Sometimes the trivia gods really do hear your prayers! When we had a question about “hit songs” in a recent virtual Stump! game, I looked up to the heavens and prayed:

“Please be about music that I know.”

Then, being that the question was audio, I was like “Ooh, ooh – I know what that song is – and that one, and that one (clips from three different songs by the band were played). Too bad we didn’t get as excited when it came to the final question, ugh…what would we know about “wealth,” anyway? When you do a Costco run because you want to save a few bucks on a bottle of Kirkland vodka, you’re probably not going to be hob nobbing with billionaires!

In a strange turn of events, we wound up acing a mystery round about Emmy winning TV! I know, I know, I wouldn’t believe it if I were reading what I just wrote, either!

Here were our questions:

1) Technology – What Amazon product was first introduced in 2007 and has a name meaning “to set on fire” or “inspire”?

2) Book to Movie – What 2004 film is the only one adapted from a Nicholas Sparks novel to have a Rotten Tomatoes critics’ approval rating above 50%? I feel almost ashamed for knowing this answer – but scout’s honor, I have never, ever seen the movie!

3) Hall of Fame – Baseball Hall of Famers Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, and Tim Raines are depicted on their plaques wearing the logo of what team? Nope, miss.

4) Firsts – Designed by L.A. Thompson, and one of the first of its kind, what type of amusement park ride opened at Coney Island, New York, in 1884, allowing patrons to travel up to six miles an hour? Wow, six whole miles per hour! So much faster than a horse drawn carriage, right? We missed this.

Mystery One

Name the U.S. state based on the text found on the reverse side of its quarter in the 50 State Quarters series. Also given is the year of the quarter’s release.

M1) “Crossroads of the Revolution” (1999)

M2) “Jamestown, 1607–2007,” “Quadricentennial” (2000)

M3) “Foundation in Education,” “Grant Wood” (2004)

M4) “Big Sky Country” (2007)

We missed #1.

Round Two

1) Animals – What animal is known by many names in Chinese, including ones that translate to mean “bamboo bear” and “bear cat?”

2) Hit Songs – The songs in the following clip are the highest-charting Billboard Hot 100 singles by what band? The songs were “Pictures of You,” “Friday I’m In Love,” and “Just Like Heaven.” That last one is one near and dear to mine and my husband’s hearts (it will make us both pretty mushy if we are in the right moods)!

NERD POINT: What is the name of this band’s lead singer?

Yeah, you know we got this nerd point!

3) Oil – As of 2020, what is the largest oil company by revenue that is headquartered in the United States?

4) Drinks – What is the colorful three-word term for a beer cocktail that consists of a pale beer and a dark beer? Damn, it’s so hard to pour one of these perfectly…

Mystery Two

Name the TV series that won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series for its first season based on the year and a selection of the cast.

M1) 1979 – Judd Hirsch, Marilu Henner, and Tony Danza

M2) 1988 – Dan Lauria, Alley Mills, and Jason Hervey

M3) 2007 – Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, and Keith Powell

M4) 1967 – Davy Jones, Peter Tork, and Michael Nesmith

According to Forbes, as of 2021, there are seven U.S. states that are home to at least 20 billionaires, including California, New York, and Florida.

Name two of the other four states with at least 20 billionaires.

We got one correct state, not both. I mentioned “that one state that that one billionaire lives in,” though we weren’t sure if he was the only billionaire living there, or was one of many billionaires. Darn, turns out there are lots of billionaires in that state – and maybe – just maybe – they drink Kirkland American vodka! You’re not going to be a billionaire for long if you drink only Billionaire vodka (yes that is a vodka brand)!

Virtual trivia is always a nice diversion even if you don’t know enough about billionaires and where they live! As always, Go Pods, and stay classy, Robert Smith!