Pub Quiz AfterMath

When asked this week about how last Tuesday's Pub Quiz at Tanner's Pub went, I've often replied, "Exhausting!". Dunno if this is Poland rubbing off on me a little bit because the reality is that the event was nothing short of a smashing success. Special thanks to all those who made it possible. With 24 teams competing and a crowd of over 100 people in attendance we couldn't have imagined a better turnout and so our thoughts have already turned to the next, even better, quiz.

Of course there were a few minor glitches, to be expected on the first attempt, that we hope to have ironed out next time. Space was an issue, so maybe we'll find a bigger venue next time. Lighting was a bit of a problem which led to many using their phones for illumination. This made controlling the biggest problem a bit of a headache, cheating. Again, being the first time for many competing in an event like this, most were probably unaware that the idea behind the game is to have fun showing off knowledge inside your head, not the internet. We'll make it clearer next time and promise to come up with a solution, from announcing consequences (such as awarding no points for rounds in which teams are caught such as we did Tuesday) to better policing or even having the WiFi connection temporary blocked.

Anyway, keep watching this space for news of the next quiz, hopefully sometime in January. We've got ideas to implement such as a continuing league table but please feel free to hit up the comment section below with everything from praise to criticism to suggestions for categories of questions to be used in the future. Video from the event will be up shortly on the main Rabbitfire.org page. Congratulations once again to the Chupa Chups for coming out tops, scroll down below the question to find out where your team came in.

Without further ado, here are the questions and answers from the first edition of the S&M Interactive Quiz:

Interround #1 - Beer (Yes, we realize Ireland was missing from the list of countries available, but c'mon, really? Guinness? Plus, you didn't notice there were 20 beers and only 19 countries to choose from?)

1. Cerveza Quilmes - Argentina

2. Maes Pils - Belgium

3. Moosehead - Canada

4. Carlsberg - Denmark

5. Efes Pils - Turkey

6. Fix - Greece

7. Xirdalan - Azerbaijan

8. Dreher - Hungary

9. Layla - Israel

10. Lion Red - New Zealand

11. Victoria Bitter - Australia

12. Sol - Mexico

13. Chang - Thailand

14. Heineken - The Netherlands

15. Boddington's - England

16. Tiger - Singapore

17. 333 - Vietnam
18. Guinness - Ireland
19. Skol - Brazil
20. Kirin - Japan

Round 1 - Movies

1. In which movie could you see all of these actors together?
   Al Pacino, James Caan, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Diana Keaton The Godfather 1974

2. Same question:
   Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, Emilio Estevez The Outsiders 1983

3. In which movie did Dustin Hoffman have his first starring role? (The graduate 1967)
   
   
4. Back to movie combos:
   Christian Slater, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Val Kilmer, Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini, Samuel L Jackson   True Romance 1993

5. Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Val Kilmer, Natalie Portman Heat (1995)

6. Name the horror movie in which Johnny Depp had his first big screen appearance (A Nightmare on Elm street 1984)

7. Couple more star-studded movies:
   John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth Pulp Fiction (1994)

8. And finally:
   George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia, Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

Interround 2 - Famous Events

In what year did these famous events take place?

The Titanic sinks –1912

The U.S first goes to War with Iraq – 1990

The first mainstream home computer is introduced – 1977 (apple, commodore, radio shack)

Jim Morrison dies – 1971

Tiger Woods becomes the number one golfer – 1997

Madonna releases her first album – 1983

President Lincoln is assassinated – 1865

The Falkland War breaks out – 1982

Justin Bieber is born - 1994

Steven King publishes his first Novel –1973

Queen Elisabeth II is coronated –1953

South Africa ends apartheid – 1990

The Great Earthquake destroys over 80% of San Francisco –1906

The first talking movie is released – 1927 (the jazz singer)

The first call is made on a hand held mobile phone – 1973

The first case of AIDS is diagnosed – 1981

The Seven billionth person is born – 2011

The first McDonald’s is opened –1940

FIFA, the football governing body, is founded – 1904

Round 2 - Christmas

1. Everyone knows Rudolph because of his shiny red nose but he wasn’t one of the original eight reindeer from the poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas” Name as many of them as you can. Comet, Cupid, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Donner, Blitzen (or Dunder and Blixem)
2. Kiritimati, the first inhabited place in the world to celebrate each New Year, is more commonly known as what? Christmas Island
3. Which Christmas carol includes the lyrics “…To save us all from Satan’s power, when we were gone astray…”? God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman
4. A bowl, milk or cream, sugar, beaten eggs and liquor, almost any will do: whisky, rum, brandy, whatever. Eggnog
5. This ballet composed by Tchaikovsky premiered in St. Petersburg the week before Christmas in 1892? The Nutcracker Suite
6. In which modern country is St Nicholas's birthplace and hometown? Turkey
7. Everyone remembers the name Scrooge from Dickens “A Christmas Carol”. But can you name the child for whom he was said to have considered the names Little Larry and Puny Pete? Tiny Tim
8. In what country, the world's seventh largest by geographical area, is Christmas known as Bada Din (the big day)? India

Interround 3 - Song Lyrics

No More will my green sea go turn a deeper shade of blue

I could not foresee this thing happening to you

If I look hard enough into the setting sun

My love will laugh with me before the morning comes

- Paint it Black / Rolling Stones

I can’t seem to face up to the facts

I’m tense & nervous & I can’t relax

I can’t sleep because my bed’s on fire

Don’t touch me I’m a real live wire

-Psycho Killer / Talking Heads

Jealousy, turning saints into the sea

Turning through sick lullabies

Choking on your alibis

But it’s just the price I pay

Destiny is calling me

Open up my eager eyes

-Mr Brightside / The Killers

Come mothers & fathers throughout the land

And don’t criticize what you can’t understand

Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command

Your old road is Rapidly aging' Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand

- Times are a changing / Bob Dylan

Boys may come & boys may go

And that’s all right to see

Experience has made me rich

And now they’re after me

- Material Girl / Madonna

I want to breathe in the open wind

I want to kiss like lovers do

I want to dive into your ocean

Is it raining with you?

-Here comes the rain again / Eurythmics

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day

You fritter & waste the hours in an offhand way

Kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown

Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

Pink Floyd – Time

Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick and think of you

Caught up in circles confusion is nothing new

Flashback, warm nights, almost left behind,

Time after Time – Cyndi Lauper

Round 3 - The Anglosphere

1. William Shakespeare was born in the house seen in the photograph to the right on St. George's Day, April 23, 1564. Shakespeare's admirers have been coming to the town in which he was born since his death in 1616. In which town is the house located? - Stratford-upon-Avon

2. When it's cold enough people sharpen their skates and hit the rinks, lakes and rivers across North America. When the river named after the city known as Motown or the Motor City freezes it possible to skate from the US to Windsor, Ontario. What is the name of this river. The Detroit River

3. Australia is home to the largest structure built by living organisms on the planet. What is it? The Great Barrier Reef

4. Where in London would you find a statue of Peter Pan ? Kensington Gardens
 

5. Which of the Great Lakes is the only one that does not border Canada? Lake Michigan

6. As a result of the Seven Years War (1756-1763), Great Britain gained control of almost all of what other country's territory in North America? France

7. What city is associated with O'Hare International Airport, Frank Lloyd Wright and Cubs, Bears, & Bulls? Chicago

8. This province is where the sun first rises on Canada. It has its own time zone. It's provincial capital is St. John's. Newfoundland

Interround 4 - Dead or Canadian?

William Shatner - Captain Kirk boldly went where no man had gone before aboard the Enterprise but has he gone to meet his maker or was he wearing a Team Canada jersey under his skin tight uniform all those years? - Canadian

Neil Young - He had a successful solo career after parting from Crosby, Stills and Nash but is he a Canadian ‘Old Man’ with a ‘Heart of Gold’ still ‘Rocking in the Free World’ or has he rung down the curtain and joined the choir invisible? - Canadian

Jack Kevorkian - Famous for his role in over 130 assisted suicides of terminally ill patients, has "Dr. Death" had a visit from Death or is he still enjoying maple syrop with his pancakes?- Dead

Peter Falk - Best known for his catchphrase "Just One More Thing" in his TV detective role Columbo, but is there a sign that reads "just add maggots" to his final resting place or does he have a maple leaf doormat on his front door? Dead

Charles Bronson - He usually played the role of vigilante, gun fighter or cop but is best known for "Death Wish". Did his wish finally come true or is he still a proud Canuck? - Dead

Marilyn Chambers - The pure Ivory Soap girl advertized as "99 & 44/100% pure" shocked society and helped bring porn into the mainstream, ushering in the swinging 70s with "Behind the Green Door". Has porn's most successful crossover 'Crossed the River Styx' or is she a Canadian girl still getting her kicks. - Dead

Charlton Heston - As Moses, Colonel George Taylor and Ben Hur, Heston parted seas, found himself on the Planet of the Apes, and even witnessed the crucifiction of the one man purported to have come back after buying the farm. Is Charlton roaming the Happy Hunting Ground or could he still be stalking Canadian Geese in Saskatchewan? - Dead

Donald Sutherland - This prolific actor was the original Hawkeye Pierce in the movie version of MASH and is of course the father of Kiefer Sutherland. Has he gone to meet his maker or is he still making movies as a covert Canuck? - Canadian

Michael J Fox - Most famously played Marty McFly in the 'Back to the Future' trilogy, he was sadly sticken with Parkinson's Disease in the early 90s. Has he lost the battle and is six feet under or is he a Canadian boy who's still fighting? - Canadian

Pamela Anderson - Bouncing on the beach of Baywatch, Pamela rose to fame on her inflated cleavage. Her Tommy Lee video won't ever die thanks to the internet but has she shuffled off the mortal coil or is this Canuck still around for another few plastic surgeries? - Canadian

Anna Nicole Smith - This buxom Playboy pinup was Playmate of the year in 1993 but came to embody the blond bimbo gold digger when she married an oil tycoon 63 years her senior. He died 13 months after their marriage, but tell me, is she a Canadian girl enjoying the riches left to her or resting in peace? - Dead

Tommy Chong - Helped bring marijuana use into acceptance as part of the Cheech and Chong movie duo. Tell me if Chong is a Canadian still smoking the bong or has he kicked the bucket? - Canadian

Round 4 - Famous Lasts

1. We all know who the first man on the moon was, right? But can you tell me who was the last man to be on the moon?.... Ha, too hard, I know. It was Eugene Cernan who said goodbye to our lone satellite with the words, “As we leave the Moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came, and, God willing, we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind.” Now, all you have to tell me is what year this happened in.
   December 1972
2. What was the last state to join the United States of America? Hawaii
3. What was the name of the last Beatles album and for a bonus what was the last song on the 2^nd side? Let It Be / Get Back
4. This is a multi-part question. Your answer sheets have ten names printed on them. From that list you must write the name of the person who was reported to have spoken these lines?

a. I have not told half of what I saw. Marco Polo

b. I am not the least afraid to die. Charles Darwin

c. Dying is easy, comedy is hard. George Bernard Shaw

d. That guy's got to stop … He'll see us. James Dean

e. My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or the other of us has got to go. Oscar Wilde

5. What is the last surviving original piece of the Polish Crown Jewels from the times of the Piast Dynasty? The ceremonial sword Szczerbiec
6. And finally, a fitting question for those of you afraid you might not have done too well in tonight's quiz. Fear not, you're in a good place to drown your sorrows. If you are afraid though, you may be suffering from this phobia. Tell me what is the phobia that means the fear of being last? Ultimophobia, Finiphobia, Bufonophobia or Telesphobia?

Thanks again to everyone for coming out. From top to bottom, here's the final result -

1st - Chupa Chups
2nd - Culture Vultures
3rd - Basic Bitches
4th - Kemm
5th - LOL Cats / Underground Nuts
Teenage Ninja Turtles
Here for the Beer
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Chomskeys
Corpus Callosum
Bloody Rapscallions
Offline
3 Girls, 1 Chap
The Spanish Inquisition
Only USOS Can Judge Us
Second Beverage Alquisition
I Don't Want to Live on This Planet Anymore
The Arrivederchies
Beer Dream Team
H8ers
A-Team
Lawica Project
Dit is Warpath

Are You a Masochist?

Well, you don't have to be one but it might help you enjoy yourself Tuesday night at Tanner's Pub. That's when and where we'll be holding our first S&M Pub Quiz where you'll be able to match wits with folks from all walks of life. The premise is simple: you and two or three friends (or enemies, strangers, family members...) form a team and try to answer questions posed by a couple of Canadians about general trivia; the team that correctly answers the most questions wins.You'll arrive sometime around 8:30pm, get a table and a question sheet and your off. You'll need to come up with a team name which should be easy enough but then things get tough. You see, whether you've noticed or not, while the dizzying array of technological wonders introduced over the past couple decades may have made certain tasks more convenient, they've also been the cause of your cognitive decline. Yep, we've all come to rely on our gadgets for the answers to everything from mathematics to bus times; in short, we've outsourced our brains. However, Tuesday night at Tanner's, you'll have to go it alone and answer questions without the help of your gizmos.

Entry is of course free and not only will you get a chance to exercise your atrophying grey matter but there will also be a prizes. A dozen or so books courtesy of the English Bookstore, Business English magazines and a few dictionaries and free beer from Profi-Lingua. You'll have the chance to prove your smarts in four spoken rounds plus four of what we call inter-rounds when there will be questions handed out to work on while you have time to relieve yourself and grab a new round of drinks. Questions could be about almost anything: geography, movies, sports, history, alcohol, the Simspons, science, literature, music, Americana, Canadiana or even Australiana. If you've played Trivial Pursuit or experienced a Trivia Night in North America or Pub Quiz in the UK, you've probably got a pretty good idea of what to expect, fun, friends and facts; if not, don't worry, relax and remember, everyone's first time is a bit painful.

Revelation

As with native speakers of any language, Poles tend to use a few words that leave foreigners scratching their heads due to the similarity of the utterances to those of the visitors home language. Catching snippets of conversations while walking down Sw. Marcin one might get the impression there's been an atrocity committed somewhere thanks to the prevalence of the word 'masakra'. I keep expecting the pharmacist to hand over a pot of jam to the kid who asked for a 'prezerwatywy'. However, every now and then the use of one these Polish-English false friends describes a moment better than anything I could come up with. This happened after the Dead Members concert last Friday night when I asked my friend what she had thought of the show and she responded with 'rewelacja'!

Whenever I hear a Pole using this word I feel like telling them "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means" just like Inigo Montoya upon hearing his boss ('szef', but not his chef) repeat the word 'inconceivable' for the umpteenth time. Yet, on this occasion, it somehow fit in a couple of ways. Now, I'm not saying that lead singer Peter Jones reminded me of the angel Gabriel or that the stage at u Bazyla bore any resemblance to Mount Sinai, no. Nevertheless, Friday night's show was indeed a revelation as both the band and venue both surprised and impressed.

While not their first live show it somehow seemed this is the one where the Dead Members finally revealed their personality. The aforementioned Jones led the crowd through a rocking set from the opening number '51 weeks' right through to the final encore. Guitarist/vocalist Dave Leonard provided a bit of flair and took control whenever he stepped to the mic or delivered a solo. The unique duo-bass combo of Steve (who also contributed vocally on Business, New Wave and Sunny Day) and Sam Bradley pumped up the musical underbelly while the sole Pole in the band, drummer Błażej Kozieł, drove the beat from the beginning til 5am (the song, sadly, not the finishing time).

All week I got the same reaction when I'd mentioned that I would be heading down to u Bazyla for the Members show: "Really?", combined with a look of doubt. This planted the seed for the second revelation of the night: u Bazyla is a great bar for live music. The contrast between Friday night's opening act, Jester, and the Dead Members serves as the perfect illustration of the range of music, atmosphere and people the club offers. Heavy metal head bangers mix with debutante socialites and everything in between to create a unique mix. With more than enough space, the concert crowd had room to groove and move they did thanks to the danceable beats provided by the Members.

If the band continues their progression you'd be a fool to miss their next show coming up Saturday the 24th at Tanner's Pub on Klasztorna. While a Pole might hope for a 'genialny' show, hopefully I won't describe it as genial but brilliant instead. No, not 'brylant', but tell your friends anyway as the Dead Members are indeed a diamond in the rough.