Hey all! I'm a little late posting this week, but late is better than never- let's take a look at the offering.
What famous video game documentary bears the subtitle "A Fistful of Quarters"?
The Gestapo are to Nazi Germany as what group are to the citizens in George Orwell's 1984?
In what year did the Academy Awards committee increase the number of Best Picture nominees to ten?
How many red and white rings can be found on Captain America's shield?
According to USA Today, what is the home state to more NFL players than any other?
The Three Towers of Trivia, January 27
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
The three day weekend is over, and now it's time to get back to the grind of work and school; but before you do, take a crack at these questions; don't you know that thrivia is great for the brain because it helps you get better at basic recall and comprehension? So without further ado, here's this week's slab of questions.
In 1983, after announcing his intent to enter the NFL Draft, future Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway infamously stated he would decline to play for what organization- that year's holder of the #1 draft pick?
The oldest flag still in use by an independent nation today is the Dannebrog; what nation still proudly waves it to this day?
Heralding Greek roots, what 11 letter word is widely used by TV and film buffs to describe an event or fact that contradicts a previous one earlier in a series?
February 2010 will mark the first national performance of what computer assembled by IBM to compete on Jeopardy?
Name the next item in the series, and explain the series itself: Alfa, Echo, India, Oscar, ????????????
Good luck, and have a great day!
In 1983, after announcing his intent to enter the NFL Draft, future Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway infamously stated he would decline to play for what organization- that year's holder of the #1 draft pick?
The oldest flag still in use by an independent nation today is the Dannebrog; what nation still proudly waves it to this day?
Heralding Greek roots, what 11 letter word is widely used by TV and film buffs to describe an event or fact that contradicts a previous one earlier in a series?
February 2010 will mark the first national performance of what computer assembled by IBM to compete on Jeopardy?
Name the next item in the series, and explain the series itself: Alfa, Echo, India, Oscar, ????????????
Good luck, and have a great day!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
For the past year or so, I've had a Moleskine notebook. The notebook of choice for visionaries like Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, and Oscar Wilde, the Moleskine is a memo-size leather bound notebook. Considering they cost quite a bit more than a normal notebook (one Moleskine can cost as much as $22), they're a hefty investment. But from what I've seen so far, it's worth it.
I've used mine to draw new concept logos for companies, marketing ideas, and any other random musings that come to mind. If I did these in a normal notebook, it would be dog eared, bent, and scratched over a year's time. But not the Moleskine- those things are built to last. Thanks to the leather bounding and the acid free pages, my notes look as good as the day I wrote them down. My laptop bag is no place to put fragile items, and my Moleskine comes out every day looking perfect.
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| Moleskine also has a limited edition Pac Man line right now for the inner geek in all of us. |
Over the past few years, the company has branched out, offering a whole series of notebooks that serve different purposes. There's a graph notebook, a storyboard notebook perfect for ad execs on the go, a planner, and a travel notebook, complete with maps, a photo holder, and a notes section to jot down all of your favorite places to go.
Although it costs nearly $20, a mid-size Moleskine sketchbook (5 x 8 1/2) is perfect for those who want to feed their creative side. Even with a laptop, smartphone, and iPad, I still get a sense of satisfaction when physically writing something down. Having the added protection of knowing it won't get messed up without me knowingly trying is the real selling point; I could go out and buy regular notebooks, but their "economy" build means that if the cover gets damaged, it's only a matter of time before the pages inside get messed up. For that, I have to recommend that you ditch the notebook you've been doodling in since high school, and buy one of these pronto.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Hi again from the trivia dome; Series 4 is underway this week, and I hope you'll join us over at Facebook to play the game. Just click here to get started!
The final question is a two parter; the object is to figure out the last object in the given sequence and what the sequence itself represents. Good luck!
On the television sitcom Home Improvement, what was the name of the company who sponsored the show-within-a-show, Tool Time?
Returning in 2009 to tackle issues like energy conservation and carbon footprints, what on-and-off, yet popular series created a new set of videos consisting of "Report From the North Pole", "Solar Power to the Poeple", and "The Little Things We Do"?
In 1860, what U.S. state became the first to secede from the Union?
What item comes next in the sequence, and what does the sequence represent?
1. ATL
2. PEK
3. ORD
4. ???
Good luck; reach down in the depths of your brain; I know you know these answers!
The final question is a two parter; the object is to figure out the last object in the given sequence and what the sequence itself represents. Good luck!
On the television sitcom Home Improvement, what was the name of the company who sponsored the show-within-a-show, Tool Time?
Returning in 2009 to tackle issues like energy conservation and carbon footprints, what on-and-off, yet popular series created a new set of videos consisting of "Report From the North Pole", "Solar Power to the Poeple", and "The Little Things We Do"?
In 1860, what U.S. state became the first to secede from the Union?
What item comes next in the sequence, and what does the sequence represent?
1. ATL
2. PEK
3. ORD
4. ???
Good luck; reach down in the depths of your brain; I know you know these answers!
Monday, January 10, 2011
One of the highlights of the 2010 college football season was Terrelle Pryor and a few other OSU players getting caught selling stuff and receiving benefits- obviously in violation of NCAA rules and regulations. He and a few of his teammates got caught selling jerseys and championship rings, but two items in particular stand out.
1. A Gold Pants trinket, given to OSU football players BY THE SCHOOL to commemorate each victory over despised rival Michigan. That's a slight to tradition right there, and that's a slap in the face to every player who's earned that trinket and ever player who never did.
2. Pryor's 2008 Sportsmanship Award from the Fiesta Bowl. You can't make this stuff up.
It hasn't really been brought up because of it, but I want to re-pose an issue: should college athletes be getting paid for their on-field services? I think so, maybe now more than ever.
Auburn coach Gene Chizik got paid $600,000 for winning the national championship, yet his players won't see a dollar of that. For athletics to be such an institution where love of the game is preached, these people sure do make a lot of money....extrinsic motivators much?
My point though, is even if Gene Chizik was a coaching genius, nutritional specialist, motivational speaker, and personal trainer, he wasn't the one on the field risking life, limb, and concussion every week. That's what the players do, and to give someone more than half a million dollars while giving the "grunt workers" nothing is a real slight.
Sure, student athletes do get paid in that they get a free six figure education. Whether or not they decide to stay all four years is up to them. However, NCAA athletes are not even allowed to have part time jobs on the side....and thus, this is how situations like Pryor's happen in the first place.
Sure, you have the local pizza joint who probably feeds the players on cue, and a few other town stores may slice a few bucks off the price of something now and then. But what about side money? What about wanting to buy something you want or need, or even having the opportunity to save for something bigger like nicer clothes or a down payment on a car? I'm not saying these players should be making five or six figure salaries, but I will say that the NCAA is committing highway robbery of the highest offense by not giving the players some sort of stipend.
Players can work up to 20 hours part time, but considering that their time is already spoken for the second they sign their letter of intent, where do they find the time? Sure, maybe at a D-II or D-III school, a player may have more lenient coaches who don't have rigorous off-season training. But for Oregon football, Duke basketball, or Michigan hockey, the season never ends. When the season is in full swing, players are practicing, traveling on the road, or doing some other preparation work. Then, there's the off season, where sports are less time consuming, but still time consuming. If it's not watching tape, it's conditioning. If it's not conditioning, it's some other kind of player meeting. And let's not forget that under all of these coaches and trainers pulling at you from every which way, there's still the obligation to go to class and make the grade.
The system as it is does not work, especially for D-I athletes. That is why the NCAA should pay the players a stipend taken directly from the Athletic Department budget. Considering the bowl games, hosting regional tournament series, ticket sales, TV coverage and more, most of these schools have the means to pay their players. Not every player comes from a family who has the means to fork over spending money every month- a $500 monthly stipend doesn't equal 20 hours of minimum wage work a week, but it does help pay monthly expenses, like cell phone bills, car insurance, dry cleaning, haircuts, and enough left over to have some fun money to spend with friends.
Don't get me wrong- players do receive get a free education, housing, meals, and in many cases, get to travel all over the country. But an empty wallet in college does suck. Hard. So in the end, the NCAA should pay these kids a stipend- it's pennies compared to what they really make, and they'll take a big step in the right direction towards making college athletics better for the students who build programs to where they are today.
2. Pryor's 2008 Sportsmanship Award from the Fiesta Bowl. You can't make this stuff up.
It hasn't really been brought up because of it, but I want to re-pose an issue: should college athletes be getting paid for their on-field services? I think so, maybe now more than ever.
Auburn coach Gene Chizik got paid $600,000 for winning the national championship, yet his players won't see a dollar of that. For athletics to be such an institution where love of the game is preached, these people sure do make a lot of money....extrinsic motivators much?
My point though, is even if Gene Chizik was a coaching genius, nutritional specialist, motivational speaker, and personal trainer, he wasn't the one on the field risking life, limb, and concussion every week. That's what the players do, and to give someone more than half a million dollars while giving the "grunt workers" nothing is a real slight.
Sure, student athletes do get paid in that they get a free six figure education. Whether or not they decide to stay all four years is up to them. However, NCAA athletes are not even allowed to have part time jobs on the side....and thus, this is how situations like Pryor's happen in the first place.
Sure, you have the local pizza joint who probably feeds the players on cue, and a few other town stores may slice a few bucks off the price of something now and then. But what about side money? What about wanting to buy something you want or need, or even having the opportunity to save for something bigger like nicer clothes or a down payment on a car? I'm not saying these players should be making five or six figure salaries, but I will say that the NCAA is committing highway robbery of the highest offense by not giving the players some sort of stipend.
Players can work up to 20 hours part time, but considering that their time is already spoken for the second they sign their letter of intent, where do they find the time? Sure, maybe at a D-II or D-III school, a player may have more lenient coaches who don't have rigorous off-season training. But for Oregon football, Duke basketball, or Michigan hockey, the season never ends. When the season is in full swing, players are practicing, traveling on the road, or doing some other preparation work. Then, there's the off season, where sports are less time consuming, but still time consuming. If it's not watching tape, it's conditioning. If it's not conditioning, it's some other kind of player meeting. And let's not forget that under all of these coaches and trainers pulling at you from every which way, there's still the obligation to go to class and make the grade.
The system as it is does not work, especially for D-I athletes. That is why the NCAA should pay the players a stipend taken directly from the Athletic Department budget. Considering the bowl games, hosting regional tournament series, ticket sales, TV coverage and more, most of these schools have the means to pay their players. Not every player comes from a family who has the means to fork over spending money every month- a $500 monthly stipend doesn't equal 20 hours of minimum wage work a week, but it does help pay monthly expenses, like cell phone bills, car insurance, dry cleaning, haircuts, and enough left over to have some fun money to spend with friends.
Don't get me wrong- players do receive get a free education, housing, meals, and in many cases, get to travel all over the country. But an empty wallet in college does suck. Hard. So in the end, the NCAA should pay these kids a stipend- it's pennies compared to what they really make, and they'll take a big step in the right direction towards making college athletics better for the students who build programs to where they are today.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
So today I got back to school, and as I expected, my next Netflix movie came in. I had put Scott Pilgrim vs. The World in my queue in the first week of November, just a couple days after the movie made its way to DVD. Netflix promptly informed me that considering how many had put the movie in their queue before me, I wouldn't see a copy until December 10. The day it was released, it became the top selling Blu Ray disc on Amazon.com, so I could see why this wait could take some time.
Anyways, I'm getting off track. After driving a few hours back to school, I was happy to see the DVD waiting for me in my mailbox...I promptly put it in, watched the movie (it was awesome, by the way), and decided to watch the special features right after.
THEN THIS CAME UP.
What. The. Hell?
Seriously, I get that this is no different than renting a movie on VHS 10 years ago- you get the movie, and that's it. But if you're going to include the Special Features section, then I'd like to see some special features! Might as well produce a bare bones DVD with just the movie on it- at least then I know what I'm getting into. But I hope that this isn't what Netflix is turning into- as awesome as it is, I'd hate to be swindled out of what some consider to be the best part of the movie because it gives you a more complete experience. It's like reading a Mark Twain novel from his personal set of notes (or replace Mark Twain with your favorite author-whatever works for you). What's next, TV show seasons?
I don't mind that this happened, but at least give me fair warning by omitting the section entirely, not just inserting a blocker. But you still are screwing me out of what amounts to just ten minutes of extra scenes, so there's no need to be petty in the first place.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
That is all for now. More New Year's commentary when I return to Springfield.
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Location:Matteson, IL
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