 25 in career singles, doubles and triples.

1. Tris Speaker, Ichiro Suzuki, George Brett, Pete Rose, Eddie Collins 
2. Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, Tris Speaker, Paul Waner, Honus Wagner 
3. Pete Rose, Hank Aaron, Cap Anson, Ty Cobb, Carl Yastrzemski 
4. Goose Goslin, Rod Carew, Paul Waner, Wade Boggs, Cal Ripken

11. Whose 44 hits in his first month is second to Joe DiMaggio's 48?

1. Steve Sax 
2. Mike Trout 
3. Yasiel Puig 
4. Ichiro Suzuki

12. Who are the four Hall of Fame pitchers DiMaggio faced during his 56-game hitting streak?

1. Hal Newhouser, Dizzy Trout, Bob Feller, Claude Passeau 
2. Mort Cooper, Bucky Walters, Dizzy Trout, Al Benton 
3. Dutch Leonard, Mort Cooper, Whit Wyatt, Bob Feller 
4. Bob Feller, Lefty Grove, Ted Lyons, Hal Newhouser

13. Who was the youngest player to lead the National League in hits?

1. Freddie Lindstrom 
2. Stan Musial 
3. Starlin Castro 
4. Vada Pinson

14. Name the three players to get two extra-base hits in an All-Star game before age 23.

1. Bryce Harper, Ken Griffey, Jr., Paul Konerko 
2. Mike Trout, Andruw Jones, Ernie Banks 
3. Ken Griffey, Jr., Mike Trout, Ted Williams 
4. Albert Pujols, Bryce Harper, Willie Mays

15. Who played seven straight seasons with a .300 average, 20 homers, 100 RBIs and 100 walks?

1. Frank Thomas 
2. Barry Bonds 
3. Babe Ruth 
4. Jimmie Foxx

16. Name the Hall of Famer who played most of his games as DH.

1. Paul Molitor 
2. Jim Rice 
3. Eddie Murray 
4. Frank Thomas

17. Who was the second player, after Ty Cobb, to have at least 221 hits, 46 doubles and 54 steals in a season?

1. Jose Altuve
2. Willie Mays 
3. Jimmy Rollins 
4. Stan Musial

18. Name the team that had five consecutive Rookie of the Year winners.

1. Oakland Athletics 
2. Atlanta Braves 
3. Chicago Cubs 
4. Los Angeles Dodgers

19. Who was the player who slugged .826 in a six-game World Series, with a record 10 RBIs, but whose team lost?

1. Gil Hodges 
2. Ted Kluszewski 
3. Lee May 
4. Lou Gehrig

20. Which player had the most consecutive World Series hits (7)?

1. Frank Baker 
2. Bobby Richardson 
3. Billy Hatcher 
4. Roberto Alomar

21. What is the record number of games in a season in which a team homered?

1. 108 
2. 117 
3. 127 
4. 131

22. Who had the most career RBIs (1,903) without ever leading the league?

1. Hank Aaron 
2. Ty Cobb 
3. Willie Mays 
4. Ted Williams

23. Name the player who reached a base in a record 84 consecutive games.

1. Joe DiMaggio 
2. Pete Rose 
3. Willie Keeler 
4. Ted Williams

24. Name the most recent former Rookie of the Year elected to the Hall of Fame.

1. Andre Dawson 
2. Mike Piazza 
3. Cal Ripken 
4. Ken Griffey, Jr.

25. Which two pitchers pitched 27 World Series innings without yielding an earned run?

1. Whitey Ford, Jack Billingham 
2. Christy Mathewson, Waite Hoyt 
3. Joe McGinnity, Babe Ruth 
4. Carl Hubbell, Joe Dobson

26. Who was the only player in the last 100 years who twice in a season scored four runs in a game without a hit?

1. Ted Williams 
2. Bryce Harper 
3. Rickey Henderson 
4. Jackie Robinson

27. Name the pitcher who won 107 games before age 23.

1. Walter Johnson 
2. Bob Feller 
3. Hal Newhouser 
4. Denny McLain

28. Which pitcher was the first to have two 300-strikeout seasons?

1. Sandy Koufax 
2. Nolan Ryan 
3. Rube Waddell 
4. Walter Johnson

29. Name the four pitchers to win at least two Cy Young awards, to win at least two World Series rings, and pitch a no-hitter.

1. Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, Tim Lincecum, Jim Palmer 
2. Randy Johnson, Bret Saberhagen, Roger Clemens, Bob Gibson 
3. Pedro Martinez, Tim Lincecum, Steve Carlton, Greg Maddux 
4. Greg Maddux, Roy Halladay, Pedro Martinez, Tom Seaver

30. Who were the three pitchers who started five All-Star games?

1. Lefty Gomez, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux 
2. Roger Clemens, Jack Morris, Jim Bunning 
3. Greg Maddux, Jim Palmer, Whitey Ford 
4. Don Drysdale, Lefty Gomez, Robin Roberts

31. Name the team that had the highest American League season winning percentage.

1. 1927 New York Yankees 
2. 1954 Cleveland Indians 
3. 1998 New York Yankees 
4. 2001 Seattle Mariners

32. Name the team with the most wins in an AL season.

1. Cleveland Indians 
2. New York Yankees 
3. Seattle Mariners 
4. Philadelphia Athletics

33. Which NL team holds the best single-season winning percentage since 1900?

1. 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates 
2. 1906 Chicago Cubs 
3. 1975 Cincinnati Reds 
4. 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates

34.  Which team that existed in 1900 took the longest to win a World Series?

1. Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers 
2. Cincinnati Reds 
3. Pittsburgh Pirates 
4. Philadelphia Phillies

35. Name the youngest unanimous MVP.

1. Bryce Harper 
2. Ken Griffey, Jr. 
3. Barry Bonds 
4. Cal Ripken

36. Name the three pitchers to strike out 150 in each of their first nine seasons.

1. Hideo Nomo, Tom Seaver, Don Sutton 
2. Fergie Jenkins, Roger Clemens, Steve Carlton 
3. Justin Verlander, Fergie Jenkins, Lefty Grove 
4. Felix Hernandez, Walter Johnson, Hideo Nomo

37. Who was the first infielder (other than first basemen) to hit 500 home runs?

1. Alex Rodriguez 
2. Mike Schmidt 
3. Yogi Berra 
4. Eddie Mathews

38. Name the manager of the AL team with a season-record 116 wins.

1. Joe Torre 
2. Tony La Russa 
3. Lou Piniella 
4. Joe McCarthy

39. Who won a home run title with a batting average lower than that year's Cy Young winner, Steve Carlton (.218)?

1. Rob Deer 
2. Mark McGwire 
3. Tony Armas 
4. Dave Kingman

40. Name the pitcher who retired 46 consecutive batters.

1. Yusmeiro Petit
2. Mark Buehrle 
3. Zack Greinke 
4. Walter Johnson

Bonus question: Who said, "All of the Mets' road wins against the Dodgers this year occurred at Dodger Stadium."?

1. Gil Hodges 
2. Ralph Kiner 
3. Harry Caray 
4. Tom Seaver

Saturday's Quiz - How'd That Company Get It's Name?

I'm a big fan of Sporcle, the online quiz site.  I visit frequently and take the new quizzes when they appear.  I am also a big reader of BuzzFeed, an Internet aggregator.  A while back BuzzFeed had a post asking their readers if they knew how 50 companies got their names.

So, I'm asking you - Do you?  Click here for the answers (in the original BuzzFeed post).  In parentheses, I've indicated, (Y) or (N), if I knew the answer.

1. 3M (N)
2. 7-11 (Y - actually Mrs. BA knew this one and reminded me)
3. Adidas (N)
4. Adobe (N and not very original naming)
5. Amazon.com (N but it makes sense)
6. AMC Theaters (Y, sort of)
7. Arby's (if the answer is America's Roast Beef, Yes, Sir - then Y, but it's not, so N)
8. Arm & Hammer (N)
9. Atari (N)
10. AT&T (that's an easy one, Y)
11. Audi (N)
12. Bridgestone (N)
13. Canon (N)
14. Coca-Cola (Y - Mrs. BA would probably divorce me if I didn't know this one)
15. Comcast (N, but it also makes sense - see #5)
16. ConocoPhillips (Y - having worked for a time for the Standard Oil family, I became versed in a lot of the oil company names)
17. CVS (Y)
18. Duane Reade (N - I really thought it was the name of the founder)
19. eBay (N)
20. Garmin (N)
21. Geico (Y)
22. Hasbro (N)
23. H&R Block (Y)
24. IBM (Y, but it does not stand for "I've Been Moved")
25. Ikea (N, but c'mon, all those names are made up, aren't they?)
26. Kia (N)
27. Lego (N)
28. Mattel (N)
29. Nabisco (Y)
30. Nikon (N)
31. Nintendo (N)
32. Nissan (N - but didn't this used to be Datsun, too?)
33. Nokia (N)
34. Pepsi (N, and I think I might have been better off not knowing, ew.)
35. Qualcomm (sort of obvious, so Y)
36. QVC (Y - operators are standing by!)
37. Reebok (N - but that's kind of cool)
38. Saab (N)
39. Sega (N)
40. Sharp (N, and really?)
41. Sony (N)
42. Sprint (N)
43. Starbucks (N, but then again I didn't read the book)
44. Taco Bell (N)
45. Verizon (N, snort)
46. Virgin (N, really Branson, that's how you came up with that?)
47. Vodafone (N)
48. Volkswagen (Y)
49. Walmart (Y)
50. Wendy's (Y)

Hope Springs Eternal

Baseball Season starts tonight - in fact, as we speak, the opening game (not counting the games that were played last week in Japan) is underway.  There has been a lot of buzz around the Washington Nationals this year - I think they are going to be fun to watch this year.  "I think there's 3 or 4 potential All-Stars out there" (that one's just for Amy in Ohio).  I have tickets for a game on April 13, purchased as part of a five-pack, but unfortunately I can't make the game as the Brave Astronaut clan will be otherwise engaged.

This weekend will also feature a little golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia.  the Brave Astronaut will be watching as he always does.

George Will pushed out his 2012 baseball quiz over the weekend.  How's your baseball knowledge?  Click on the link for the answers - but after you've attempted the quiz, boys and girls.


Think you’re ready for Opening Day? Prove it.

Name the person or persons who:

1. Hit the most home runs in the 1960s.
2. In 2011, joined Hank Aaron, Brooks Robinson and Pete Rose as the only players to appear in at least 140 games for 16 consecutive seasons. 
3. Had the most hits in the 1950s. 
4. Played for the Boston Braves, Milwaukee Braves and Atlanta Braves. 
5. Had the most hits in the 1990s. 
6. Had the most hits in the 1940s. 
7. Holds the career record for grounding into double plays. 
8. Hit .322 with 42 homers and 129 RBIs in 1970 and .333 with 37 homers and 122 RBIs in 1972, but finished second to Johnny Bench in MVP voting both years. 
9. Pitched the most wins in the 1960s. 
10. Has the most career hits without winning a batting title. 
11. Led the majors in total bases in the 1980s, ahead of Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt, Eddie Murray, Robin Yount and Andre Dawson. 
12. Is the only pitcher to hurl a shutout in four decades. 
13. Only once in a 22-year career — in his last season, when he was 42 — struck out three times in a game. 
14. Allowed the fewest hits per nine innings in a career. 
15. Started more World Series games than any other pitcher. 
16. Is the only catcher to lead a league in triples. 
17. Turned an unassisted triple play in a World Series.
18. Played more than 500 games each at catcher, first and third base. 
19. Has the highest single-season batting average since 1901. 
20. Led American League pitchers in wins in the 1960s. 
21. Has 283 wins (more than 40 Hall of Fame pitchers) and 16 Gold Gloves but is not in Coopers­town.
22. Played the most games of anyone whose entire career was with one team. 
23. Was the only player to win the Cy Young Award after being traded in midseason.
24. Led their three respective teams in career singles, doubles, triples and home runs. 
25. Was the only lefthander since 1900 to win at least 350 games. 
26. Won an American League batting title without hitting a home run.
27. Had the best career pitching record against the Yankees. 
28. Leads all third basemen in combined hits and walks. 
29. Is the last pitcher to win at least 20 games in four consecutive season.
30. Pitched three Braves wins over the Yankees in the 1957 seven-game World Series. 
31. Pitched three Tigers wins over the Cardinals in the 1968 seven-game Series. 
32. Pitched three Giants wins over the Athletics in the five-game 1905 Series.
33. Pitched a record 24 consecutive wins. 
34. Holds the National League career record for grand slam home runs. 
35. Has appeared in more games than any other pitcher. 
36. Had a career batting average of .356 but never won a batting title. 
37. Got at least 100 extra-base hits in two consecutive seasons. 
38. Won Rookie of the Year, MVP and Cy Young awards (not in the same season). 
39. Pitched the most consecutive strikeouts in one game.
40. Hit his last three home runs in one game. 
41. Before David Freese did it in Game 6 of last year’s World Series, were the only two players to hit an extra-inning walk-off home run when facing elimination. 
42. Was hitting .394 when the players’ strike ended the 1994 season on Aug. 12. 
43. Said, “It beats rooming with Joe Page.”

Baseball Quiz Answers

I told you it was hard.

1. Question: Which two players hold the record for the most seasons (23) played for the same team?
Answer: Brooks Robinson (Orioles) and Carl Yastrzemski (Red Sox).

2. Question: Who hit 48 home runs beginning June 1, but only 51 in the season?
Answer: Ralph Kiner.

3. Question: Which two managers had six 100-win seasons?
Answer: Bobby Cox and Joe McCarthy. (I had half of this answer)

4. Question: Who played the most regular-season games without ever playing a postseason game?
Answer: Ernie Banks (2,528).

5. Question: Who has the best winning percentage among 300-win pitchers? Answer: Lefty Grove.

(6) Question: Who had a 79-15 record over three years? Answer: Lefty Grove.

(7) Question: Who was the player -- and in what year -- who led his league in home runs and RBIs, started every game of the World Series, and never crossed the Mississippi?
Answer: Larry Doby in 1954, the year after the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore and the year before the Philadelphia Athletics moved to Kansas City.

8. Question: Since Tris Speaker did it in 1912, who is the only player with 50 doubles and 50 stolen bases in a season?
Answer: Craig Biggio.

9. Question: Which 10 Hall of Famers never played in the minor leagues?
Answer: Al Kaline, Sandy Koufax, Dave Winfield, Mel Ott, Bob Feller, Catfish Hunter, Eppa Rixey, Eddie Plank, Frankie Frisch, Ted Lyons.

10. Question: Who is the only catcher to lead a league in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage in the same season?
Answer: Joe Mauer (2009). (I might have gotten here eventually)

11. Question: When the strike stopped the 1994 season on Aug. 11, what team had the best record?
And what was Tony Gwynn’s batting average? Answer: The Montreal Expos, 74-40. Gwynn’s average was .394. (I knew Gwynn was close to Ted Williams' record)

12. Question: In 1955, the year they won their only championship in Brooklyn, what was the Dodgers’ average regular-season attendance?
Answer: 13,423.

13. Question: What two players share the record for most hits in a month?
Answer: Ty Cobb (July 1922) and Tris Speaker (July 1923), 67.

14. Question: From 2000 through 2009, Roy Halladay pitched the most shutouts, 14. Who led the 1970s with 44?
Answer: Jim Palmer. (Jim Palmer - really? The Underwear Pitcher? - sorry, a little Yankees sarcasm there)

15. Question: What pitcher won World Series games in three decades?
Answer: Jim Palmer (1966, 1970, 1971, 1983).

16. Question: Who won a batting title during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s?
Answer: George Brett (1976, 1980, 1990). (the Gordie Howe of Baseball?)

17. Question: Who was the youngest pitcher to win a Cy Young award?
Answer: Dwight Gooden was 20 years and 324 days old when the 1985 season ended. (I knew this one)

18. Question: What two-time MVP and Hall of Famer won league fielding titles as a shortstop and center fielder?
Answer: Robin Yount.

19. Question: Since 1900, what two pitchers won at least 20 games in 13 seasons?
Answer: Christy Mathewson and Warren Spahn.

20. Question: Who is the only pitcher to have 20-win seasons with both the Yankees and the Mets?
Answer: David Cone. (knew this one, too)

21. Question: Who is the only pitcher to have 2,000 strikeouts with two different teams? Answer: Randy Johnson (Mariners and Diamondbacks). (I expected this to be Nolan Ryan)

22. Question: Who had at least 200 hits and 100 walks in four consecutive seasons?
Answer: Wade Boggs, 1986-1989.

23. Question: Whom did the Reds intentionally walk five times in a 1990 game?
Answer: The Cubs’ Andre Dawson in a 16-inning game.

24. Question: Who is the only pitcher to twice pitch a complete game in a World Series seventh game?
Answer: Bob Gibson (1964 and 1967).

25. Question: Who twice got 10 or more hits in a World Series, with different teams?
Answer: Paul Molitor with the Brewers in 1982 and the Blue Jays in 1993.

26. Question: What Hall of Famer got his 3,000th hit off a Hall of Famer?
Answer: Dave Winfield off Dennis Eckersley.

27. Question: The Yankees’ Bobby Richardson set a World Series record with 12 RBIs in the 1960 World Series. How many RBIs did he have during the regular season?
Answer: 26.

28. Question: What player, whose number 44 is retired by two teams, hit 44 home runs in four different seasons?
Answer: Henry Aaron. (the answer is not Reggie Jackson)

29. Question: What six pitchers had 3,000 strikeouts before (or without ever) allowing 1,000 walks?
Answer: Ferguson Jenkins, Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux, Curt Schilling, John Smoltz, Roger Clemens.

30. Question: What team has won its last nine World Series games?
Answer: The Reds.

31. Question: Why was Roger Maris never intentionally walked in 1961 en route to 61 home runs?
Answer: Mickey Mantle batted behind him. (C'mon this was a pitch right over the heart of the plate. I crushed this one out of the park)

It's Opening Day

Yes, I could have been there. A friend offered me a ticket at the last minute to Opening Day for the Nationals. I didn't go. The streak is broken - I had been to every Opening Day game since the Nationals came to town. Maybe things will be better this season as a result.

George Will, the syndicated columnist, is a baseball lover. In his column today, he offered this baseball quiz. Answers on Sunday (or you can click the link to the column - the answers are at the end). How'd you do? I consider myself a lover of baseball and I only got a few of these. Like I said, George Will knows and loves baseball.

1. Which two players hold the record for the most seasons (23) played for the same team?
2. Who hit 48 home runs beginning June 1, but only 51 in the season?
3. Which two managers had six 100-win seasons?
4. Who played the most regular-season games without ever playing a postseason game?
5. Who has the best winning percentage among 300-win pitchers?
6. Who had a 79-15 record over three years?
7. Who was the player — and in what year — who led his league in home runs and RBIs, started every game of the World Series, and never crossed the Mississippi?
8. Since Tris Speaker did it in 1912, who is the only player with 50 doubles and 50 stolen bases in a season?
9. Which 10 Hall of Famers never played in the minor leagues?
10. Who is the only catcher to lead a league in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage in the same season?
11. When the strike stopped the 1994 season on Aug. 11, what team had the best record? And what was Tony Gwynn’s batting average?
12. In 1955, the year they won their only championship in Brooklyn, what was the Dodgers’ average regular-season attendance?
13. What two players share the record for most hits in a month?
14. From 2000 through 2009, Roy Halladay pitched the most shutouts, 14. Who led the 1970s with 44?
15. What pitcher won World Series games in three decades?
16. Who won a batting title during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s?
17. Who was the youngest pitcher to win a Cy Young award?
18. What two-time MVP and Hall of Famer won league fielding titles as a shortstop and center fielder?
19. Since 1900, what two pitchers won at least 20 games in 13 seasons?
20. Who is the only pitcher to have 20-win seasons with both the Yankees and the Mets?
21. Who is the only pitcher to have 2,000 strikeouts with two different teams?
22. Who had at least 200 hits and 100 walks in four consecutive seasons?
23. Whom did the Reds intentionally walk five times in a 1990 game?
24. Who is the only pitcher to twice pitch a complete game in a World Series seventh game?
25. Who twice got 10 or more hits in a World Series, with different teams?
26. What Hall of Famer got his 3,000th hit off a Hall of Famer?
27. The Yankees’ Bobby Richardson set a World Series record with 12 RBIs in the 1960 World Series. How many RBIs did he have during the regular season?
28. What player, whose number 44 is retired by two teams, hit 44 home runs in four different seasons?
29. What six pitchers had 3,000 strikeouts before (or without ever) allowing 1,000 walks?
30. What team has won its last nine World Series games?
31. Why was Roger Maris never intentionally walked in 1961 en route to 61 home runs?

It's a Sitcom Party!

Hey, it's Pizza / Movie night at the launchpad, but we are always up for a good sitcom. Check out this picture and see how many of the sitcoms you can identify. Click on the picture to see it larger. The key is here and the list is also below. No peeking until you at least try. I put in bold the ones that I missed.

Bonus Quiz - I have listed the characters as identified in the picture. Name the actors.

In other news, The US Government will not shutdown today. For that I am grateful, as I am sure are those people to whom I pay bills. The Congress passed another Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government for two more weeks, so they can keep talking about finding the money to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year.

Bonus Quiz #2 - Why is this date significant in American History? Why is it of some significance to Franklin Roosevelt, though he likely feels the same way about January 20?

Finally, if anyone is in the market for a car - I might be willing to give you mine. It would appear that another model of Mazdas (the Mazda6) may have spiders in the engine venting that may cause a fire. But a fire would be preferable to having SPIDERS in one's car! You can read the article about the recall here.

OK? Ready for the list. How'd you do?

1. The Odd Couple (Felix Unger)
2. Seinfeld (Cosmo Kramer)
   
3. The Mary Tyler Moore Show (Mary Richards)
   
4. Sanford and Son (Fred Sanford)
   
5. Night Court (Nostradamus "Bull" Shannon)
   
6. Mr. Belvedere (Lynn Aloysius Belvedere)
7. Everybody Loves Raymond (Ray Barone)
8. Welcome Back, Kotter (Gabe Kotter)
9. What’s Happening!! (Freddie "Rerun" Stubbs)
10. All in the Family (Archie Bunker)
11. The Cosby Show (Heathcliff "Cliff" Huxtable)
    
12. The Honeymooners (Ralph Kramden)
13. Maude (Maude Findlay) - I got this one on the second pass
    
14. Married . . . with Children (Al Bundy)
    
15. The Facts of Life (Natalie Green)
16. Chico and the Man (Ed Brown) - I thought it was Ed Norton, but that couldn't be right with Kramden also there.
    
17. Will & Grace (Grace Adler) - but only because it didn't look like her.
    
18. The Golden Girls (Sophia Petrillo)
19. The Dick Van Dyke Show (Rob Petrie)
20. Good Times (James "J.J." Evans, Jr.)
21. Roseanne (Dan Connor)
22. Saved by the Bell (Sam "Screech" Powers) - a show I never watched, thankfully
    
23. Charles in Charge (Charles)
24. Home Improvement (Wilson Wilson, Jr.)
25. Family Matters (Steven Quincy Urkel)
26. Three’s Company (Chrissy Snow)
    
27. Growing Pains (Jason Seaver)
    
28. Happy Days (Arthur "the Fonz" Fonzarelli)
29. The Jeffersons (George Jefferson)
    
30. Perfect Strangers (Balki Bartokomous)
31. Laverne and Shirley (Laverne DeFazio)
32. I Love Lucy (Lucy Ricardo)
33. 227 (Sandra Clark)
34. ALF (ALF)
35. Family Ties (Alex P. Keaton) - although he looks like a girl, must be the hair
36. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (William Smith)
37. Friends (Rachel Green)
38. Sabrina the Teenage Witch (Salem Saberhagen) - I knew the show, but would have never been able to come up with the cat's name
    
39. Blossom (Blossom Russo) - tonight on a very special "Blossom," Blossom tries not to look so pained
    
40. Out of This World (The Cube) - never would have gotten this one, either
    
41. Frasier (Eddie)
42. Webster (Webster Long)
43. Full House (Michelle Tanner)
44. Diff’rent Strokes (Arnold Jackson)
45. Punky Brewster (Penelope "Punky" Brewster) - although I initially switched her with the Olsen twin.
    
46. Who’s the Boss? (Tony Micelli)
47. Mork & Mindy (Mork)
48. Taxi (Louie DePalma)
49. Two and a Half Men (Charlie Harper)

Poltical Answers

Here are the answers to last week's quiz:

1. Who represents the wealthiest congressional district?

• (b) Gerry Connolly (D-VA)

2. Who represents the congressional district with the highest percentage of Hispanics?

• (a) Silvestre Reyes (D-TX)

3. Even though he won by six percentage points, this incumbent senator spent the most money in 2008. Name the senator.

• Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

4. How many women in Congress have given birth while in office? (Bonus question! How many can you name? Hint: five current members, three former.)

• Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA)
• Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD)
• Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
• Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
• Sen. Blanche Lambert Lincoln (D-AR)
• former Rep. Susan Molinari (R-NY)
• former Rep. Enid Greene Waldholtz (R-UT)
• former Rep. Yvonne Braithwaite Burke (D-CA)

5. Which congressional race was closest percentage-wise?

• (b) Perriello vs. Goode - 727 votes

6. Which three former members of Congress were defeated in their party primaries in 2008?

• David Davis (R-TN)
• Chris Cannon (R-UT)
• Albert Wynn (D-MD)

7. Which U.S. representative is a former governor?

• Mike Castle (R-DE)

8. Which freshman senator became his state's senior senator in 2009 after spending just 16 days as junior senator?

• Mark Udall (D-CO)

9. Who is the youngest senator?

• 42-year-old Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

10. Who is the longest-serving Republican senator?

• 33-year veteran Richard Lugar (R-IN)

11. Who are the two Buddhists in Congress?

• Hank Johnson (GA) and Mazie Hirono (HI).

Got Some Political Sklls?

The National Journal's 2010 Almanac of American Politics, is out and full of facts sure to satisfy every political junkie. Here's a quiz to sharpen your political acumen. Answers next week. Up front hint, Joe Wilson is not any of the answers.

1. Who represents the wealthiest congressional district? (a) Steve Israel of New York. (b) Gerry Connolly of Virginia. (c) Anna G. Eshoo of California
2. Who represents the congressional district with the highest percentage of Hispanics? (a) Silvestre Reyes of Texas. (b) Ruben Hinojosa of Texas. (c) Lucille Roybal-Allard of California.
3. Even though he won by six percentage points, this incumbent senator spent the most money in 2008. Name the senator.
4. How many women in Congress have given birth while in office? (Bonus question! How many can you name? Hint: five current members, three former.)
5. Which congressional race was closest percentage-wise? (a) Fleming vs. Carmouche, Louisiana. (b) Perriello vs. Goode, Virginia. (c) McClintock vs. Brown, California.
6. Which three former members of Congress were defeated in their party primaries in 2008?
7. Which U.S. representative is a former governor?
8. Which freshman senator became his state's senior senator in 2009 after spending just 16 days as junior senator?
9. Who is the youngest senator?
10. Who is the longest-serving Republican senator?
11. Who are the two Buddhists in Congress?

Airplane Answers

So did you crash and burn? Or did you pull up in time? And I am sure that I missed your favorite and probably some of my own. Tell me about it in the comments.

1. The Hindenburg (1975)
   
2. Airport (1970)
3. Airplane (1980)
4. Flight 90: Disaster on the Potomac (1984)
   
5. Airport 1975 (1974)
6. Air Force One (1997)
   
7. Airport '77 (1977)
8. Die Hard 2 (1990)
9. Always (1989)
   
10. Alive (1993)
    
11. Concorde - Airport '79 (1979)
12. Flight of the Phoenix (1965) (2004)

Those Marvelous Men and Their Flying Machines

Today marks a significant anniversary in airplane travel. The first crash that took the life of a passenger occurred 100 years ago today, on September 17, 1908. At the controls on that fateful day? None other than Orville Wright, who took a plane up over Fort Myer, Virginia, with Lt. Thomas Selfridge aboard. After a few revolutions, one of the propellers split and cut into the fabric wing and the plane crashed to the ground. Wright was badly hurt but Selfridge was killed.

The New York Times article of September 18, 1908 is available on the web and here is a contemporary article about the crash that mentions the 1908 crash and draws parallels to air travel today.

To honor this "special" day in history, here's a quiz about plane crash / disaster movies. For we all know what a sucker I am for the disaster genre. Answers next week.

1. This film, while not about an airplane crash, makes for really good imagery, primarily due to the contents of the airship. And its based on a true story!
   
2. This film, released in 1970, set the benchmark for airplane disaster movies and involved a bomb on a plane that cripples the jet.
3. Surely I can't be serious to imply this film can be considered as a disaster film. I am serious, and don't call me Shirley.
4. This was a TV movie based on the events of January 13, 1982 in Washington, DC.
   
5. This film, which came out in 1974, tried to capitalize on the success of its predecessor, but even the appearance of Gloria Swanson, in her final film, couldn't save it from being inducted into the Razzies Awards Hall of Fame in 1983.
6. While this plane is this film does not crash until the very end, it does have people falling out of it periodically, most dramatically after someone tells someone else to "Get Off MY Plane!"
   
7. In the third film after numbers 2 and 5, this time the plane crashes in the Bermuda Triangle, while people on board try and devise a way to steal the art in the cargo hold.
8. This sequel film has planes everywhere and it takes place at an airport. It also featured a former Senator and future presidential candidate, who utters the memorable line, "OK, people, stack 'em, rack 'em, and pack 'em."
9. OK, so it's not a disaster flick, but it does have a plane crash and featured the final performance by Audrey Hepburn.
   
10. Another action film, this movie is not so much about the plane crash as it is about the aftermath and the, oh, let's say, dwindling food supply, and how the survivors deal with that issue.
    
11. Not originally planned as a comedy, this was the final chapter in the series of movies noted at numbers 2, 5, and 7. When it was screened to derisive laughter, it was re-tagged as a comedy.
12. This film, released in 1965 and remade in 2004, deals with surviving a plane crash in the desert and how the survivors manage to get out of their predicament.

Word smithing

I spotted this on Language Hat, a language blog I like to read. It is an online quiz that asks you to identify the 100 most common English words. I like to think that I am pretty good at these sort of things, but the pressure got to me. I did not even get half of them.

Now I know there is at least one of my readers out there who will do well with this. Isn't that right, Dr. Anna? She has been amusing herself with this website and this one, which Mrs. BA and I will take the random quiz on occasionally.

Fair warning, be prepared to lose a fair bit of time down the rabbit hole of the Interwebs if you click on the links and play the games.

And let us not forget to wish our dear friend OSG a belated happy birthday, his birthday was two days ago. Yesterday marked the anniversary of the birth of blogging friend and budding archivist, Amy. And today marks two birthdays in the Brave Astronaut orbit. My brother turns 55 today and ADR also celebrates his birthday today! Sunday we will note the birthday of C in DC. She may have some issues (well, two small issues) trying to celebrate her birthday quietly . . . Monday will mark the birthday of my niece. A busy month for birthdays! Happy birthday to the whole bunch!

It's Still the Olympics

While you digest the answers to last week's quiz, here is a map from the New York Times that shows how medals have been awarded in the Summer Olympics. It's kind of cool. And a medal tally to date. Go USA!

And have you all seen what Michael Phelps is eating these days? I think I need to lie down.



Answers to the quiz

1. The emperor. In China, the dragon is a benevolent, wise, auspicious male power.
2. Jesus. Hong had chanced upon translated scripture and, in a dream, had visions of himself as the brother of Jesus.
3. Soong Mei-ling, wife of Chiang Kai-shek.
4. Diving (nine medals) and shooting (nine).
5. 171.
6. Only children, lavished with attention because of China’s one-child-per-couple policy.
7. 20. But most new releases are available on bootleg DVDs within days.
   
8. “Quotations From Chairman Mao Tse-Tung,” estimated at 900 million copies (aka the Little Red Book).
9. 106.
10. Two-thirds, according to the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency.

It's the Olympics!

Time Magazine has put forth yet another list of the Top 100 athletes to watch in Beijing. Will there be any other option? Aren't the Olympics going to be on like forever?

To honor the opening of the Olympics, happening tonight (08.08.08 @ 8:08:08pm) here's a sampling of a quiz on China that appeared in the New York Times Education Life section on July 27, 2008. Answers next week.

1. In Imperial China, what did the dragon symbolize?
2. In the mid-1800s, Hong Xiuquan sought to overthrow the Qing Dynasty in a revolt that cost more than 20 million lives. Hong believed his mandate to rule stemmed from his relation to which holy figure?
3. Name the Wellesley graduate who married a Chinese leader, became an important player in World War II politics and died in New York City in 2003 at age 105.
4. Which Olympic events won China the most medals in the last Summer Games, in Athens?
   
5. Nine cities in the United States have a population of more than one million. How many Chinese cities have at least one million?
   
6. Chinese people call them "little emperors." To whom are they referring?
   
7. How many foreign films does the government allow in China each year?
   
8. What was the most widely published book in China during the 20th Century?
   
9. The Hurun Report, which tracks the wealthy, counted three billionaires in China in 2004. How many were there in 2007?
10. How much of 2007's increase in global carbon emissions came from China?
    

Hey, I Want That!

My friend Amy frequently posts items to her blog with the tag, "I Totally Want This." She would probably be all over this list of "16 Elusive Movie Objects of Desire." I'll leave most of the movies off this and make it into a little quiz. No cheating by clicking on the item links, as some link to the movie in which they are featured.

1. Gray's Sports Almanac
2. The Fountain of Youth
3. Treasure Map (and not the National Treasure one)
4. White Castle burgers
5. A bike (in several movies, including this one and this one)
6. The Mysterious Briefcase of Doom (at least two movies, this one first, and this one second. But then again, this movie has a pretty serious briefcase also)
7. A bird statue (if I give its title, that sort of gives it away, doesn't it?)
8. A 1964 Chevy Malibu (from this movie)
9. The Holy Grail (the article list this movie, but I can think of at least three others)
10. The Ark of the Covenant (duh)
11. The Necronomicon (from this movie - and the only one on here that I don't know)
12. Part of a dinosaur (this movie and not this one)
13. More treasure (specifically this one)
14. A Ring (you know, this ring)
15. A gold watch (from this movie)
16. A really old piece of paper (which does not have a treasure map on the back!)
    

Friday's Quiz - Last Lines from Novels

[I'm on my own tonight as Mrs. BA has headed off to her 20th College Reunion. Just me and the boys. But it's movie night here in Cheverly so we're doing OK. But I did write this post some time ago and auto-posted it, so I wouldn't forget about you, my faithful readers. In fact, tonight's, tomorrow's, and Sunday's posts are all scheduled, so I won't have to lift a finger - a child definitely, but fingers, no.]

Here's a quiz where you don't have to wait a week for the answers, but no cheating. Clusterflock has provided us with a list (their list) of the 100 best last lines from novels. The list comes from the American Book Review, so it's got some literary chops.

Of the 100, here are the ones I knew. Surely you can you do better than I (12, that's just awful - well there was no Stephen King . . . )?

1. "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."
2. "But I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she’s going to adopt me and sivilize me and I can’t stand it. I been there before."
3. "He loved Big Brother."
4. "'It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.’"
5. "‘I shall feel proud and satisfied to have been the first author to enjoy the full fruit of his writings, as I desired, because my only desire has been to make men hate those false, absurd histories in books of chivalry, which thanks to the exploits of my real Don Quixote are even now tottering, and without any doubt will soon tumble to the ground. Farewell.’" (hey, the CDs in the car, what can I say?)
6. "Lastly, she pictured to herself how this same little sister of hers would, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman; and how she would keep, through all her riper years, the simple and loving heart of her childhood; and how she would gather about her other little children, and make their eyes bright and eager with many a strange tale, perhaps even with the dream of Wonderland of long ago; and how she would feel with all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their simple joys, remembering her own child-life, and the happy summer days."
7. "And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!"
8. "The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."
9. "After a while I went out and left the hospital and walked back to the hotel in the rain."
10. "But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing."
11. "The old man was dreaming about the lions."
12. "“Tomorrow, I’ll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day.”"

Hard Quiz Answers

Here are the answers to Stinkypaw's quiz.

1. The one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends: Boxing
2. North American landmark constantly moving backward: Niagara Falls. The rim is worn down about two and a half feet each year because of the millions of gallons of water that rush over it every minute.
3. Only two vegetables that can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons: Asparagus and Rhubarb.
4. The fruit with its seeds on the outside: Strawberry.
5. How did the pear get inside the brandy bottle? It grew inside the bottle. The bottles are placed over pear buds when they are small, and are wired in place on the tree. The bottle is left in place for the entire growing season. When the pears are ripe, they are snipped off at the stems.
6. Three English words beginning with dw: Dwarf, Dwell and Dwindle. (Although I would maintain "dwelling", and "dweeb" are valid)
7. Fourteen punctuation marks in English grammar: period, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, apostrophe, question mark, exclamation, point, quotation marks, brackets, parenthesis, braces, and ellipses.
8. The only vegetable or fruit never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form but fresh: Lettuce.
9. Six or more things you can wear on your feet beginning with 'S': shoes, socks, sandals, sneakers, slippers, skis, skates, snowshoes, stockings, stilts.
10. This one, by the way, was for those of you who actually know the proper way to type, what they showed in typing classes . . . "Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand and "lollipop" is the longest word typed with your right hand.

A Tough Quiz

This one comes from one of my blogging friends up north in Canada. She posted it on her blog and made us all look stupid in a big hurry. Here's the questions and the answers will follow, as always, next week.

1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends.
2. What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward? (Lana, you are not allowed to get this one wrong)
3. Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?
4. What fruit has its seeds on the outside?
5. In many liquor stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle.. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn't been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?
6. Only three words in standard English begin with the letters 'dw' and they are all common words. Name two of them. (Although those of us who posted answers to Stinkypaw maintain there are at least two more.)
   
7. There are 14 punctuation marks in English grammar. Can you name at least half of them?
8. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.
9. Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter 'S.'
10. Name the longest word type with only the left hand and then the longest word with the right hand.
    

In the interest of full disclosure, I will tell you that I got #4, #5, #7, #8, and four of the items in #9 right.

A Leap Day Quiz

It's leap day. An interesting point was made to me today. Those of us working for an annual salary, worked for free today. Think about it. An extra day in the year (that whole annual thing). We don't get anything, you know, for the effort.

If you are "leap ignorant," here is an article from the New York Times about the every four year phenomenon. And here's the Wikipedia article on "leap year." Here's the Wikipedia article on historical events, birthdays, and deaths which occurred on February 29.

Here's an interesting historical note. Who's wondered why those kids in Family Circus never get old? The comic strip debuted on leap day in 1960, so if they are celebrating birthdays only every four years . . .

And as it is a day that comes along only once every four years, go here to take it, instead of me posting the questions here. The person who referred it to me said she got two wrong. I got three wrong, but went fast and should have looked closer.

If you're a fan of Google Earth, you'll love this quiz. Feel free to post scores in the comments.