Trivial Pursuits

[captainsblog]

I haven't mentioned much about my current forays into trivial knowledge because I've been too busy sucking in them. Every couple of months, I begin a 25-match challenge in a group called Learned League, where questions over a range of categories are put forward, six at a time.  The primary goal is to answer them correctly, but the key to winning in many cases is to predict how that day's opponent will do on the same questions and weight the six questions accordingly. 

That has relatively little to do with the sucking, although it has probably made the difference in a few cases. For now, you can peruse the range of knowledge and how well my brain has retained within that range:



So, over my LLifetime, I'm getting fewer than half the questions right. That doesn't suck; the average question is middle of the board Jeopardy degree of difficulty. And  the group I compete in has an average of .433. But this season's record for the 20 matches prior to today is 48 right out of 120 total, for a right-on-the-button batting average of .400, which is not as good as it is in baseball. (It displays as 48-120, which sounds depressingly like the 1962 Mets, but it's really 48/120.)

Late last week, I was close to hanging it up, tiring of staring at a screen for 15 undercaffeinated minutes every morning, rarely knowing even two of the six for sure, and then getting an email in the wee smalls telling me, more often than ever, YOU LOST!  I was even more determined to give up after Friday morning, when my six answers produced no correct answers and, thus, a maximum point total of



That would have dropped me to a record of 8-12 with just five left, almost ensuring that I would end the season below .500 for the first time since late 2019.

But then a funny thing happened. Even though I got none right and my opponent eked out a single correct answer, I still tied. That's because I assigned my one permitted weight of zero points to the only one he got right.

Today was the first since then, since weekends and holidays are days off from the contest. I knew three of the six cold, guessed educatedly and correctly on a fourth, and missed the other two but with plausible answers. Since I suck at sports predictions except in nine-year-old novels, I'm  not counting my chits just yet. But. IF I somehow manage to win this one, I will be 9-11-1 with four matches left. If I add only one to my loss column in those four days, winning or tying the other three? I will end at or above .500 for the sixth straight time; and none of those four opponents after today are in the rarified air of the top seven players.

All in all, I'd say I have as good a chance as the Mets, and I don't turn over the last question to a pyromaniac relief pitcher:P

Even when not doing well, it's still a source of fun.  A side competition sizes up the "best wrong answers," which usually go for dark and evil humor. An example of one of my own from a few weeks back:

Question: Due to the difficult-to-chew nature of a popular delicacy, Japanese authorities issue warnings about its consumption each year leading up to New Year's festivities. What is the name of this delicacy, sweet buns made with glutinous rice milled into flour and then shaped and cooked into soft and chewy rice cakes?

Response: Gene, I went with "SAILOR MOON PIES."

And sometimes even a correct response reminds me of something:

Question: The public condemnation of heretics conducted by the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions, which is today often associated with its most extreme punishment of burning at the stake, is known by what three-word (or hyphenated three-part) phrase?

Answer (me, correctly): AUTO DA FE/AUTO-DA-FE

Observation: Gee, I wonder if I can get that in the NEW state license plate:



Damn. Either already taken or still on their prohibited list:P

New players are always welcome. I need to refer you and vouch for your trustworthiness not to cheat or drop out mid-season. Comment or message me if you want in on the fun in LL91:)

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I haven't watched any of the Jeopardy! episodes since trying out a LeVar Burton appearance and discovering "Mister What's" on his buzzsaw run through the categories and opponents.  But I was happy to hear that Renowned Misogynist Mike Richards dropped out of the competition to host the show permanently, and eventually had to give up his prior behind-the-scene gig on the show once more and more got out about him. Cripes, they vet contestants pretty thoroughly before they can even appear on the show; how'd this creep get past them?

Oh, right, he was more or less running the process.

Nobody has yet gone along with my modest proposal to settle the whole podium problem: bring them all back (except Mike) (and Dr. Oz- ewwwwww) for a Tournament of Hosts. Whoever survives the first round and then "wins" the most in the second gets the gig. Even better, go with an old George Carlin bit and make them all bring in their own furniture and bet it against the house. Ooooh, sorry, Buzzy, you won't be in Final Jeopardy, and take away his beautiful living room set from Raymour and Flanagan!

Or do it Python style with a blow on the head!

Come back tomorrow. We're gonna do.... FRACTURES!