Mercury's Musings

Posting here to announce that I have posted a general knowledge quiz on Alpaca Farm. This quiz is available at: http://alpacafarmtrivia.herokuapp.com/quizzes/3908 I hope to be posting here and on Alpaca Farm in the coming weeks, so keep your eyes peeled! Stay safe out there.

The following are the answers for the companion questions to LL84 MD25. / / / / / / / / / / 1. Tokyo 2. "Minnie the Moocher" 3. Henry & June 4. Cannibalism 5. Mascarpone 6. Rings of Saturn

The following are "companion questions" to those appearing on the LearnedLeague website on March 24, 2020. 1. Although it appeared in a handful of demonstration events prior, the introduction of volleyball as an official event in the Summer Olympics is generally traced back to the games held in 1964 in what city? 2. The line "He showed her how to kick the gong around," which is generally considered to refer to opium usage, appears in which 1931 Cab Calloway classic, which is notable partially for its use of call-and-response scat lyrics in the chorus? 3. The first ever film to receive an "NC-17" rating by the MPAA (it had previously received an "X" rating) was which film based on a book by Anais Nin? 4. Kuru, a rare neurodegenerative disease found among the Fore people of Papua New Guinea, is thought to have spread due to which ritualistic funerary practice, performed to return the life force to living members of the tribe? 5. Tiramisu

The following are the answers for the companion questions to LL84 MD24. / / / / / / / / / / 1. Sir Humphry Davy 2. Liberty 3. Mendelssohn 4. Diego Rivera 5. Emperor Palpatine (or Darth Sidious) 6. Duck Soup

The following are "companion questions" to those appearing on the LearnedLeague website on March 23, 2020. 1. Which English chemist, who performed most of his work in the early 19th century, is known for naming aluminum, isolating potassium and sodium, and inventing an early form of arc lamp? 2. During World War I, war bonds or defense bonds issued by the U.S. government were known as bonds described by what patriotic word? In the same time frame, U.S. citizens referred to sauerkraut as "cabbage" described by this word. 3. A German-Jewish philosopher with the first name Moses is the grandfather of two composers, a brother and sister, with what surname? 4. Louise Nevelson served as an assistant to, and had an affair with, which artist while the later created his work Man at the Crossroads ? 5. The line "I am the Senate," possibly inspired by Louis XIV's apocryphal statement " L'etat c'est moi ," is spoken to a Samuel L. Jacks

The following are the answers for the companion questions to LL84 MD23. / / / / / / / / / / 1. Martin Chuzzlewit 2. Alexandria, Egypt 3. Altai Mountains 4. Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz 5. Southern Cross (or Crux ) 6. Driving Miss Daisy

The following are "companion questions" to those appearing on the LearnedLeague website on March 20, 2020. 1. Cairo, Illinois served as the inspiration for the hellish City of Eden in which notedly Anti-American novel by Charles Dickens? 2. Early theologian Origen was born in which North African city, founded by a Macedonian conqueror and home to a Wonder of the Ancient World known as the Pharos? 3. Genghis Khan founded his empire between the area of Manchuria and which Central Asian mountain range? This mountain range gives its name to a hypothetical language family which includes the Turkic, Mongolian, and Tungusic language families. 4. The first issue of TV Guide , published in 1953, featured a baby whose birth was written into a plotline on a popular show, culminating in what was, at the time, the most watched television episode of all time. Who were this baby's parents? 5. The flag of New Zealand features the Union Jack in the upper left corner, and which c

The following are the answers for the companion questions to LL84 MD22. / / / / / / / / / / 1. Campania 2. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. 3. Othello 4. Michael Brown 5. Jessica 6. Christopher Walken

The following are "companion questions" to those appearing on the LearnedLeague website on March 19, 2020. 1. Naples is the capital of which Italian region, also the home of Pompeii, Capua, and the isle of Capri? 2. The term "Boston Brahmins," which refers to the families of the New England elite, was popularized by which American doctor and academic, known for his poem "The Chambered Nautilus" and his essay collection The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table ? He is also remembered for being the father of a Supreme Court Justice of the same name. 3. Who is undoubtedly the most famous character in literature to whom the demonyms "Cypriot" and "Venetian" both apply? He first appeared in a story by the author Cinthio, which was later adapted into a far more famous work. 4. What first and last name are shared by a former director of FEMA who was told "You're doing a heck of a job" by George W. Bush, as well as an unarmed A

The following are the answers for the companion questions to LL84 MD21. / / / / / / / / / / 1. Snow-Bound 2. Melanesia 3. Griffith Observatory 4. Edge of Darkness 5. Salvador Allende 6. Cary Grant

The following are "companion questions" to those appearing on the LearnedLeague website on March 18, 2020. 1. John Greenleaf Whittier, a 19th century abolitionist and poet, is perhaps best remembered today for which narrative poem about people exchanging stories while trapped in their estate during a wintry storm? 2. New Guinea, along with the Bismarck Archipelago, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji, among other islands, make up which broad subregion of Oceania? 3. In the film version of Devil in a Blue Dress , Easy Rawlins hands Carter incriminating photos at which iconic Hollywood location? Notably the setting of the switchblade fight in Rebel Without a Cause , this location was also visited by Mia and Sebastian in the film La La Land . 4. Martin Campbell, who directed Goldeneye and Casino Royale , also directed which 1980's British miniseries about a man searching for answers after the murder of his daughter? Campbell also directed the 2010 film adaptation starring

The following are the answers for the companion questions to LL84 MD20. / / / / / / / / / / 1. The Leftovers 2. Salyut 3. John Lithgow 4. Texas, Kansas 5. Bryan Cranston 6. Ron Artest or Metta World Peace

The following are "companion questions" to those appearing on the LearnedLeague website on March 17, 2020. 1. Minimalist composer Max Richter wrote the soundtrack for which dystopian 2010's HBO series, which takes place in a world in which 2% of the population has mysteriously vanished? 2. Which Soviet space programme, succeeded by the Mir  program, was responsible for the first ever manned space station, launched in 1971? 3. Which actor played the villainous Eric Qualen in the 1993 film Cliffhanger ? In another role, he played the Trinity Killer on the series Dexter . 4. Numerous cattle drives occurred on the Chisholm trail, a route which connects which two U.S. states? 5. All the Way , a 2016 Lyndon B. Johnson biopic, starred which actor in the main role? 6. Which Pacers player was given the longest suspension involved in the infamous Pacers-Pistons brawl known as the Malice at the Palace? You may provide either his birth name or the name he legally adopted

The following are the answers for the companion questions to LL84 MD19. / / / / / / / / / / 1. Erik Erikson 2. Dmitry Medvedev 3. The Problem with Apu 4. Christian Goldbach 5. Non-Aligned Movement 6. Susan Sontag

The following are "companion questions" to those appearing on the LearnedLeague website on March 16, 2020. 1. Which psychologist left Yale to conduct fieldwork among the Sioux tribe in 1938? He is also known for his theory of identity and for writing such works as Young Man Luther  and Gandhi's Truth . 2. The New START program, drafted in 2009 and in effect as of 2011, was negotiated by Barack Obama and which Russian president, who was both preceded and succeeded by Vladimir Putin? 3. What is the title of the 2017 documentary written by Hari Kondabolu, which explores the racial and cultural implications of a South Asian character on a popular long-running sitcom? 4. A famously unproven conjecture named for which 18th century German mathematician states that every even integer greater than two may be expressed as the sum of two primes? 5. What is the name of the forum currently consisting of 120 nations (most of which are broadly considered to be members of the T

The following are the answers for the companion questions to LL84 MD18. / / / / / / / / / / 1. Mobb Deep 2. Dog Days 3. Gottlieb Daimler 4. Juice Wrld 5. Michigan 6. Ned Kelly

The following are "companion questions" to those appearing on the LearnedLeague website on March 13, 2020. 1. Prodigy was one of the two members, along with Havoc, of which New York hip hop duo? 2. What is the two word subtitle of third film in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid  film series, released in 2012? This phrase historically originated due to the heliacal rising of the Sirius system. 3. Which engineer worked with Wilhelm Maybach to develop early automotive engines? The parent company of Mercedes-Benz is named for him. 4. What is the stage name of rapper and singer Jarad Anthony Williams, who died in late 2019 at the age of 21? 5. Livonia is a city in Wayne County in which U.S. State? 6. Mick Jagger starred in a 1970 film about which 19th century bushranger and outlaw? A 2001 novel about this man won the Man Booker Prize for its author Peter Carey?

The following are the answers for the companion questions to LL84 MD17. / / / / / / / / / / 1. July 2. Hal Prince 3. Johnny Depp 4. Mole 5. Minnesota 6. Red blood cells

The following are "companion questions" to those appearing on the LearnedLeague website on March 12, 2020. 1. The monarchy of Louis Philippe I, as well as the 1830 revolution that brought him to power, are commonly named for which calendar month? 2. The opening production of Company  was directed by which legendary theatrical producer who, with 21, has more Tony Awards than any other individual? 3. Transcendence  is a 2014 science fiction film starring which actor as Dr. Will Caster as a scientist whose consciousness is uploaded onto a quantum computer? 4. The Avogadro constant, equal to approximate ly  6.02 × 10 23 , is the amount of atoms or molecules present in which unit of measure commonly used in chemistry? 5. Toro, a company probably best known for manufacturing lawn care equipment, is headquartered in which state? Other companies based in this state include Target and Hormel. 6. Erythrocytes are more commonly known as which type of cells?

The following are the answers for the companion questions to LL84 MD16. / / / / / / / / / / 1. Amherst College 2. Night at the Museum 3. Haneda 4. "Bad Blood" by Taylor Swift 5. Jehovah's Witnesses 6. Maricopa County

The following are "companion questions" to those appearing on the LearnedLeague website on March 11, 2020. 1. Lexicographer Noah Webster helped found which liberal arts college? It is considered, along with Williams and Wesleyan, to be among the "Little Three" liberal arts colleges. 2. Robin Williams portrayed Teddy Roosevelt in which family film franchise? 3. Carlos Ghosn was arrested in which Tokyo airport, one of the busiest in the world? It handles most domestic travel in Japan, which Narita handles most international travel. 4. Cindy Crawford appeared along with Cara Delevigne, Gigi Hadid and Karlie Kloss in which 2015 music video? 5. Michael Jackson grew up in which sect of Christianity before distancing himself from the faith in 1987? 6. Phoenix, Arizona is the seat of which county, the fourth most populous in the United States?

The following are the answers for the companion questions to LL84 MD15. / / / / / / / / / / 1. Baylor University 2. Ubuntu 3. Rizzo the Rat 4. Batavia 5. Kim Possible 6. Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans

The following are "companion questions" to those appearing on the LearnedLeague website on March 10, 2020. 1. From 2010 to 2016, Kenneth Starr, today remembered for his role in the Clinton impeachment, served as the President and Chancellor of which Southern university? 2. Which word, loosely translated as "humanity," is shared by the philosophical theology of Desmond Tutu as well as an operating system based on the Linux kernel? 3. Which Muppet, a friend of Gonzo the Great, takes his name from Dustin Hoffman's character in the film Midnight Cowboy ? 4. Under Dutch colonial rule, the city now known as Jakarta was known by what name? 5. The naked mole rat Rufus appeared along with the title character and her sidekick Ron Stoppable on which Disney Channel show? 6. As of 2020, four current NFL teams have never appeared in a Super Bowl. Two are the Detroit Lions and the Cleveland Browns. Name both of the other two.

The following are the answers for the companion questions to LL84 MD14. / / / / / / / / / / 1. "I Got Rhythm" 2. Puerto Rican Independence 3. Leonard Nimoy 4. Noli me tangere 5. Marcus Crassus 6. The Rockford Files

The following are "companion questions" to those appearing on the LearnedLeague website on March 9, 2020. 1. A common 32-bar chord progression in jazz, which forms the backbone of Charlie Parker's "Anthropology," among other classics, originates from which George Gershwin song from the musical Girl Crazy ? 2. A failed assassination attempt on President Harry Truman was carried out on November 1, 1950 by individuals agitating for what political cause? 3. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home  was directed by which individual, also known for directing Three Men and a Baby ? 4. Which three word Latin phrase, which titles paintings by Fra Angelico, Titian, and Correggio, as well as a novel by Jose Rizal, was spoken to Mary Magdalene by Jesus after his resurrection? 5. Which wealthy member of the First Triumvirate founded Ancient Rome's first fire brigade, which was essentially used to extort Roman citizens? 6. Prior to his role on Magnum, P.I. , Tom Selleck

Apologies for missing the last several days of LearnedCompanion. My computer was undergoing repairs after a rather unfortunate drop, and I didn't have time to fill the backlog in the midst of attending Geek Bowl. Anyway, my computer has successfully been repaired, and LearnedCompanion will resume tonight.

The following are the answers for the companion questions to LL84 MD8. / / / / / / / / / / 1. Dead Milkmen 2. Petrarch 3. Robert F. Kennedy 4. Kyler Murray 5. Oxford, Mississippi 6. Black body

The following are "companion questions" to those appearing on the LearnedLeague website on February 28, 2020. 1. Which rock band, which takes its name from the protagonist of Toni Morrison's novel Song of Solomon , is probably most known for their song "Punk Rock Girl?" 2. Africa , an epic poem which recounts the exploits of Scipio Africanus during the Second Punic War, is a work by which Renaissance author? 3. Bobby Darin stayed in the Ambassador Hotel in June 1968 while working for which man, with whom that date and location are more tragically associated? 4. Which Oklahoma alumnus and first overall NFL draft pick won the Heisman trophy in 2019? 5. Although it has a Medical Center in Jackson, the main campus of the University of Mississippi is in which college town? 6. Famously resolved by Planck's Law, the so-called "ultraviolet catastrophe" was a problem in physics concerning the radiation spectrum of which alliteratively named idea