Polar Vortex

January 16-17, 2015

On-Air Questions and Songs

Number 1
Realm Cold
Subrealm Really Really Cold
Question At the end of each year, Lake Superior State University releases a list of @Banished Words@ that should be discontinued in the upcoming year. One of the phrases on the list for 2015 is near and dear to our hearts and quite necessary to the running of this contest. Sorry, LSSU, what is this banished phrase?
Answer Polar Vortex
Song Cold as Ice
Artist Foreigner
Hint The first question of each trivia contest is always the name of the host team.
Number 2
Realm Famous People
Subrealm That no one's Ever Heard of
Question Some of you might know Maarten de Jonge as an amateur Dutch cyclist. However, on July 17th, 2014 he was dubbed the luckiest man alive. What happened that earned him this prestigious title?
Answer He was scheduled to fly MH17 and MH370 but changed tickets last minute
Song I Believe I can Fly
Artist R. Kelly
Hint We all want to avoid layovers
Number 3
Realm Canvassing
Subrealm Not the Political Kind
Question Which famous painter served as a military training instructor for the US Air Force?
Answer Bob Ross
Song Joy to the World
Artist Three Dog Night
Hint He was a real joy to serve under.
Number 4
Realm French radio
Subrealm I know you all listen to it
Question In France, between the hours of 8 am and 8 pm, what requirement is placed on French radio broadcast stations?
Answer 70% of the music on the radio must be by French composers. (accept "most songs must be in french")
Song Turn your radio on
Artist Andy Griffith
Hint Fans of Ravel and Debussy would be very happy.
Number 5
Realm Galactic Smugglers
Subrealm TOES!
Question Many Star Wars fans remember several controversial changes added to the 1997 rerelease of the Star Wars original trilogy. One more obscure change regards the scene in which Han Solo is dangling by his toes on a skiff trying to rescue Lando. What new addition was added to this scene in the special edition and what was its purported purpose? (No we are not refering to the Sarlac Pit's beak)
Answer Some chords were added around Han's ankles. Previously he was hanging solely by his toes which was considered impossible
Song Hanging By a Moment
Artist Lifehouse
Hint Apparently Han's toes aren't very strong
Number 6
Realm We speak French
Subrealm And we hope you do too
Question We all know that French people are unfailingly polite. There's a cafe in France that made headlines when it jokingly advertised a discount for customers who uttered what two phrases?
Answer Bonjour and Si vous plait (Hello and Please)
Song Hello Goodbye
Artist Beatles
Hint If you ask nicely, you'll get a hint
Number 7
Realm Strange Laws
Subrealm That we wish we were making up
Question This is a three-point play. In 2000, in the French village of Le Lavandou, Mayor Gir Bernardi issued a strange decree, forbidding the residents of the village from engaging in a common activity. For the first point, what was that activity? For the second point, why did he issue this decree?
Answer 1: Dying; 2: There was no more room in the village's cemeteries ( but a law requires that there be burial space for anyone who dies in the village. )
Song C'est La Vie
Artist B*Witched
Hint I'm pretty sure the wrongdoers aren't going anywhere. In any event it would be difficult to punish them.
Number 8
Realm Arsonists
Subrealm In Denial
Question In his 1989 hit single "We Didn't Start the Fire," Billy Joel lists a number of people, places, and events that made headlines between his birth in 1949 and the song's release. A lot can happen in 40 years, but some people managed to persist. That is, Joel names certain individuals not once but twice in the song. There are two such people; who are they?
Answer JFK and Richard Nixon
Song We Didn't Start The Fire
Artist Billy Joel
Hint They're both Americans.
Number 9
Realm We still didn't start the fire
Subrealm But we did build a roller coaster
Question One of the events mentioned in "We Didn't Start the Fire" is the roller coaster wars. In the late 80s, various amusement parks raced to build the largest and fastest roller coasters. Important victories in these wars included the construction of the first coasters to exceed 200, 300, and then 400 ft. in height and/or vertical drop. Which amusement park can boast these accomplishments, and thus victory in the roller coaster wars?
Answer Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio). It is the most popular seasonal amusement park in the US, with over 3 million visitors each year.
Song Love Rollercoaster
Artist The Ohio Players
Hint The song's artist gives you the location of the amusement park.
Number 10
Realm Economic Trends
Subrealm That really don't tell us anything
Question According to a survey conducted by Visa Inc. in May, while a lucky 2% of children received $50 during each transaction involving this item, most had to settle for much less. On average, the payout per item was $3.40, down 8% from 2013 after three consecutive years of growth. What is this item?
Answer A tooth
Song Smile
Artist Uncle Kracker
Hint You've probably lost one more than once.
Number 11
Realm 'MURICA
Subrealm 'nough said
Question "We built it, we paid for it, it's ours, and we're going to keep it." These words were uttered by former Governor of California Ronald Reagan as he campaigned for the Republican nomination for the 1976 presidential election. Of course, he would go on to lose the nomination to incumbent Gerald Ford, who would not win reelection. What was Reagan referring to?
Answer Panama Canal
Song Mine, Mine, Mine
Artist Pochohantas; Danny Elfman (David Ogden Stiers)
Hint Despite Reagan's insistence, we did not in fact keep this, nor do we have control over it today.
Number 12
Realm Worthless Lawsuits
Subrealm Well, almost worthless
Question Your right to a trial by jury is protected by the seventh amendment except when the outcome would not be deemed valuable enough. How much money must be at stake for your 7th amendment right to be protected?
Answer $20
Song If I Had a Million Dollars
Artist Barenaked Ladies
Hint It may have been a lot of money back then, but it doesn't even qualify for free shipping on Amazon now.
Number 13
Realm Double Dipping
Subrealm In Fame and Glory
Question This author was the last to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction twice.
Answer John Updike
Song It Takes Two
Artist Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston
Hint He really liked rabbits and apparently so did the Pulitzer Board
Number 14
Realm PUPPIES!!!!!
Subrealm Not Actually
Question What do the authors George Orwell, Lemony Snicket, and E.L. James all have in common?
Answer All wrote under psuedonyms. George Orwell is really Eric Arthur Blair, Lemony Snicket is really Daniel Handler, and E.L. James is really Erika Leonard (née Mitchell).
Song Paperback Writer
Artist The Beatles
Hint You could add Lewis Carroll and Mark Twain to this list.
Number 15
Realm PUPPIES!!!
Subrealm For real this time
Question A 2013 study found that dogs are sensitive to small variations in magnetic fields. In particular the results showed that dogs predominantly align their bodies with the north south axis when doing what?
Answer Poop
Song The Scatman
Artist Scatman John
Hint There are only so many things that dogs do... This is one of them
Number 16
Realm PANDAS!!!!
Subrealm Because who doesn't love pandas?
Question Normally giant pandas at the Zoo Atlanta are given a traditional Chinese name after 100 days determined by public voting; however in 2011 the zoo's latest cub did not go through the usual voting process. What was this cub's name and who was she named after?
Answer Po named after the character from Kung Fu Panda
Song Kung Fu Fighting
Artist Carl Douglas
Hint Ask Jack Black
Number 17
Realm Unintended Side Effects
Subrealm That do not involve paralysis, severe burns, or falling asleep
Question In 1997 an episode of the Pokemon tv series was banned in Japan after a single day on air. What was the episode and what was the reason for its banning?
Answer Electric Soldier Porygon, it caused seizures (Accept Electric Hero Porygon, or any variant thereof)
Song Together In Electric Dreams
Artist Philip Oakley and Georgio Moroder
Hint There were lots of flashing lights and colors
Number 18
Realm Protect our Children
Subrealm from Saturday Morning Cartoons
Question There are lots of reasons people can think of to complain about a cartoon show, but this one seems uniquely odd. Why did Malaysia censor Might Morphin' Power Rangers, and what was the compromise reached so that the show could stay on the air?
Answer Censors thought "Morphin'" sounded too much like "morphine" and would encourage kids to do drugs. The show was allowed back on the air with the offending word dropped from its title, as "Mighty Power Rangers." Which sounds kind of dumb. But not dumber than thinking the show's title promoted morphine use in the first place.
Song Rehab
Artist Amy Winehouse
Hint Don't do drugs kids
Number 19
Realm Programming Languages
Subrealm Named after reptiles
Question Guido van Rossum is the creator of the programming language Python. What is the somewhat unusual honorific bestowed upon him by his followers?
Answer Benevolent dictator for life
Song Anaconda
Artist Nicki Minaj
Hint It's the sort of title Kim Jong-un would give himself
Number 20
Realm IT'S SO INTENSE
Subrealm WHAT DOES IT MEAN???
Question While human eyes have 3 types of cones for distinguishing colors, this aquatic animal has 15 types of cones allowing them to distinguish many more types of colors. (Imagine this animal's reaction to a double rainbow!) What is this fearsome predator of the seas?
Answer mantis shrimp
Song The Rainbow Connection
Artist Kermit the Frog (from the Muppet Movie)
Hint It's two animals for the price of one
Number 21
Realm Dogs and Cats
Subrealm But Mostly Cats
Question Where might a feline-loving art aficionado go in Amsterdam to get their fix?
Answer KattenKabinet, the cat museum
Song Can't Hug Every Cat
Artist eHarmony Cat Lover/Debbie the Online Dater)
Hint You might find a collection of ancient hairballs there
Number 22
Realm Dogs and Cats
Subrealm But Mostly Dogs
Question On July 4th, 2014, Joey Chestnut won the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest for the eighth year in a row. However, his rival and fellow professional eater Takeru Kobayashi was not on hand to challenge him. In fact, Kobayashi, known for popularizing the Solomon Method of eating hot dogs and winner of six Nathan's contests, has not participated since 2009. Why has he not competed in a Nathan's contest since?
Answer Kobayashi refuses to sign a contract with Major League Eating, the sponsor of the contest, so he is not allowed to participate.
Song Hound Dog
Artist Elvis
Hint It's not that he physically can't, but he's not allowed... why?
Number 23
Realm Small Businesses
Subrealm Attack of the Hipsters
Question There are all sorts of strange and trendy establishments popping up in hip neighborhoods these days, and one of the most baffling among them is Molecule, located in New York City. What kind of business is it?
Answer A water cafe
Song Have you ever seen the Rain?
Artist Creedence Clearwater Revival
Hint It's a great place to quench your thirst
Number 24
Realm Fun with Acronyms
Subrealm That you can pronounce
Question According to the New York Times, the initialism LGBTQIA has been increasingly used as a more inclusive term to reference the non-heterosexual population. However, there is still some disagreement over this term, as it leaves out those that are unidentified. What is a "blanket" term that is being used to remedy this omission?
Answer QUILTBAG: Q - Queer and Questioning U - Unidentified I - Intersex L - Lesbian T - Transgender, Transexual B - Bisexual A - Asexual G - Gay, Genderqueer (MODERATORS: ACCEPT JUST THE ACRONYM)
Song Same Love
Artist Macklemore
Hint Add in one letter and re-arrange them
Number 25
Realm Famous Cartel Leaders
Subrealm and Their Doped Swag
Question Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar devised a plethora of ways to sneak cocaine into the United States. His chemists mixed the cocaine into a chemical solution and soaked a particular type of clothing, which was then exported. Those on the receiving end would wring out the clothing and treat the solution to reclaim the cocaine. What type of clothing was this?
Answer Designer jeans (MODERATORS: Accept jeans)
Song Low
Artist Flo Rida
Hint Someone on your team is probably wearing this
Number 26
Realm WORDS
Subrealm that people love to argue about
Question The octopus, or as internet guru Ze Frank calls it "the floppy, floppy spider of the sea," is a pretty weird animal. However, when there are more than one, many people can't decide what to call them. Given the etemology of the word, what is the most correct pluralization of the word "octopus"?
Answer Octopuses (The plural of octopus is octopuses. The world "octopus" comes from the Greek, októpus, meaning "eight foot." The word's Greek roots means it's pluralized as a Greek word, too, which depends on both a noun's gender and the last letter it ends with. In this case, an -es is simply tacked on. So no octopi, octopodes or octopussies, Harmon Courage points out.)
Song Octopus's Garden by the Beatles
Artist The Beatles
Hint It's simpler than you'd think.
Number 27
Realm Nerd feuds
Subrealm Like emacs v. vim, but even more trivial
Question The internet is rife with images of the file type .GIF, but many people disagree on the correct way to pronounce this type. What is the correct pronunciation of this file extension, and why did the developers specify it that way?
Answer Jiff. "Choosy [developers] choose jiff"
Song Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
Artist Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
Hint They loved their PB&J
Number 28
Realm This realm is so meta
Subrealm Even this sub-realm. Don't you think?
Question When characters in a book, stage production, or film "break the fourth wall," they are not necessarily destroying a physical structure. Instead, they are acknowledging that their experiences are being presented to an external audience. However, that doesn't mean a wall won't be destroyed in the process. In a popular 1970s children's book, the protagonist not only addresses the reader, he pleads with them not to continue reading the book. At one point, he builds a brick wall to prevent the reader from advancing, which is destroyed when the page is turned. What is this classic of children's literature?
Answer The Monster at the End of This Book
Song The Monster Mash
Artist Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt Kickers
Hint The main character is afraid of something at the end of this book.
Number 29
Realm In Soviet Russia,
Subrealm Cartoons Watch You
Question During the Cold War, the US and Soviet Union competed in a variety of endeavors: nuclear armament, space technology, and children's cartoons. Yes, that's right. In 1969, the USSR adapted a beloved British children's book into a short film, just a few years after a similar film was released in American theaters. In addition to artistic differences, the Russian version of the protagonist was much more of a philosopher than his American counterpart, with musings such as "Why does honey exist? For me to eat it - I think so." Who is this character?
Answer Winnie the Pooh (Vinnie Pooh)
Song Back in the USSR
Artist The Beatles
Hint What well-known character likes to eat honey?
Number 30
Realm The Neverending Story
Subrealm of Road Construction
Question In 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 into law, authorizing the construction of the Interstate highway system. In 1992, the system was declared complete. But this is not the case, as there remains one piece of interstate left to be built under the original Act. The completion of which primary interstate highway, needing just an interchange, will finish the original interstate system?
Answer I-95 (Pennsylvania)
Song Bless the Broken Road
Artist Rascall Flats
Hint It's east of the Mississippi
Number 31
Realm Ancient history
Subrealm VHS tapes
Question This is a three-point play. In the early days of home video casettes, movies released on VHS did not include commercials. This all changed in 1987. For one point, which movie, released by Paramount Pictures, became the first to break the so-called "commercial on home video" barrier? For the second point, what company or product did this commercial advertise?
Answer 1: Top Gun 2: Diet Pepsi
Song Video Killed the Radio Star
Artist The Buggles
Hint It's not Bottom Sword
Number 32
Realm Always Factcheck Your Sources
Subrealm Advice from Abraham Lincoln in 1992
Question [Horrible Song Quartet] Polish newspaper Gazeta Olsztynskacheck mistook a fan-created image of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics mascots for the real one, running the fan art in a front page story. In addition to the real mascots, there was an additional character in the picture who was not sanctioned by the IOC. Who was this character?
Answer Pedobear (4chan)
Song Bed Intruder (Hide your Kids, Hide your Wife)
Artist Antoine Dodson or The Gregory Brothers
Hint Don't let your children near this mascot. Just don't. Trust us.
Number 33
Realm Things you wouldn't want to do on national television
Subrealm Or at all for that matter
Question [Horrible Song Quartet] NBC's reality television show Fear Factor was known for designing intense stunts to challenge contestants both physically and mentally. Among them, contestants were tasked with jumping off buildings, drinking blood, eating animal intestines, shaving their heads, and even getting a permanent tattoo. Although Fear Factor has since been cancelled, there is another Emmy-winning show still on the air that has subjected contestants to all of the above tasks. Which show is this?
Answer The Amazing Race
Song Run Joey Run
Artist Cast of Glee
Hint You'll be traveling the world as you do those activities
Number 34
Realm Christmas
Subrealm The scary kind
Question [Horrible Song Quartet] He is Father Christmas' wingman, punishing naughty children with threats of physical violence and kidnapping, if not uncomfortable situations. He is covered in fur and usually depicted with one human foot and one hoof. Immortalized on Christmas greeting cards from the Germanic nations around the Alps, who is this demonic creature?
Answer Krampus!
Song Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Artist Miranda Sings
Hint More recently he has appeared on adult cartoons The Venture Bros. and American Dad.
Number 35
Realm This is Trivia!!!
Subrealm But you don't need to answer in the form of a question.
Question [Horrible Song Quartet] In February of 2005, Ellen DeGeneres invited Alex Trebek as a guest to her self-titled talk show, then in its second season. However, this wasn't her first time teaming up with the long-time Jeopardy host. What was Ellen's first collaboration with Alex Trebek?
Answer Ellen's Energy Adventure, a show at Epcot created in 1996 that also includes Bill Nye "The Science Guy" and Jamie Lee Curtis
Song Ellen Degeneres
Artist Lil' B
Hint These weren't the only stars involved in this production... Bill Nye "the Science Guy" also plays a prominent role
Number 36
Realm Common Threads
Subrealm Don't forget about the Ultra-Bonus
Question [And one more bonus horrible song just for you] What do Henry Kissinger (1976), Whoopi Goldberg (1990), Nelson Mandela (1996), and Pope John Paul II (2000) all have in common?
Answer They are all honorary Harlem Globetrotters
Song Basketball
Artist Bow Wow
Hint They all play a certain sport...sort-of...
Number 37
Realm Exxxtreeeme Sportzz
Subrealm Not yet recognized by the olympics committee
Question Three professional paintballers, looking to create their own sport, devised a game using an oversized soccer ball, two goals, and one additional piece of equipment, holding their first official tournament in January 2012. What is the name of this sport, and what piece of equipment has made this sport so shocking for its spectators?
Answer Ultimate Tazer Ball, tazer
Song Wicked Game
Artist Chris Isaak
Hint It would be shocking for the players as well
Number 38
Realm They Say It's Your Birthday
Subrealm We're gonna party like its your birthday
Question For the past 50 years, Austin, Texas has hosted a day-long birthday party in honor of a depressed fictional character that at one pointed feared that nobody remembered his birthday. With drum lines, music, and plenty of food and drink, this may seem like "a Grand Thing" to do for the character. Whose birthday is being celebrated, and why might the character be offended to attend the April celebration?
Answer Eeyore, who's official birthday isn't until eight months later (December 25).
Song It's My Party
Artist Leslie Gore
Hint What are they celebrating?
Number 39
Realm Really good Scrabble words
Subrealm That you will never get to use
Question Apart from being 15 letters long, the words "Parasitological" and "Overimaginative" have a property in common. Furthermore, they are the longest two words in the English language that have this property. What property do they share?
Answer They alternate vowel/consonant
Song Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Artist Mary Poppins
Hint Lololololololol also has this property. Unfortunately it is not a word.
Number 40
Realm Great Places To Live
Subrealm This is not one of them
Question "You'll get that promotion when hell freezes over." These are usually not the words you want to hear coming from your boss. But perhaps you should ask which hell he is referring to. There are a few locations around the world named "Hell," including one in the United States. In which state does this Hell reside?
Answer Michigan
Song Gives You Hell
Artist All-American Rejects
Hint Good news, you're getting that promotion today.
Number 41
Realm I Can Has Cats???
Subrealm Even Moar Cats!!!
Question We at Polar Vortex all love cats. We love their purring, their fluffy coats, and their cute little noses. We also especially love the patterns we can find in their fur coats, especially the contrasting colors in the coats of Calico Cats. But there's something else special about calico cats. What is it?
Answer All (diploid)Calico cats are female
Song If I Were a Boy
Artist Beyoncé
Hint The gene for the calico fur is sex-linked
Number 42
Realm Controversial Books
Subrealm For Kids!
Question Some Americans can get pretty uptight about their reading material, leading to a baffling and hilarious list of books that have been banned over the years. One of the most surprising is a kids book from the 90s which was banned for showing a topless sunbather, gay lovers, rockers holding up the "hail satin" sign, and even a woman flashing a nipple. Which popular children's book was this?
Answer Where's Waldo?
Song Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego
Artist Rockapella
Hint You might have to look a little harder to find the answer
Number 43
Realm Terrorist Attacks
Subrealm That Receive Less Attention than 9-11
Question In 1977, a band of about a dozen armed terrorists stormed several buildings in Washington, D.C. with three demands. First, all American theaters should cease showing the film "Mohammed, Messenger of God." Second, the government should turn over a number of criminals that were accused of killing the head terrorist's family. Third, the terrorists should be repaid $750. Why did the gunmen request this amount?
Answer The $750 were old court fees for contempt of court (interrupting the trial of the people convicted of killing the leader's family).
Song Court is in Session
Artist Queen Latifah
Hint Apparantly they had upset at least one judge.
Number 44
Realm Pointless Lawsuits
Subrealm That almost happened
Question In 2008, a city in Turkey threatened to sue Warner Bros over a controversial movie title. Why did they find this title controversial?
Answer The name of the city is Batman (Prounounced "Botmahn") and they sued because they believed the name Batman was stolen from them
Song I'll Sue Ya
Artist Weird Al Yankovic
Hint It doesn't take "the World's Greatest Detective" to figure this one out.
Number 45
Realm Flight cancellations
Subrealm Not caused by the polar vortex
Question This event, occuring within the past month, turned the seas blood red and in its aftermath caused many planes in the Eastern hemisphere to remain grounded. And no, it's not about Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501. What incident caused this disruption?
Answer A volcano eruption off the coast of Tonga
Song Volcano
Artist Damien Rice
Hint A similar incident occurred in Europe a few years ago
Number 46
Realm Twist, Lick, Dunk
Subrealm Milk's Favorite Question
Question Ah, Oreos, one of America's favorite cookies. They elicit an age-old debate: which is better, the creme filling or the cookie foundation? Whichever side of the debate you fall on, we can all agree on the number of flowers incorporated into the design of the cookie. How many flowers are there?
Answer 12 (and the design is trademarked so every cookie agrees)
Song Black or White
Artist Michael Jackson
Hint You guys don't have Oreos as snacks? You must be doing this contest wrong
Number 47
Realm Williams Trivia!
Subrealm Famous Alums
Question Williams added an Oscar to its family last March, as alum Kristen Anderson-Lopez '94 and her husband Robert Lopez won an Oscar for their work on the soundtrack of Disney's Frozen. When Kristen was a student in the early 90s, with which Williams a cappella group did she sing?
Answer Ephlats
Song Let It Go
Artist Idinia Menzel
Hint Despite her work for Disney, it was not the Disney a cappella group, as that did not exist yet. There are only eight other groups, so you have a 1/8 chance.
Number 48
Realm Extreme Concerts (Exxxtreeeme Concertzz)
Subrealm Those Darned Kids and Their Loud Music...
Question Rock concerts are normally loud, but one impromptu concert in Germany featured what is arguably the loudest cover of a White Stripes song. Other than the deafening decibel levels reached, what was notable about the performance?
Answer It came from the horn of the cruise ship MSC Magnifica
Song Turn Down For What
Artist DJ Snake and Lil John
Hint The source of the sound actually came from the water.
Number 49
Realm Spring Ahead
Subrealm Now Fall Back Again
Question This is a three-point play! Most of us do not expect to have to change clocks while driving across a state. However, in this Western state you might have to as many as seven times as you cross it. What state is this and why?
Answer 1:Arizona.; 2:It doesn't observe daylight savings, but the Navajo Nation within Arizona does, while the Hopi Reservation within the Navajo Nation does not.
Song Time is On My Side
Artist Rolling Stones
Hint Western States are big, How many are there really?
Number 50
Realm Judaism
Subrealm Symbols
Question The seder plate is the centerpiece of the Passover seder, which commemorates the flight of the Jews from Egypt. Each object on the plate is symbolic and traditional--except for the most recent addition to some (not all) seder plates, which became popular in the early 1980s. What is it, and what does it symbolize?
Answer An orange -- to protest the exclusion of women and gays from Judaism; as a symbol of the fruitfulness of all Jews, including women and gay people.
Song Orange Crush
Artist REM
Hint It's a piece of fruit that some would say does not belong on a seder plate
Number 51
Realm I Have a Dream
Subrealm Or rather, I HAD a dream
Question Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,'s most famous speech is "I Have a Dream," given during the March on Washington in late August, 1963. This was not the first time he incorporated the "I Have a Dream" refrain; he had given a similar speech in June of that year, and after the March on Washington that speech was released on record. In what American city did Dr. King give this, the first "I Have a Dream" speech?
Answer Detroit, MI
Song (You're My) Dream Come True
Artist The Temptations
Hint This city is closely associated with the record company that produced the record, though the company moved to Los Angeles some time ago.
Number 52
Realm Weird Laws
Subrealm You never wanted to know about
Question Technically, what are the conditions under which anal sex is LEGAL (you heard us right) in Canada?
Answer Involving any two persons of 18 or older, WITH NO THIRD PARTY PRESENT. (This law is still technically on the books, but many local courts have nullified it within their jurisdictions.)
Song Business Time
Artist Flight of the Conchords
Hint Let's say that they're against voyeurism
Number 53
Realm This question
Subrealm Is Brought to You by the Letter 'K'
Question In the 1993 song "If I Had a Million Dollars," by the Barenaked Ladies, the singer lists various items he would buy for his love if he possessed $1 million. One such purchase would be a K-Car, a member of the mid-size yet compact car line popular in the 1980s. What were the first two car models released in this line?
Answer Plymouth Reliant and Dodge Aries
Song Who I Am Hates Who I've Been
Artist Relient K
Hint There is no "K" in Ford or GM, but there is one in Amerika, if you spell it that way.
Number 54
Realm Extreme Work Environments
Subrealm Penguins make good coworkers
Question What two bodily requirements must you meet in order to work in Antarctica in the winter that are generally not required of potential employees anywhere else?
Answer You must have your wisdom teeth and appendix removed.
Song Dentist
Artist Little Shop of Horrors
Hint Even the most routine surgery can be risky in Antarctica and should be avoided
Number 55
Realm Films with Insulting Political Caracticures
Subrealm That are not starring James Franco and Seth Rogen
Question Political figures can get a bit touchy about their representation in the media, to say the least. Why was Russia poised to sue Warner Brothers around the release of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?
Answer Dobby looked too much like Putin.
Song Moskau
Artist Dschinghis Khan
Hint "Harry Potter must not go back to Russia."
Number 56
Realm Insults
Subrealm That we're all too familiar with.
Question What was the first recorded use of the word "nerd"?
Answer In Dr. Seuss's "If I Ran the Zoo"
Song Dateless Losers
Artist Reel Big Fish
Hint It's in a children's book
Number 57
Realm Former Disney Stars
Subrealm Who aren't twerking, getting arrested, or stuck in rehab
Question This actor's first big break came in the late 1980s on an episode of America's Funniest Home Videos. This was followed by a string of appearances on the sitcom Full House and eventually a starring role in a Disney comedy. However, this actor lost his battle with cancer less than a year after the release of that film, cutting short a nine year career that was just taking off. Who is this actor?
Answer Air Buddy (canine star of Air Bud)
Song Dog Eat Dog
Artist AC/DC
Hint He was also known for his athleticism.
Number 58
Realm No Soap
Subrealm Radio!
Question Each year since 2007, DJ Earworm has released a new version of the United State of Pop, a mashup of 25 of the songs featured on the end of the year Billboard Hot 100 chart. Name the only artist to have a song included in both DJ Earworm's first mashup in 2007 and his latest mashup in 2014.
Answer Maroon 5 (Makes Me Wonder in 2007 and Animals in 2014)
Song Welcome Back
Artist John Sebastian
Hint The title of the 2014 mashup comes from a lyric by this artist
Number 59
Realm Widespread Diseases
Subrealm There are dozens of us... DOZENS!!!
Question First discussed in a French psychiatry journal, this condition can cause dizzyness, sweating, hallucinations and anxiety. To combat the concerning condition, a Japanese embassy has started a 24-hour hotline to help the dozen travellers that suffer from this disorder in an average year. What is this affliction?
Answer Paris syndrome. It is believed to be a severe form of culture shock that is particularly prominent in Japanese tourists, who cannot reconcile the difference between the city of Paris and their idealized version of Paris.
Song Crazy
Artist Gnarls Barkley
Hint It turns out that The City of Light is not as shiny as they thought
Number 60
Realm Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right
Subrealm But Three Lefts Do
Question Many iPhone users complained when Apple no longer included Google Maps as a default app, replacing it with their own Maps app. However, users quickly noticed one quick flaw with the design of the app, a problem that should have been especially visible for the designers working at Apple's headquarters. What was this glaring flaw that was fixed in iOS 7?
Answer The icon showed a left turn onto Interstate 280 that, if attempted, would direct drivers off a bridge onto the highway below
Song Crazy Train
Artist Ozzy Osbourne
Hint Find a friend that hasn't updated their phone.../ You wouldn't even need to open the app to spot the error
Number 61
Realm Tri-cornered Hats
Subrealm And the Mascots who wear them.
Question On October 10th, 2014, Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, unveiled their new mascot, Alex, a caricature based off the college's namesake Alexander Hamilton. Alex replaced Hamilton's unofficial mascot, which had been in use for most of the previous decade. What was this unofficial mascot?
Answer Al Ham the Pig
Song Safety Dance
Artist Men Without Hats
Hint Despite being a top liberal arts school, they weren't very creative with this mascot's name.
Number 62
Realm Memorable Teachers
Subrealm Like Mr. What's-his-face
Question While only Harry's most illustrious professors from the books got starring roles in the feature films, many of his other Hogwarts professors were given minor roles often without any spoken lines. In fact only one professor who taught Harry at Hogwarts did not appear in any of the 8 feature films. Who is this professor?
Answer Professor Binns
Song Ghostbusters
Artist Ray Parker Jr.
Hint His lectures weren't that memorable either.
Number 63
Realm Pokemon
Subrealm Gotta catch 'em all
Question Occasionally during their journey Ash and friends needed to take a break from Pokemon hunting and enjoy a traditional Japanese snack. In order to make the series more approachable, the English dub referred to them as sandwiches, cookies, onions, jelly donuts and even popcorn balls. What was this apparently obscure snack?
Answer Onigiri/Rice balls. Either is fine
Song Eat it
Artist Weird Al Yankovic
Hint The show is Japanese
Number 64
Realm Divest, Divest
Subrealm Divest them of the Ball
Question The New England Patriots hold the record for the fastest time to score three touchdowns, doing so in under a minute. They even scored one on offense, one on defense, and one on special teams. However, this accomplishment is greatly overshadowed by another peculiar feat that occured during the Patriot's run. What is it?
Answer Butt Fumble (Jets player Mark Sanchez fumbles the ball after running into his own teammate)
Song Baby Got Back
Artist Sir Mix-A-Lot
Hint ESPN had a field day with this lowlight
Number 65
Realm Things that shouldn't matter
Subrealm But you're still wrong
Question What has columnist Ann Landers reported to be her most controversial column, causing thousands of heated letters to be sent in to Landers' mailbox?
Answer Which way toilet paper should hang/ Toilet Paper Orientation
Song Roll To Me
Artist Del Amitri
Hint Most of us struggle with this daily
Number 66
Realm Stand back!!!
Subrealm I'm going to try SCIENCE!
Question Not all scientific journals consist of just dry facts. What distinguished journal has accepted articles with title such as "The Effects of Peanut Butter on the Rotation of the Earth," "Technology Update: The Brain Tachometer," and "Pickles and Humbug"?
Answer The Journal of Irrepreducible Results
Song The Scientist
Artist Coldplay
Hint You'd have a hard time replicating results published here
Number 67
Realm Brilliant Ideas
Subrealm It's only crazy if it doesn't work
Question Football players often rely on external motivation to succeed, such as thinking about their kids or family while playing. However, one St. Louis Rams player came up with a very unconventional method to ensure that he wouldn't go back to working a regular job. What was this undrafted rookie's brilliant solution?
Answer Get a tattoo on his face so that nobody would hire him
Song Irreplaceable
Artist Beyoncé
Hint It was a permanent solution
Number 68
Realm Historic Pet Owners
Subrealm that PETA would not approve
Question This is a three-point play. Tycho Brahe was a rather eccentric Danish astronomer. He supposedly wore a silver nose, as he lost his in a duel, and according to Keppler, Brahe died from a ruptured bladder after refusing to leave a dinner banquet to use the restroom. Brahe also owned a rather atypical pet which like it's owner, died in a rather unglorified way. For one point, what animal was this? For another point, how did it die?
Answer 1: Pet elk; 2:which fell down the stairs after getting drunk
Song Blame it
Artist Jamie Foxx
Hint It's an even-toed ungulate.
Number 69
Realm Modern Army Knights
Subrealm Armies still have knights?
Question The shortest knight in the Norwegian army has never been to Norway. Who is he?
Answer Sir Nils Olav, a penguin in the Edinburgh Zoo
Song Knights of the Round Table
Artist Monty Python
Hint This knight always wears his tuxedo
Number 70
Realm Germophobes
Subrealm Who went to jail.
Question "What is this thing anyway? Nothing but a piece of cotton with a little paint on it and some other marks in the corner there. I will not kiss that thing. It might be covered with microbes." In 1918, E.V. Starr was convicted to 10-20 years of hard labor in Montana for his refusal to kiss that thing. What was it?
Answer American Flag (the 1918 Sedition Act made it illegal to utter "contemptuous and slurring language" about the flag)
Song This Kiss
Artist Faith Hill
Hint Those were patriotic microbes.
Number 71
Realm Bad Luck Brian
Subrealm 19th Century Edition
Question There have only been four of these events in U.S History, but Robert Todd Lincoln (son of the president) was present for two of them. What is this event?
Answer Assassination of a US president.
Song I Shot the Sheriff
Artist Bob Marley and the Drifters
Hint He was not present for the one pertaining to his father.
Number 72
Realm The Flying Spaghetti Monster
Subrealm His supreme noodly goodness
Question From pistachios to pringles, people often say that certain foods are too good and too addictive to simply stop eating. This was especially true last year for the noodles of a restaurant in the Shaanxi province of China, though not for the reasons you might think. Why were this shop's noodles so addictive?
Answer The owner laced the noodle mix with opium. (The owner, only called "Zhang" in reports, conceded he bought 4.4 pounds of poppy buds for a little less than $100. He then mashed it into a fine powder, which he poured into his noodle mix.)
Song Don't Stop till you get Enough
Artist Michael Jackson
Hint It wasn't just in their heads?
Number 73
Realm Medical Marvels
Subrealm that you don't want your parents knowing about
Question If there are children around, you might want to send them to bed about now, or at least cover their ears. What is the medical term for when vaginal muscles spontaneously and forcefully contract during intercourse, trapping the penis inside?
Answer Penis captivus
Song Love Never Felt So Good
Artist Michael Jackson
Hint It's exactly what you think it should be called. Just latin-y.
Number 74
Realm Controversial Mascots
Subrealm Still better than Al Ham the Pig
Question After Stanford's original mascot the "Indians" was abolished, in 1975 a student referendum recommended a change of mascot representative of Stanford's founder, infamous railroad tycoon Leeland Stanford Jr. Unfortunately the administration refused to implement the decision. What was this suggested name for the Stanford sports teams?
Answer The Robber Barons
Song Snoopy vs the Red Baron
Artist The Royal Guardsman
Hint They wanted to pick something representative of Leeland Stanford's background
Number 75
Realm Exxxtreeeme Concertzz: Part II
Subrealm This is the Song that Never Ends...
Question There is a performance in Europe that began near the start of the 21st century and will not be completed until the 27th century. What song is being played at this performance?
Answer John Cage's As SLow aS Possible (ASLSP), which has been adapted to last 639 years. The next pitch change will occur in 2020.
Song In the Year 2525
Artist Zager and Evans
Hint Just imagine if 4' 33 lasted that long
Number 76
Realm Cotton-Headed Ninnymuggins
Subrealm And other insults
Question Though used infrequently today, the word "nimrod" is still recognized to be synonymous with the word "idiot." However, Nimrod was in fact originally the name of a Biblical hunter with great skill, and the word came to refer to any experienced hunter. Who first popularized the modern use of "nimrod" and who was he or she referring to?
Answer Bugs Bunny, who referred to Elmer Fudd as a "poor little nimrod." (In an early Looney Toons cartoon featuring Bugs Bunny quips that Elmer Fudd is a "poor little Nimrod". The joke was intended to allude to the fact that Fudd was an obsessive hunter who wouldn't give up on the hunt, but the biblical/cultural reference was lost on the millions of children watching the cartoon short and they interpreted the statement as Fudd being a "poor little idiot" because he couldn't actually catch Bugs Bunny.)
Song American Idiot
Artist Green Day
Hint "What's up, nimrod?"
Number 77
Realm That's no moon!
Subrealm It's a planet.
Question When William Herschel discovered the planet we now call Uranus in 1781, what did he first call it?
Answer Georgium Sidus (the George Star)
Song All Star
Artist Smash Mouth
Hint Herschel was living in Great Britain at the time.
Number 78
Realm What's in a name?
Subrealm Nothing, apparently.
Question There are so many varieties of apples that the names are bound to get ridiculous sooner or later. What apple is named [season] [fruit]?
Answer Winter Banana
Song Bananaphone
Artist Raffi
Hint Apple is not the fruit.
Number 79
Realm Oscar snubs
Subrealm Not involving Leonardo DiCaprio
Question It took singer/songwriter Randy Newman 16 nominations before he finally won his first Oscar in 2001. But that's not the record for most Oscar nominations without an award. Who owns this distinction (but sadly no Oscars)?
Answer Kevin O'Connell (Sound re-recording mixer), with 20 nominations
Song Loser
Artist Beck
Hint You've probably never heard of him, but you've certainly heard his work.
Number 80
Realm Not the vigor we deserve
Subrealm But "The Vigor We Need"
Question California must be one of the fittest states in the union. After all, out of all the chairs of the President's Council on Fitness, two of them have also served as Governor of California. Who are these two men?
Answer Richard Nixon and Arnold Schwarzeneggar
Song Chicken Fat
Artist Robert Preston
Hint One of them was an actor. One of them was a president.
Note Richard Nixon was never actually governor of California. Polar Vortex acknowledged the error and gave points to everyone who said Ahnold.
Number 81
Realm Where are they now?
Subrealm The most iconic people whose names you dont know
Question Many of our younger listeners may have grown up watching the Teletubbies on television. Late in 2014, British college student Jess Smith made news when she revealed her connection to the show in a widely-publicized facebook post. How was the dance student related to the Teletubbies?
Answer She was the sun baby. A clip of her giggling as an infant opened up every episode of the show.
Song Soak Up The Sun
Artist Sheryl Crow
Hint How many human actors were ever shown?
Number 82
Realm Things Americans Don't Know About
Subrealm Science!
Question Everyone knows the story they were taught in school: there were these two scientists, Fahrenheit and Celsius, who invented different temperature scales that different parts of the world (read, the US and everyone else) use. But what you're not told is that the temperature scale Celsius devised differs in one major way from the Celsius we use today. What was this difference?
Answer He set 100 and 0 degrees as the freezing point and boiling point, respectively, of water. He reversed the scale!
Song Hot and Cold
Artist Katy Perry
Hint What defines the scale now, and how did that differ for Mr. Celsius?
Number 83
Realm Fun With Acronyms
Subrealm At the Movies
Question In the 1994 hit The Santa Clause, Tim Allen plays Scott Calvin, a divorced father who unwittingly becomes Santa Clause. In the movie's climax, he is arrested while delivering presents and put in jail. Luckily, a troupe of elves, codenamed E.L.F.S., with help from Calvin's son Charlie, are able to bust Santa out of prison in time to save Christmas. What does the acronym E.L.F.S stand for?
Answer Effective Liberating Flight Squad
Song YMCA
Artist Village People
Hint Not to be confused with the Competent Freeing Airborne Unit
Number 84
Realm All About That Bass
Subrealm No Treble
Question What extreme instrument made of pvc and wood can reach a low note one octave below the standard piano which at a frequency of 16 Hz is below the standard range of human hearing?
Answer Hyperbass Flute
Song Slap That Bass
Artist Bluegrass Student Union
Hint It's an instrument you would REALLY not expect to play this low.
Number 85
Realm Practical Packaging
Subrealm Only 343 days until Christmas!
Question During the holiday season, you can find all sorts of everyday products in special holiday-themed packaging. But it turns out one of these everyday products regularly comes in its holiday packaging. For Christmas 1902, the packaging was redesigned in such a way that this product could be hung on a Christmas tree. It incorporates this design to this day. What is this common product?
Answer Animal crackers (specifically Barnum's Animals)
Song Animal
Artist Neon Trees
Hint This is something you eat and often give as a gift to small children in lieu of candy.
Number 86
Realm The Twelve Days of Christmas
Subrealm And the Twelve Months spent paying for them.
Question This year, rather than bombard you with gifts for twelve days, your true love has decided that one present a day is quite enough. Don't worry, you'll still receive all the Lords-a-leaping and turtle doves and such, but you'll only get one a day until the list of gifts has been exhausted. Assuming this is not a leap year and that each round of the song constitutes a new set of gifts, if you are given one gift a day, how many days of the year will your true love NOT be responsbile for providing a present?
Answer Just one! There are 364 gifts.
Song Twelve Days of Christmas
Artist Bob abd Doug McKenzie
Hint Remember that each day in the original song starts a whole new set of gifts, so you have to count those separately!
Number 87
Realm As Seen on TV
Subrealm And Never Seen Again
Question Over the years, several people have pushed the envelope on Saturday Night Live, but only a few have pushed it too far. One such person was singer-songwriter Sinead O'Connor, who is banned for life from the comedy program. She started a flurry of controversy when, during a live musical number, she tore up a photograph. Who was this a picture of, and why did she tear it up?
Answer The Pope, to protest the child sex scandals in the Catholic Church.
Song Picture
Artist Kid Rock & Sheryl Crow or Allison Moorer
Hint Everybody knows him, but not everyone knows his name
Number 88
Realm It's a bird! No, it's a plane!
Subrealm No, it's a blimp!
Question In the early 80s, the Goodyear Blimp was given a very strange honor indeed by a town in California. What was this honor, and what was the town?
Answer Redondo Beach, CA named the Goodyear Blimp its official bird.
Song Birdplane
Artist Axis of Awesome
Hint They must not realize blimps dont have wings. nor do they poop on your windshield

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