Much thanks to our intrepid host at Sporcle Live Trivia with Kuma. After a rough day at work and battling traffic jams, he made it to Johnny’s Grill and despite running a little behind schedule, we played two full, well-hosted games. Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow will keep your fearless Sporcle Live trivia host from fulfilling his sacred duties.

We brought our core quartet of team members and put in a good showing overall.

On to the show.

Game One.
1. Voice Roles: Before his death in 1997, which actor had recorded over 80% of his dialogue as the original voice of Shrek?
** Got it for 10.

2. The Moon: During which monthly phase of the moon does it disappear from view?
** Got it for 9. This I think was easy but the rest of the team was not confident. I overruled them and went up with 9 points, because when you’re right you’re right (except when you think Vladimir Lenin said religion is the opiate of the masses, but that was another game…)

3. Celebrity Marriages: Which pop singer released the single “Will You Marry Me?” in 1992, the same year she married Emilio Estevez?
** Got it for 8.

4. South America: With which country does Ecuador share its longest border: Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, or Peru?
** Got it for 2. Should have been a little more confident on this but, what can you do. You hate to be wrong (see Vladimir Lenin).

5. Sports Scandals: Which team defeated the Chicago White Sox in the 1919 World Series in what came to be known as the Black Sox scandal when players on the White Sox deliberately lost games?
** Got it for 7.

6. 2012 Comedies: In the 2012 film The Three Stooges, Moe joins the cast of which reality TV series?
** Got it for 6.

7. Beer: What brand of beer claims that part of its name comes from winning an award at the 1893 Chicago World’s Expo?
** Got it for 5.

8. Presidents: Which 19th century U.S. President and war general was nicknamed Old Hickory?
** Got it for 4. (they should have asked me who my elementary school was named after, too)

9. TV Spinoffs: The sitcom Laverne and Shirley was a spinoff from what other TV show?
** Got it for 3. [a host at another venue offered a Bonus point for naming the actresses that played the title characters. We would have gotten that, too.]

10. Plays: What play, written by Lorraine Hansberry in 1959 featured characters named Walter, Ruth, Lena, Travis, and Beneatha? Bonus point for naming the actor who played Walter in both the stage play and the 1961 film adaptation.
** Got it for 1 and got the bonus point.

Mystery Round: Add Them Up – sum of the answers to these four questions is equal to the current number of NBA teams.
1. The number of syllables in a traditional haiku.
2. The number of sides of a trapezoid.
3. The number of categories in the original version of Trivial Pursuit.
4. The number of olives in the name of a popular vodka brand introduced in 1998.

Heading into the final:
First place: More Beer Less Pants 64 (*perfect game). Second place: Real Men of Genius 59.

Final Category: Psychology
Final wager: 17
Final Question: Which psychological disorder that was once thought to be exclusive to women has a name that comes from the Greek word for “womb?”
** Got it.

First place: More Beer Less Pants 81. Second place: Real Men of Genius 79.

Game Two.
1. The Calendar: When written numerically, what is the most recent date in which each digit is an odd number (using all four digits for the year)?
** Got it for 5 (the low bet is funny because this is actually really easy. We feared trickery on Sporcle’s part.)

2. Slogans: According to an advertising slogan, what intangible thing makes a Subaru a Subaru?
** Missed it for 1 point.

3. Trophies: What kind of fruit sits atop the men’s singles Wimbledon championship trophy: apples, grapes, strawberries, or pineapple?
** Got it for 4. I think we just guessed.

4. 1980’s Movies: What professional wrestler had a major role in the 1987 film The Princess Bride? Bonus point for the character name.
** Got it for 10. Got the bonus.

5. Medical Conditions: Tennis elbow, gamer’s thumb, and carpal tunnel syndrome can all be classified as RSIs. What do the letters in RSI stand for?
** Got it for 3.

6. Video Games: Audio clip of a 1981 arcade classic.
** Got it for 9.

7. Children’s Literature: What is the name of the only female main character in the original Winnie-the-Pooh books written by A. A. Milne?
** Missed it for 2.

8. Fictional school. What title TV character attends Sunnydale High School and later UC-Sunnydale?
** Got it for 8.

x. Buffy: Who is the creator of the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
** a host at another venue asked this question instead, which our team would have gotten.

9. Heavy Metal: Eddie, also known as Eddie the Head, is the zombie-like mascot for which British heavy metal band: [another venue offered multiple choice options: Judas Priest, Slayer, Megadeth, or Iron Maiden]?
** Got it for 7 (without the multiple choice). As a youth, one of our team members was a devout metalhead. Not me, because I’m sitting here like, are Slayer and Megadeth British?

10. Spices: What spice is the dried lacy reddish covering of the nutmeg seed?
** Missed it for 6.

Visual: Got them all.

Heading into the final:
First place: Real Men of Genius 62. Second place: More Beer Less Pants 58.

Final Category: US Geography.
Final wager: 20
Final Question: Among the 48 contiguous U.S. states, which capital city lies furthest south?
** Got it, but so did the team in the lead.

Final Standings: First place: Real Men of Genius 82. Second place: More Beer Less Pants 78.