The Vengabus came (and has been stuck in my head ever since).

I think we can all agree that getting swag beats getting herpes any day.

It was a crowded field in the final stretch of trivia Tuesday night, but Everyone's Favorite STD held onto a five-point lead through the final round and emerged victorious. They took home the Crown Royal beanie and a couple of sweet t-shirts from the Cheerful's swag closet.

In other news, there are some ch-ch-ch-changes to report at the Cheerful Tort. After eight months of hosting here, I am moving on to greener pastures. (Or at least more studious ones; winter term is on its way, and unfortunately the 5-6 hours a week it takes to write, research, and personally present quizzes worthy of Portland's most ardent triviaphiles isn't in the time budget at the moment.)

Any qualms I had about passing the torch onto a newbie were quickly put to rest when new trivia jock Beth picked up the mic and started pumping Cee Lo and Vengaboys. While I will probably resurface sometime in the next month or two at a yet-to-be-determined venue in my continued quest to expand the empire, the Cheerful has been my home pub longer than any other so far, and what a fun ride it's been. A special mention goes to What's in Dan's Beard?, AKA Scipio Africanus, AKA Don't Trip Baby, I'm Gonna Pull Out, AKA Pumpkin Tits, AKA... God, they've just had too many great names to count. These ladies (along with the occasional gentlemen) were there from the beginning and have been frequent and enthusiastic supporters throughout the continuing evolution of Tuesday Tortoise Trivia.

Me, with Peaches, Courtney and Allie of What's in Dan's Beard? Not pictured: Dan's beard.

Okay, so onto the bottom line. How did everyone do? As I said, it was a crowded field, and the numbers don't lie. We Suck Well (I'm sure "Drinks" was the implied fourth word there) departed prematurely, so don't let the 34-point tally fool you; they held their own just fine, thank you. I don't know quite what to make of The Rapist's Wit, but I think it's safe to say that dudes who spend the night playing pool in the next room aren't all that invested in winning at trivia. And while I generally think this town has all the irony it needs and then some in the sea of 'staches and trucker hats bobbing along the Hawthorne strip on any given day, I can only hope there was some involved in the concoction of that team name.

Everyone's Favorite STD (80)

What's in Dan's Beard? (75)

Rudolph's Enormous, Throbbing, Red-Tipped... Nose (75)

Homar (70)

We Suck Well (34)

The Rapist's Wit (0)

ROUND ONE
Q1 (TV) What fictional character has been referred to as “the most popular Democratic president in recent memory”? A: Josiah Bartlet (from The West Wing)
Q2 (Horticulture) What fruit, also known as the alligator pear, gets 75% of its calories from fat? A: Avocado
Q3 (Astronomy) What planet, sometimes called Earth’s “sister planet”, is the only planet to rotate clockwise on its axis? A: Venus
Q4 (Sports) What snack company has sponsored the Fiesta Bowl using one of their product names from since 1996? A: Frito-Lay (Tostitos)

ROUND TWO
Q1 (Famous Crimes) November 24th marked the 39th anniversary of the D.B. Cooper aircraft hijacking, the only unsolved case of its kind in the U.S. From which airport did the hijacking originate? A: Portland International
Q2 (History) The first U.S. mint facility was established by the Coinage Act of 1792 in what city, then the capital of the United States? A: Philadelphia
Q3 (TV) What actor, comedian, author and bluegrass musician has hosted Saturday Night Live 15 times, sharing the most frequent host title with Alec Baldwin? A: Steve Martin
Q4 (Comics) What recurring character in the Batman comics is related to Batgirl? A: Commissioner Gordon

ROUND THREE
Q1 (Celebrities) What celebrity had to issue an apology in February 2005 after her T-Mobile Sidekick was hacked and her famous friends’ emails and phone numbers were leaked on the Internet? A: Paris Hilton
Q2 (Wars) What two Asian countries were already at war with each other prior to the outbreak of World War II? A: China and Japan
Q3 (The Bible) With 150 chapters, what book of the Bible is the longest? A: Psalms
Q4 (Food) What Mexican breakfast dish is sometimes translated as “country eggs”? A: huevos rancheros

ROUND FOUR
Q1 (Medicine) Ranked the #2 hospital in the United States overall by U.S. News and World Report, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota is ranked #1 in three areas of medical expertise; name ONE of them. A: diabetes disorders, gastroenterology, and kidney disorders
Q2 (Countries) In what modern-day Scandinavian country was the epic Beowulf take place? A: Denmark
Q3 (Actors) What actor, the 8th of 9 Wahlberg children, currently stars as a New York City detective on the CBS series Blue Bloods? A: Donnie Wahlberg
Q4 (Language) The countries of Benin, Gabon, Cameroon, Equitorial Guinea and Rwanda all have what official language in common? A: French

STUMPED IN STUMPTOWN
Q1 For most of 2009, Portland held the title of the largest U.S. city to have elected an openly gay mayor. Which city held the title prior to Portland, and which city holds it now? A: Providence, RI; Houston, TX
Q2 A proposed streetcar route from downtown Portland to what city nine miles away in Clackamas County was recently price tagged at up to $450 million dollars? A: Lake Oswego

Ironically, there were no "wardrobe malfunctions" during Super Bowl XXX

What did we learn tonight? Sperm move approximately 1 centimeter per 800 movements of their tail, the average human tastebud lives ten days, and unlimited texting plans sure pay for themselves at pub trivia.

For the first time I can remember, I've had to break a tie. The question asked what the odds were of dying from falling out of bed (1 in 2 million); the team that texted the closest number to the correct answer by the end of the song took it, and that happened to be That's What She Said. Great job, guys.

1. That's What She Said (97)
2. Triple Nerd Score (96)
3. Josh Acosta's Sexual Innuendos (90)
4. Team Anna (66)
5. Duck Tits Goose/Kathleen Turner Overdrive (53)

Here are your questions and correct answers from tonight's round of trivia:

ROUND ONE
Q1 (Countries) What nation has an intelligence and special operations force known as the Mossad? A: Israel
Q2 (Physics) A BTU, or British thermal unit, is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of what amount of water by one degree? A: one pound
Q3 (Video Games) Mario debuted as a carpenter named “Jumpman” with a monkey sidekick in what 1981 arcade game? A: Donkey Kong
Q4 (National Parks) Created by an act of Congress in 2004, what Colorado park, containing North America’s tallest sand dunes, is America’s newest National Park? A: Great Sand Dunes National Park

ROUND TWO
Q1 (Music) What Massachusetts-born singer-songwriter had a cameo appearance in the 2009 film Funny People, wherein he exclaimed, “Fuck Facebook!” A: James Taylor
Q2 (Metallurgy) Similar to soldering, what is the term for joining two metal parts with an alloy whose melting temperature is higher than 450 degrees Celsius (800 deg F)? A: Brazing
Q3 (Sports) In football, what is the only play in which the team not in possession of the ball can score points? A: safety
Q4 (The Bible) Which son of David and Bathsheba became the final king of Israel before the northern kingdom of Israel split from the southern kingdom of Judah? A: Solomon

ROUND THREE
Q1 (Recreation) Slalom skiing refers to zigzagging between obstacles on a ski slope, but in the context of waterskiing to slalom means to do what? A: use one ski
Q2 (Music) What Canadian songwriter, author and lecturer was once called “the most popular children’s entertainer in the English-speaking world”? A: Raffi (full name Raffi Cavoukian)
Q3 (Business) The phrase “triple bottom line” refers to an organization or company committed to some form of social responsibility. Along with profit, what two p-words are often used to refer to the “other” bottom lines? A: people, planet
Q4 (Geography) What river, the third longest in the world, runs through the cities of Wuhan and Hubei before emptying into the sea at Shanghai? A: Yangtze/Chang Jiang

ROUND FOUR
Q1 (Animals) The population decline and extinction of the Tasmanian wolf, the largest carnivorous marsupial of its time, is largely blamed on what wild canine? A: dingo
Q2 (TV) What TV series is given a new subtitle every season and just completed its 20th season, subtitled Heroes & Villains? A: Survivor
Q3 (Tourism) In 2009, what European tourist attraction did TripAdvisor.com rate the world’s most unhygienic? A: the Blarney Stone
Q4 (Internet) Which Super Bowl, played between the Cowboys and the Steelers, reportedly had access to its website blocked by some computer content filters? A: Super Bowl XXX (30)

STUMPED IN STUMPTOWN
Q1 What two counties cover the northern and southern halves of Sauvie Island, respectively? A: Columbia and Multnomah
Q2 What Portland author, born in 1916, won the 1984 Newbery Medal for her book Dear Mr. Henshaw? A: Beverly Clearly

'Saving...', huh? You LIE, Google Docs.

Last night I was wondering, as I occasionally do, why I do a trivia night that frequently keeps me out till midnight on a Tuesday. Then I downed a couple of hot toddies, on the house. Oh, right. That. Free booze uber alles.

I realize it's been over a month since the last update, and while I can place part of the blame for that on the potent cocktail of school, work, and music, the rest lies squarely on NaNo.

For the blissfully unaware (and I mean that in the sincerest way possible), NaNo is National Novel Writing Month; less an annual event than it is an evil sponge that soaks up time, sanity, and the ability to enjoy any kind of unrelated activity. The goal is to commit 50,000 words to paper before the end of November. Whoever picked this month is an idiot; for Portland participants, this basically means holing up by yourself during one of the gloomiest times of the year and hacking out a disjointed, typo-prone chunk of hooseguff you're in all likelihood going to have to rewrite as soon as you're done, anyway.

I decided my NaNo project wouldn't be done from scratch, but I used it as an excuse to develop a 25,000-world story that's been on the back burner for awhile. I was super excited for all of the first two days. I was roughly meeting the 1,667-word per day goal at a steady clip while putting my characters through some exciting things, and then Google Docs failed me. Like an underwater earthquake, this event unleashed a tsunami of anti-Web 2.0 sentiment that's been building within me, partly due to my inherent technological paranoia, and partly to Jaron Lanier's brilliant manifesto, You Are Not A Gadget. Either way, I surfed this wave well into brunch at Kenny & Zuke's the next day. Somehow, I explained to our brunching companions over delicious, delicious latkes, my Google account had glitched and the Internet robbed me of 1,000 words. I refreshed the page, I closed the document and reopened it, I even walked in and out of the room a couple of times, but nothing could bring those words back. I should have known something was up from the yellow 'Saving...' marquee that never quite left the top of the page... that damn yellow marquee of LIES.

Sigh. I've gone from "my laptop and I might as well jump off the St. Johns Bridge" to "maybe I'll feel better if I rant about it on the trivia blog," and you know what? I do. Some of the best trivia teams in Portland come into the Cheerful Tortoise week after week and make it an awesome gig.

Here are your rankings and the complete set of questions and answers from last night, guys:

Gonnaherpasyphilitic: The Ladykillers - 1st

Mentally Hilarious - 2nd

Fennessy's House of Pepperoni - 3rd

ROUND ONE
Q1 (Animals) What is the only cat in the world that cannot retract its claws? A: Cheetah
Q2 (History) What perceived global threat was the U.S. Information and Readiness Disclosure Act of 2000 a response to? A: Y2K
Q3 (Weather) An “animal shower” occurs when animals drop from the sky after severe storms such as tornadoes and waterspouts. What type of animal is most frequently reported falling? A: fish
Q4 (State Capitols) The Winooski River runs through this cityl, which at 7,700 people is the smallest state capitol in the country. A: Montpelier, Vermont

ROUND TWO
Q1 (Beer) What corporation produces 1 out of every 2 beers sold in America? A: Anheuser-Busch
Q2 (Geography) Disko Island, the 85th largest island in the world, contains over 2,000 hot springs and is located off the coast of what country? A: Greenland
Q3 (Food) What fast food chain was started in 1964 by the Raffel Brothers of Ohio? A: Arby’s (R.B.’s)
Q4 (Music) Pieced together in 2009 by archaelogists, what 35,000-year-old musical instrument is the world’s oldest? A: flute

ROUND THREE
Q1 (Biology) In what physical trait will any set of identical twins ALWAYS differ from each other? A: fingerprints
Q2 (Military) What nation, with its 134-man force established in 1506, has the oldest and one of the smallest militaries in the world? A: Vatican City
Q3 (US Presidents) Who is the only US President to have served in both world wars? A: Eisenhower
Q4 (Business) McDonalds, American Express, and Boeing are three of how many total companies that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average stock index? A: 30

ROUND FOUR
Q1 (Books) Every 4 minutes, someone in the U.S. buys a book by this female author, the first to be inducted into the Romance Writers’ Hall of Fame. A: Nora Roberts
Q2 (Coins) Prior to the start of the State Quarters Program in 1999, the “tails” side of the U.S. quarter featured an eagle holding the leaves of what kind of tree? A: olive tree
Q3 (Words) The word “deicide” refers to the act of killing what? A: a god/goddess/deity
Q4 (Sports) What sport are you playing if you strike a shuttlecock? A: badminton

STUMPED IN STUMPTOWN
Q1 According to Weird Oregon, which of the eleven bridges crossing the Willamette River is reportedly haunted by the ghost of a teenage girl murdered under its east end in 1949? A: St. Johns (15-year-old Thelma Taylor, her murderer was caught and executed)
Q2 In addition to the City of Books on Burnside, at what other three Portland locations does Powell’s operate a physical store? A: Cedar Hills Crossing (Beaverton), SE Hawthorne, PDX (airport)

Eugeniusness.

Thanks again to everyone who came out to Jameson's last night for the first Smartass trivia event in Eugene. We'll be back next week, same time, same place, with more prizes.

Congratulations to Team Discovery Channel, who took home the $20 top prize of the night for their 86-point blowout. Along with The Goats, they were the only team to achieve a perfect score (28 points) in any of the rounds. It's a Brad Day were the runners up, and took home $15, but I might have been a bit swayed by their sweet 'staches. Honorable mentions also go to Dringus, for the night's highest per capita score (25 points) and Fagzilla's Gigglebox Scandals for the most lol-worthy team name.

Here is last night's leader board in its entirety:

Team Discovery Channel 86

It's a Brad Day 64

Fagzilla's Gigglebox Scandals 63

The Fighting Mongooses 63

The Goats 58

Hometown 56

Dringus 50

Alaina and Scottie 33

ROUND ONE

Botany: Although used broadly to refer to the cultivation of any type of fruit, the word pomology is related to the French for what specific edible fruit? A: apple
Inventors: What 19th century British plumber, while mistakenly credited for the invention of the modern flushing toilet, nevertheless did much to popularize it through his invention of the ballcock? A: Thomas Crapper
TV: In its 35th and latest season, what series surpassed E.R. for the all-time record number of Emmy nominations with 126? A: SNL
Geography: Ras Hafun, the easternmost point in Africa, is located in what country? A: Somalia

ROUND TWO

Logos: The Chase bank logo is comprised of four trapezoids set at right angles to each other, forming what geometric shape? A: Octogon
Comics: What comic has been described as “longest story ever told by a human being”? A: Peanuts
US Presidents: After earning his undergrad degree in history from Yale, who went on to become the only US president to earn an MBA? A: G.W. Bush
Law: The French term voir dire, referring to the period preceding a trial during which attorneys interview potential jurors, literally means to do what? A: tell the truth

ROUND THREE

Astronomy: Within our solar system, which two planets have the highest observed surface winds? A: Neptune and Jupiter
State Flags: Which state’s flag bears a yellow anchor above the word “hope” on a white background? A: Rhode Island
Music: Often compared in its influence to Gangsta Rap in the U.S., a narcocorrido is a type of Mexican folk ballad generally dealing with what subject matter? A: drugs/drug wars, etc.
Business: What software company became famous for asking potential new hires why manhole covers were round during job interviews to determine their problem-solving abilities? A: Microsoft

ROUND FOUR

Cars: What manufacturer has at least five models with names inspired by different types of wind? A: Volkswagen (Passat, Scirocco, Bora, Golf, Jetta) -- Maserati was also accepted
Meteorology: What minimum wind speed (in miles per hour) must be sustained for a tropical storm to be upgraded to a hurricane? A: 74 mph
Religion: According to the Bible, Jesus was baptized in what river flowing into the Dead Sea? A: Jordan
TV: Which of the following Law and Order series premiered first: Special Victims Unit, Criminal Intent, Trial By Jury, or Crime & Punishment? A: SVU (1999)

TRACKTOWN TRIVIA

1. While Eugene has long been the second-largest city in Oregon, it was briefly surpassed by Salem during the last decade for what two-year period? A: 2005-2007
2. According to the city of Eugene, what neighborhood takes its name from a 19th century Eugene mayor and includes Civic Stadium, Westmoreland Park, Madison Meadow, and the western half of Amazon Park? A: Friendly

Admit it, fellas, the US Bancorp Tower isn't the only thing you refer to as 'Big Pink'.

My hat is off to first time players -- and dark horse -- Queso Fantastico!, who charged back from third place in the penultimate round to finish with 116 points. Well done, gentleman, although your song request calls your musical tastes into suspicion... suspicion of excellence.

The rest of the cast:

Struggle Fest 101

The Most Interesting Team in the World 97

The Planeteers 95

Scientific Seduction 94

Just Married 77

Wooglin 69

Last night's questions (highlight to see the answers):

PIECE OF CAKE

1. Nicknamed “Chocolatetown, USA”, the town of Derry Church, PA was renamed what in 1906? A: Hersey, PA

2. What antacid used the slogan “Plop! Plop! Fizz! Fizz! Oh what a relief it is?” A: Alka Seltzer

3. Prior to World War II, several counties across southern Oregon and northern California proposed forming a new state named after what U.S. president? A: Jefferson

4. Which of the following is NOT a Stone Temple Pilots song: “Plush”, “Big Empty”, “Personal Jesus,” or “Sex Type Thing”? A: "Personal Jesus"

SUCK IT, TREBEK!

1. In it’s 35th and latest season, what TV show earned its 126th Emmy nomination, surpassing E.R. for the all-time record? A: SNL

2. The popular bumper sticker simply displaying the numbers “26.2” indicates a driver with an interest in what activity? A: running (Specifically, marathons.)

3. Which of the following words does NOT refer to one of the four lobes of the brain’s cerebral cortex: frontal, occipital, medial, parietal, or temporal? A: medial

4. Ras Hafun, the easternmost point of Africa, can be found in what country? A: Somalia (Might want to double-check this, though; the caveat on the page this links to says this fact is from the 1979 Great Soviet Encyclopedia and might "outdated or ideologically biased".)

WHOEVER SPELT IT, DEALT IT

1. pronounced uh-SEE-sis and meaning "strict self discipline" A: ascesis

2. pronounced BLOW-vee-eight and meaning "to speak pompously" A: bloviate

3. pronounced kah-kuh-STOCK-ruh-see and meaning "a government run by its worst citizens" A: kakistocracy

4. pronounced NO-sint and meaning "harmful or injurious" A: nocent

5. pronounced fih-LOLL-uh-gee and meaning "the study or literary texts or linguistics" A:philology

6. pronounced tuh-MEE-sis and meaning "the interpolation of one or more words between parts of a compound word; e.g., be thou ware" A: tmesis

7. pronounced DES-uh-kate and meaning "to dry thoroughly" A: desiccate

SHAPE UP

1. Four blue trapezoids are arranged at right angles to each other in the Chase bank logo, forming what shape? A: Octogon

2. A triangle can be said to be degenerate if it has an interior angle of how many degrees? A: 180 (I also accepted zero)

3. What is the primary practical reason most modern manhole covers are round? A: they can’t be dropped into the manhole (they cost up to $500 each)

4. The US Bank Tower on 5th and Burnside in Portland appears narrow from certain angles and wide from others as a result of its footprint being this shape? A: Rhombus (As the picture below illustrates, the tower has three "columns" of windows on one face and four on another, which, if they're all of the same size, technically makes it a rhomboid, but somehow busting out a tape measure and walking 30 blocks didn't seem worthwhile for this question. I accepted both answers. N.B.: While the answer "parallelogram" is also correct, it's not specific enough; the description also applies to squares and rectangles, which the building certainly isn't.)

And now you know more about this goddamn building than you ever wanted to.

STUMPED IN STUMPTOWN

1. Opened in 1905, what North Portland saloon -- now owned by McMenamins -- is also said to be one of Portland’s most haunted buildings? A: White Eagle

2. What two letters were swapped out of the Montgomery Park sign in 1989, giving it its present appearance? A: W & D (the building it sits atop was originally a Montgomery Ward distribution center)

3. According to the Office of Neighborhood Involvement, nine officially recognized Portland neighborhoods include the word “wood” in their names; how many can you name? A: Crestwood, Maplewood, Woodlawn, Hollywood, Hazelwood, Woodland Park, Brentwood-Darlington, Sellwood-Moreland, Woodstock (I gave three points for each correct name. There was a fair amount of plausible alternates turned in, though; for example, Sherwood and Maywood Park. The former is a suburban town rather than a neighborhood; see below for the explanation on the latter.)

4. Originally a neighborhood in NE Portland, Maywood Park, Oregon, became a separate city in 1967 in an effort to thwart the development of what highway project? A: Interstate 205 (They didn't stop it, obviously, but their efforts resulted in the freeway being sunken below grade and surrounded with a concrete sound berm.)

I can't be the only one who things Wu-Tang sounds like a date rape potion, can I?

Last night's winners:

The Chief Executive Ossifers

139

The runners up:

Scipio Africanus,135

Luke's Posse, 107

Road Kill, 57 (I can sincerely say these were the nicest people I've ever met from Mississippi)

As the linked team names suggest, last night felt at times like a biology lesson, a history lesson, and a meat market in the deep South as literally one hundred people with spiffy yellow conference tags invaded the Tortoise around 9:30. It was great to have that kind of action on a Tuesday night, but obviously not everyone was there for trivia, and this let to a bit of tension throughout the night.

I thought I'd share a couple of the better exchanges here.

Girl (running up to the booth): "Hey, can you tell me the answer to that last question?"

Me: "I'm pretty sure I just saw you talking to that team over there."

Girl: "Oh, yeah, but I'm not playing. I just want to know."

Me: "...."

Wasted Dude with Yankees Hat (sidling up next to me behind the mixer): "Hey... hey, man, I'm here from New York. New fucking York, dawg!"

Me: "How exciting for you."

WDWYH: "You gotta throw down some Jay-Z, knawhatI'msayin'... 'cause shlurpple bleshf, puhhh... hahahaha!"

Me: "Please leave some beer in this place for me."

While few people will overly mourn the loss of such characters as the guy with the afro in the Suns jersey who requested "Triumph" by the Wu-Tang Clan 37 times or the weird beard from Anchorage who incessantly reminded everyone of that fact (repetition is the essence of inebriation, apparently) to their respective home states, it is with much wist that the Cheerful Tortoise and I wish Brian, of Scipio Africanus/The Naked Bike Ride Photographers/David Bowie's Nipple Antennae/et al. farewell as he leaves us for Seattle.

That's right, Seattle. Lame.

A friend of mine moved to Seattle two years back. She told me it rained the day she got there, the day after, and the day after that. She met a kid on the street, and asked him if it ever stopped.

The kid replied, "How do I know? I'm only 13."

Seriously though, we all wish him the best of luck there. This is for you, Brian.

The Stanky Leg dance

PIECE OF CAKE
1. What kind of creature is the Looney Tunes character Speedy Gonzales? A: mouse
2. What two seasons of the year begin with an equinox? A: spring and autumn
3. What is the chess term for the situation when a player’s king is threatened but has at least one option open to avoid capture? A: check
4. Which of the following is NOT a Jimmy Buffet song: “Margaritaville,” “Bananas and Blow”, “Cheeseburger in Paradise”, or “Come Monday”? A: "Bananas and Blow"

SUCK IT, TREBEK!
1. When the body of this author who died in 1870 was relocated in 2002, a cloth with the motto “un pour tous, tous pour un” was used. A: Alexander Dumas
2. In January 1990, what world landmark closed to the public for the first time in its history for safety reasons as engineers worked to stabilize it? A: the Leaning Tower of Pisa
3. In 2003, mayor Richard Daley ordered private crews to bulldoze the runway at a small airport in this city, a decision that cost city government over $1,000,000 in fines and repaid federal grants. A: Chicago
4. Cosa Nostra, another term for the Mafia, translates to English as this. A: Our Thing

SONGS ABOUT CHICKS (name the woman in the song)
1. “You don’t have to put on the red light/ Those days are over, you don’t have to sell your body to the night.” A: Roxanne
2. “Well I’m not the world’s most physical guy/ But when she squeezed me tight she nearly broke my spine.” A: Lola
3. “Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave, no one was saved.” A: Eleanor Rigby
4. “I tried to give you consolation/ Your old man wouldn’t let you down.” A: Layla

GEOGRAPHY
1. The terminator is an constantly moving line over the Earth’s surface; what happens when it crosses an area? A: Nightfall or daybreak
2. What modern day Eurasian country is - by treaty - the successor to the now-defunct Ottoman Empire? A: Turkey (Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 established the Republic of Turkey)
3. With 663,268 square miles of land and water area, what is that maximum number of smaller U.S. states that could fit inside the state of Alaska - 17, 21, 24, or 29? A: 21
4. What is the only U.S. state bordered entirely by rivers on both its eastern and western boundaries? A: Iowa (Mississippi and Missouri)

WHOEVER SPELT IT, DEALT IT
1. gavel (small mallet)
2. conscientious (having a conscience)
3. obsequious (fawning, servile, or smarmy)
4. hieroglyphic (ancient Egyptian writing)
5. subpoena (summons to court)
6. daiquiri (rum drink with fruit juice, sugar)
7. lascivious (inclined to lustfulness, lewd)

AIM FOR THE STARS
1. What four-engine, three-tailed, propeller-driven airliner built by the Lockheed corporation served as the presidential aircraft for Dwight Eisenhower? A: Constellation
2. Founded in 1971 by two teachers and a writer, what American company’s name is derived from the first mate of the Pequod from the novel Moby-Dick? A: Starbuck’s
3. What 1972 David Bowie song was rated #277 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list? A: “Ziggy Stardust”
4. The Beatles’ original drummer Pete Best was replaced in 1962 by Ringo Starr, born under the name Richard ____? A: Starkey

STUMPED IN STUMPTOWN
1. TriMet bus line 84 provides rush hour service between Gresham and what “exciting” but unincorporated community in Clackamas County? A: Boring
2. According to a city ordinance adopted in 2002, what do the four blue intersecting lines on the city flag represent? A: rivers
3. What Portland neighborhood acquired its named after early residents’ practice of letting their pet waterfowl run through the streets there? A: Goose Hollow
4. There are three Oregon State Parks located in Portland; name one of them. A: Government Island, Tryon Creek (most popular), Willamette Stone (West Hills)