So tomorrow morning, I leave for Atlanta to moderate the High School Scholastic Bowl National Championship Tournament (just call it HSNCT....it's a mouthful, I know.) I'll be there for the entire weekend, and I'm looking forward to the tournament and all of the sharp talent that I'll be presiding over- it should be a fun event. Hopefully I get time to explore the city a little bit, especially since I have friends who live there, but the HSNCT comes first; after all, they ARE putting me up in a really nice hotel and reimbursing my plane fare.

If the hotel wi-fi is free, then I'll do my best to post pictures and anecdotes throughout the weekend; if not, then I'll get to it after I come back. Either way, keep your eyes peeled here!

Phil Jackson Circa 1974

Just thought I'd share a pic with you from Phil Jackson's playing days as a New York Knick. This is very "Mountain Man meets Alan from The Hangover".

Jackson was a reserve for the Knicks in 1973, the last year they won an NBA championship. Earning the nickname "Action Jackson", he was a fan favorite who tied for most personal fouls in the league during the 1974-75 season. Jackson played in the league from 1967 to 1980, but found a tad more success as an NBA coach.

Keeping One's Buzzer Hand Strong...

Best. Quiz Bowl Shirt. Ever.

So congratulations! You've qualified for a national quiz bowl tournament in your respective league! While tournament dates are looming, you may be feeling like the walls are closing in, and your vast array of knowledge may not be enough to bring home the title. So what do you do? Well, you've come to the right place! Whether you have one week or two months, it's never too late to improve your QB rating! Here are 7 things that can help you and your team gear up for Quiz Bowl Armageddon 2011.

1. You Don't Know Jack/ Buzz!

This is one of the easy ones in the bunch; usually you'll get one of these a game so your friends can get at least one right.

If you're a console gamer, you've got  a couple of great options here; Xbox gamers only have YDKJ at their disposal, but PS3 gamers have both. Either way, You Don't Know Jack is, in my opinion, the better option.The facts you learn are actually quite useful, and quite a few questions have prompted me to do some follow-up research to learn more. The questions are always asked in an entertaining matter; one notable question asks you to figure out how many of the "Rub A Dub Dub" nursery rhyme characters would survive if they were passengers on the Titanic. The game's host, Cookie Masterson, is hilarious, and makes you want to play 5 or 6 games in one sitting. If you want to just download the demo, you get two full episodes, but for $30, you get just under 75 distinct episodes, and two add-on packs (10 episodes each) are available in the online store at $5 a pop. HIGHLY recommended.

Buzz! is a great game in it's own right; it presents its question material more traditionally, but the game is just as fun. The normal rounds are great, as they can be frantic, but there's a lot more "screw your neighbor" in Buzz than in YDKJ. Buzz, however, has it's own advantages. Since it has already been out for two and a half years, there are a bevy of question packs, ranging from sports to National Geographic. There's also "Sofa vs. Sofa", where four people on your console can play 4 people on a console somewhere else in the world. It's a great option for schools who want to battle in the offseason! The other advantage to the game being out for so long is that you can find it (and the accompanying buzzers) for 20 or 30 bucks.

2. Buffalo Wild Wings

In many cases, I've found that the team who chows down together wins big together. So why not take your talents to BWW, and while you're at it, take in a few Buzztime matches? Buzztime is a trivia company whose end product you normally see in sports bars; a bunch of TVs are set up around the restaurant to allow tables to play various trivia games against one another (which explains the ugly blue keypads). Of course, if you start losing, just remember that it's still 50 cent Wing Wednesdays, and your coach is probably footing the bill.  Either way, you win.

3. Jeopardy! Archive

The second game of Myron Meyer, once the one-day winnings record holder on Jeopardy! at $50,000. Do you know who holds the record now?

THE definitive source of material for former Jeopardy champions and future competitors alike, the Jeopardy! Archive (www.j-archive.com) contains a cavalcade of Jeopardy! clues. But that's not just it- it's so much more. The archive looks, upon first glance, like an episode guide. But click on the episode and you'll see every clue from that episode, who got each one right/wrong (just hover over the dollar amount), the order in which the clues were picked, and more. You can even do a search on the site to find every instance of your favorite category or your favorite player and your other favorite player. Because the answers (or questions, in this case) are hidden, it allows you to play along with minimal cheating. This is a superb resource, and I know many people who've used it to sharpen their skills.

4.Sporcle

This quiz is called History Never Retweets; you have to figure out what historical figure would have been credited with each of these tweets. Within days of being posted, this quiz had been played more than 60,000 times.

I stumbled upon Sporcle in May of 2008. Since then, it has really blown up. Now, I'm not taking full credit for the success of the site, but I have told just about everyone I know about it, so I'm guessing that it helped somewhat. In a nutshell, there's thousands of "quizzes" to choose from. They go from being as mundane as typing in the numbers from 1 to 100 (the fifth most popular "quiz" of all time) to World Cup Hosts to Best Picture Oscar Winners. You have a time limit to complete each quiz, and a fun practice tool is setting up two computers and seeing who can complete a specific quiz faster- those practices always flew by.

5. Brain Foods

I don't recommend changing your eating habits so closely to a big tournament unless whatever you're eating now makes you feel like crap. But basic, healthy foods are always a good choice- apples, sandwiches, smoothies, and fish are all great choices to help keep you alert and awake all throughout the day- this is especially important when you're playing 5 or more matches in a single day. Some tournaments schedule teams to play 10 matches on round robin day, so this small change could mean a world of difference in the way you play in your late afternoon games.

6. Reinforce What You Know

Players tend to overworry when tourney time rolls around, doubtful of the knowledge they've picked up over the season. Adding deeper knowledge to subject matter you already know is fine, but if you're not the team history buff, don't all of a sudden crack open a US History book the week before; it'll only push you closer to panic mode and could possibly lower your confidence in other categories. If you are going to learn a brand new subject, give yourself enough time to learn it; ONLY CRAM IF IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

7. Relax!

This advice can be taken a few different ways:

Pre-game: try not to wear yourself out before a big tournament, and don't get too worked up. Get lots of rest, and try to stick to a pre-game routine that calms your nerves. 

In-game: If your opponents are leading, calm down. Even if they're pulling off a late game rally and/or the score is close near the end of the game, stick to your game plan. Don't get too aggressive to overcompensate; that traditionally leads to more minus fives than plus tens.  

Post-game-If you lose, let the loss go. Don't point fingers, try not to get upset, and just brush it off. Thinking about a loss will only cause you to lose focus in future games.

As a former player, I know how hard relaxing can be- for a lot of us, this is our "sport". We practice all year to reach the big matches, and it's hard to not get worked up when things don't go as planned. I've been there many times. Just always keep in mind what's best for the team; your positive attitude will go a long way to helping your team succeed!

That's all for now; good luck to you in the upcoming tourney season; if you're not participating, then sharpen your wits, check out these tips, and stay tuned in May for more advice as the new season begins!

The Three Towers of Trivia, February 15

I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day, and I hope there are many more good ones in the cards for you!

Today, we're dealing with wordplay: I've got four....count em, 4, sets of words. Each set of words can all be followed by the same word to make four compund words, phrases, or names. For example, If I say STOP, HEAD, FLASH, and MOON, the correct answer would be LIGHT.

Here's the catch: The four correct answers in this puzzle are all followed by a common word as well: that's where you'll earn your fifth point today. Good luck!

1. CHOWDER, COPPER, HAMMER, LETTER
2. CLAIM, HIGH, SKI, TRIPLE
3. SCISSOR, CORNER, DROP, SIDE
4. CHIN, PULL, PUSH, SIT
5. ANSWER 1, ANSWER 2, ANSWER 3, ANSWER 4

The Three Towers of Trivia, February 8

Yeah, I know I was supposed to post 3 days ago...but grad school is hard, people. Now if you want to donate to my grad school tuition fund, I'd be more than happy to drink away..er...invest your donations!

Anyway, take a stab at these Famous Franks:

1. What Famous Frank was a musician who begat children named Dweezil, Ahmet, and Moon Unit?

2. What Famous Frank was not only the voice of Yoda, but also the creator of Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear?

3. What Famous Frank directed the classic films Mr Smith Goes to Washington, You Can't Take it With You, and It's a Wonderful Life?

4. What Famous Frank was played by Will Ferell in the 2003 comedy "Old School"? I'll take the real last name or the more famous nickname.

5. What Famous Frank's son was the inventor of Lincoln Logs?

The Three Towers of Trivia, January 27

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 18

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!

The Three Towers of Trivia, January 11

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 Three Towers of Trivia, December 10

Here is my final set of questions this season on The Three Towers of Trivia...I may post from the backlog over our break, but fresh new questions won't be coming out of the oven for four weeks. Anyhoo, this is one of the tougher sets I've written, so have your way with it.

There are TWELVE questions in this set, and for good reason...every correct answer in this set is a twelve letter word. Keep that in mind as you answer.

GOOD LUCK!

1. Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia are all designated as what type of community, meaning that they have a government based on the consent of the people?

2. What 1818 novel carried the subtitle "The Modern Prometheus"?

3. Made from a base of sugar, water, and softened gelatin, what sweet treats were once used as a remedy for sore throats?

4. If you're having probems with your colon, what type of doctor would you have to see?

5. What extreme sport has been contested at the Olympic Games since 1998?

6. Since it can be pinned to no specific value, what term does Merriam Webster define as "immeasurably wealthy people"?

7. What adjective describes Edison's electric bulb, successfully tested in October 1879?

8. I.M. Pei and Mies van der Rohe were widely known for wheir work in what field?

9. Used for the production of certain metals and their resistance to corrosion, what process is also used to permanently remove human hair?

10. If you're being gurded by a player from the Washington Generals, what are you?

11. Beluga whales use what system where their reflected sounds help them to gauge distances?

12. What type of college class are you normally required to take and pass before you can enroll in a more advanced one?

ANSWERS:
1. Commonwealth
2. Frankenstein
3. Marshmallows
4. Proctologist
5. Snowboarding
6. Zillionaires
7. Incandescent
8. Architecture
9. Electrolysis
10.Globetrotter
11. Echolocation
12. Prerequisite

The Three Towers of Trivia, December 8

Hi all. Well, the playoff are underway, and we decided to so something a little different. While Kevin posted his "chain" round, where one answer finishes the next question, I have a new round called "Dead or Canadian?".

I took the name from the round of the same name on the TV game show, Remote Control. They gave a name, and players had to identify them as Dead, Canadian, or both.

My round is not just people, though. I take interesting pairs, and try to see if you can identify which group each item belongs in- so it's more like Dis or Dat from You Don't Know Jack, or the board game Split Decision.

Anyhoo, here are 9 pairs for you- see if you can guess what goes where!

Buzzbee- Cereal Mascot or Social Networking Site?

Bladdernut- Medical Condition or Type of Tree?

King Randor- Power Rangers villain or He-Man ally?

Billy Mays- Dead or Canadian...or both?

The Great Giana Sisters- Porno or Video Game?

Jazzberry Jam- Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Flavor or Crayola Crayon color?

Mayfair- Federal Prison or UK Monopoly Propoerty?

Anthony Eden- Celebrity Chef or UK Prime Minister?

Hokkaido- Japanese dog or Japanese delicacy...or both?

The Three Towers of Trivia, November 30th

Today's the last day of November, so let's end it by doing something a little bit different!

I'll give you a movie's year, the character's real name, and the actor who portrayed him or her- you give me the character's better known name or nickname. You'll get bonus points in my book if you can name three of the movies, and an air high five if you can name all 5 movies.

1978, John Blutarsky, played by John Belushi
1986, Pete Mitchell, played by Tom Cruise
1991, Jame Gumb, played by Ted Levine
2003, James P. Sullivan, played by John Goodman
2009, Claireece P. Jones, played by Gabourey Sidibe

Oh, and by the way, I'm giving away a $35 gift card on my blog, and today's the last day to enter! Click HERE for your chance to win!

ANSWERS:
Bluto, Animal House
Maverick, Top Gun
Buffalo Bill, The Silence of the Lambs
Sully, Monster's Inc
Precious, Precious

The Three Towers of Trivia, November 16

Since the Facebook game is taking a break to scarf down some turkey next week, I may pose some old questions from the archive to keep you guessing!

What first name is shared by Mr. Ratburn of the PBS series Arthur, the producer of the TV series American Idol, and the host of a fictional documentary series on Nickelodeon?

What candy's wrapper features a smiling red balloon on it?

iPhones are to iOS as Palm phones are to what?

The 2010 MLS season culminates with the MLS Cup this coming Sunday. Name the two teams playing in that championship game.

Qranking out Questions

If you don't know yet, I'm a HUGE trivia buff. So it comes as no surprise that Qrank is one of my favorite trivia apps on the iOS, and even if you don't have an iDevice, you can still play the game by finding it on Facebook. The best part? IT'S FREE.

A game of Qrank in progress. Note the
three current events questions in the
400 point zone marked with a leaf. There's
also a question counter at the top that
keeps a tally of right and wrong answers
for that game.

The premise is simple: there's a game board with 20 questions, as seen to the right. Questions are ordered by difficulty and split into zones worth 200, 400, and 1000 points. Each day, 4 different categories are used, and any unused question with a leaf on it means that the question covers current events, so if you're an avid news reader, you're more apt to be more successful with those questions. You can play any 15 questions on the board, but the big catch is that you can only play the game once a day. So once you've played all 15 questions, you're done.

The game has a cavalcade of achievement badges attached to it- one of the most notorious being one that requires you to play the game every day for 365 days. But the one that I was most adamant about earning is called "Published", and is only given to players whose submitted questions are used in the game. It's a really smart way for Qrank's creators to generate content without running into writer's block.

So I've submitted a couple questions, but imagine my surprise when I saw that I had earned the Published Badge myself. I was a little nervous because I hadn't played the game in about a week, and my question could have been used anytime over that span. But I was lucky enough to catch it on the day it was used- the writers edited my question by switching the question content and the post-question anecdote, but I'm ecstatic that it was even used in the first place. Check it out below- sorry I didn't get screens of the four answer choices.

If you're not playing Qrank, you need to. Even if you're not a trivia buff, it's a great way to spend a couple of minutes each day- hey, you may even have a shot at beating my score!

Google Loves Me, This I Know

Not too long after I posted the latest set of trivia questions, Drew Scott from the incredibly awesome blog Blasters to Babies told me that he looked up the answer to one of my trivia questions, and lo and behold, my blog was the #1 return on Google. Drew even captured the screen, so I could trophy it around all day and night.

Life is good if you're the Trivia and Pancakes man.

The Three Towers of Trivia, November 9

Another Tuesday, another set of questions- Answer if you dare.

A famous Saturday Night Live sketch from the 1980s involved what singer having a Celebrity Hot Tub Party?

San Francisco has taken the first steps in becoming the first US city to potentially not offer what in a Happy Meal?

Tim Kitzrow gained fame as the play by play announcer for what sports game series?

Known for their K-Cup brewing system, what company also makes their own line of single-serve coffee makers?

What Las Vegas hotel was famous for a 1980 fire, a 1986 sale to Bally's, and a totally new iteration which opened in 1993?

ANSWERS:
1. James Brown
2. Toy
3. NBA Jam
4. Keurig
5. MGM Grand

The Three Towers of Trivia, November 2

Happy Tuesday! Here are your questions:

With 918 deaths, what single event caused the largest death of American citizens in a non-natural disaster until the events of 9/11?

What famous battle is the focal point of Shakespeare's play Henry V?

The Chilean flag most resembles the flag of which U.S. State?

What longtime announcer on the TV game show Wheel of Fortune passed away this Halloween in his Los Angeles home?

The "Canary" in Canary Islands refers to what type of animal?

ANSWERS:
1. Jonestown Massacre
2. Battle of Agincourt
3. Texas
4. Charlie O' Donnell
5. Dog

The Three Towers of Trivia, October 27

Hey! Well, here's the final set for this week:

A former executive at what cell phone company recently said that manufacturers who use Android are like Finnish boys who "pee in their pants" for warmth in the winter?

A museum in what city recently held a contest whose winner would get to live at the museum for an entire month?

What product's commercials, featuring people who solved problems like broken heels and wet paint on suits, always ended with the line "The Freshmaker"?

What Constitutional amendment gives you the right to a speedy trial?

IT'S TIME FOR AN EXTRA HALLOWEEN CANDY BONUS!!!!!!!!!!

According to a recent study by USA Today, parents eat what percent of their children's Halloween candy? (It's not an off kilter number, like 13 or 81.)

In the General Mills Monster Cereal line, Count Chocula is the most popular of the three remaining ghouls, Name his two cohorts who usually have their own cereals during the Halloween season.

In the Halloween film series, Michael Myers' mask is molded in the shape of what celebrity?

ANSWERS
1. Nokia
2. Chicago
3. Mentos
4. 6th Amendment
5. 50%
6. Boo Berry and Frankenberry
7. William Shatner

The Three Towers of Trivia, October 26

Happy Tuesday, people! Have a crack at these:

Friends is to Central Perk as How I Met Your Mother is to where?

What man replaced Gordon Brown as UK Prime Minister in May 2010?

What team won their last NBA championship in 1971, despite having 25 playoff appearances in the 39 years since?

Name the word by it's definitions- a. history of reports or past events; b. score, grounds; c. a contractual relationship of brokerage or other business services

What cheerleading company, which has nearly 30 subsidiaries, has recently been criticized for a number of conflict of interest offenses?

Think you can beat the pants off our current players? Have a crack at it HERE!

ANSWERS:
1. MacLaren's
2. David Cameron
3. Milwaukee Bucks
4. Account
5. Varsity Brands

The Three Towers of Trivia, October 19

We're in Week 3 of our third season, and I've got another five questions to question! Have a look:

What former CEO of eBay is currently running for Governor of California?

If the NHL Winter Classic curse holds up this year, what team will lose in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals?

What is the only word in the English language to have three consecutive sets of double letters?

What is Simpsons character Nelson Muntz's middle name?

Running for Governor of New York, Jimmy McMillan represents what party whose name shares a common New York sentiment?

Click on the "Read On" hyperlink to get the answers!

The Three Towers of Trivia, October 12

Week 2 is underway, and I'm up! Well, here's this week's five, which will be posted to Facebook later this morning:

1. What French stew, mainly consisting of fish, vegetables, and shellfish, gets its name from the Occitan words for "simmer" and "boil"?

2. The guitar riff from the song "Edge of Seventeen" by Stevie Nicks was sampled in that 2001 chart topper?

3. Alphabetically, what US state capital comes first?

4. How many stars are in the current NFL logo?

5. What book opens with the line, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"?


ANSWERS:
1. Bouillabaisse
2. Bootylicious, Destiny's Child
3. Albany, New York
4. Eight
5. A Tale of Two Cities