JAQR - July 16, 2023
MLB pitcher Joba Chamberlain, the Spike Jonze movie Adaptation, Charlie Chaplin, Australian rivers, and more...
Thank you for reading another issue of the Jeopardy Answer & Question Recap, or JAQR [“jacker”] for short. This recap includes two clues from each episode of Jeopardy! between Monday 7/10 and Friday 7/14. The recap will include Daily Doubles, Final Jeopardy clues, and Triple Stumpers. The first half of the recap will include just the clues so you can quiz yourself if you want. The second half will give you some (hopefully) interesting information about the clues and/or some related info.
DAILY DOUBLE #1
STITCH INCOMING
Joba Chamberlain used the scar from the elbow surgery named for this fellow pitcher as part of a smiley face tattoo
DAILY DOUBLE #2
ROMAN LANGUAGES
Hadrian had his wall & this cousin who immediately preceded him had his column
DAILY DOUBLE #3
RELIGIOUS OBJECTS & SYMBOLS
Measuring about 14 1/2 feet long, it was called by Pope John Paul II "a mirror of the gospel"
DAILY DOUBLE #4
FLOWERY POETRY & PROSE
The Spike Jonze film "Adaptation" is about trying to bring this steal of a book by Susan Orlean to the big screen
DAILY DOUBLE #5
WHO'S WHO IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Armed with trumpets & torches inside jars or pitchers, he led an army of 300 in victory over the Midianites
FINAL JEOPARDY #1
NAME'S THE SAME
A 1931 Charlie Chaplin film & a West Coast bookstore open since 1953 both bear this name
FINAL JEOPARDY #2
BOOKS & AUTHORS
In 1930 this author wrote "Murder at Full Moon", a horror-mystery novel set in a fictional town in Central California
TRIPLE STUMPER #1
LAKES & RIVERS
Tributaries of this 1,500-mile-long Australian river include the Darling & the Murrumbidgee
TRIPLE STUMPER #2
A CENTURY AGO: 1923
This Russian immigrant files a patent for the iconoscope, the first television transmission tube
TRIPLE STUMPER #3
A GAME OF CARDS
The name of this 18th century whist expert & author is often invoked as an authority, as in "According to"
DAILY DOUBLE #1
STITCH INCOMING
Joba Chamberlain used the scar from the elbow surgery named for this fellow pitcher as part of a smiley face tattoo
***TOMMY JOHN***
Nebraska native Joba [JAH-bah] Chamberlain was selected in the first round of the 2006 draft by the New York Yankees. He initially served as a relief pitcher after getting called up, and was subject to the "Joba Rules" created by Yankees manager Joe Torre, who stated that Chamberlain would get a day off for every inning pitched. He pitched 24 innings and had a spectacular ERA of 0.38 during the 2007 regular season. During the 2007 ALDS against Cleveland, Chamberlain was pitching when numerous midges (type of small fly) swarmed the field (pictured below). Rattled by the pests, Chamberlain hit one batter, walked two, and also threw two wild pitches. As a result, Cleveland rallied, won the game, and eventually won the series. Chamberlain was a full-time starter during the 2009 season, but was below-average (4.75 ERA in 31 starts), and was eventually moved back to the bullpen. He had Tommy John surgery in 2011 (see scar below) and severely injured his ankle while bouncing on a trampoline in 2012. He is one of only seven Native Americans who have played in the majors in the 21st century.
Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction is better known as Tommy John surgery. The UCL connects the ulna and humerus at the elbow. First performed in 1974 by the surgeon Frank Jobe, it is named for the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher who first underwent the procedure. Tommy John ending up playing 26 seasons; only Nolan Ryan played more seasons (27) in the modern era. Although mostly associated with pitchers, a few other athletes have also underwent the procedure, including Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme in 2007. Many Tommy John surgeries on athletes have been performed by the orthopedic surgeon James Andrews.
DAILY DOUBLE #2
ROMAN LANGUAGES
Hadrian had his wall & this cousin who immediately preceded him had his column
***TRAJAN***
Trajan [TRAY-jin], who was born in present-day Spain, served as Roman emperor from 98 until his death in 117. He followed Nerva as emperor and was followed himself as emperor by his cousin Hadrian. Trajan’s Column commemorates the Dacian Wars (101–102 and 105–106). Dacia [DAY-she-ah] roughly corresponds to what is now Romania, and was led at the time by Decebalus [deh-SEH-bah-lus], who committed suicide in 106 after being defeated. The Dacians used a scythe-like weapon called the falx. Trajan won the Dacian Wars thanks in part to Trajan’s Bridge, which was built by Apollodorus of Damascus and spanned the Danube River.
Rome reached its greatest territorial extent under Trajan, who was the second of the “Five Good Emperors” (which also included Nerva, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius), all of whom were adopted. Closer to home, Trajan introduced and/or expanded the welfare program alimenta, which supported poor kids. The first period discussed in Edward Gibbon’s work The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is the age of Trajan.
DAILY DOUBLE #3
RELIGIOUS OBJECTS & SYMBOLS
Measuring about 14 1/2 feet long, it was called by Pope John Paul II "a mirror of the gospel"
***SHROUD OF TURIN****
The Shroud of Turin is believed by some to be the burial garment of Jesus Christ. It is located in the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista in Turin, Italy. Carbon dating suggests that the relic was made around the year 1300. It was damaged by a 1532 fire and was repaired by nuns from the Order of Saint Clare (AKA the Poor Clares). The shroud was photographed in 1898 by Secondo Pia. The human image on the shroud was much more discernable in the resulting photographic negatives. The shroud is not be confused with the Veil of Veronica, which is also imprinted with Christ's face, but was worn by Jesus on his walk to Golgotha (AKA Calvary, the hill where he was crucified). The study of the Shroud of Turin is called sindonology; the word "sindon" was used in the Gospel of Mark to describe the burial cloth.
DAILY DOUBLE #4
FLOWERY POETRY & PROSE
The Spike Jonze film "Adaptation" is about trying to bring this steal of a book by Susan Orlean to the big screen
***THE ORCHID THIEF***
The journalist Susan Orlean wrote the 1998 non-fiction book The Orchid Thief. The book is based on an article Orlean wrote for The New Yorker and is subtitled "A True Story of Beauty and Obsession." The book centers on the plant dealer John Laroche, who is trying to clone the endangered ghost orchid (Polyrrhiza lindenii). Laroche and three Seminoles are arrested after stealing some of the rare orchids from a South Florida swamp. Spike Jonze directed the 2002 meta movie Adaptation, which is about a screenwriter who has trouble adapting The Orchid Thief into a movie. Nicolas Cage played Charlie Kaufman (and his fictional twin Donald), who wrote the movie's screenplay. The cast also includes Meryl Streep, who played Orlean, and Chris Cooper, who played Laroche. A trailer for the movie can be seen below:
DAILY DOUBLE #5
WHO'S WHO IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Armed with trumpets & torches inside jars or pitchers, he led an army of 300 in victory over the Midianites
***GIDEON***
The story of Gideon is recounted in chapters 6-8 of the Book of Judges. Gideon is instructed by an angel of the Lord to save Israel from the Midianites [MIH-dee-ah-nites], who were ravaging their land. Gideon builds an altar called "the Lord is Peace" and tears down an altar his father Joash made to Baal, which is why Gideon is sometimes called Jerub-Baal. Gideon confirmed the Lord’s power by leaving a fleece out overnight and asking God to keep it dry, while the surrounding ground would be wet (the “Miracle of the Dew”). Gideon eventually attacks and defeats the Midianites with 300 men, who blow trumpets and have torches to confuse the enemy. Gideon, who had ~70 sons, inspired the name of the organization Gideons International, which places Bibles in hotel rooms.
FINAL JEOPARDY #1
NAME'S THE SAME
A 1931 Charlie Chaplin film & a West Coast bookstore open since 1953 both bear this name
***CITY LIGHTS***
Charlie Chaplin wrote, directed, and starred in the 1931 silent rom-com City Lights. Chaplin plays the Tramp (or the Little Tramp), who befriends a blind flower girl (played by Virginia Cherrill), who believes he is rich. After saving a millionaire from committing suicide, the Tramp receives money that he gives to the flower girl for her operation. The movie ends with the Tramp visiting the shop of the flower girl, who gradually realizes who he is. Chaplin also produced the movie, since he was a co-founder of the production company United Artists (along with D.W. Griffith, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks). Chaplin also composed the movie’s music, except for "La Violetera" ("Who'll Buy My Violets?") by Spanish composer José Padilla.
The movie inspired the name of Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s City Lights bookstore in San Francisco. The store was an early gathering place for members of the Beat movement. The store's publishing arm was the first to print poetry by its members, such as Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and Other Poems, for which it was prosecuted for obscenity. The store claims to be the first to sell only paperbacks.
FINAL JEOPARDY #2
BOOKS & AUTHORS
In 1930 this author wrote "Murder at Full Moon", a horror-mystery novel set in a fictional town in Central California
***JOHN STEINBECK***
John Steinbeck (1902-1968) is an American author known for his “realistic and imaginative writings” that combine “sympathetic humor and keen social perception," at least according to the committee that awarded him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962. He was born in Salinas, which is in California’s Monterey County. His most famous novel is The Grapes of Wrath (1939), which is set during the Great Depression and centers on the Joad family migrating from the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma to California. Steinbeck used the pseudonym Peter Pym to write the unpublished mystery werewolf novel Murder at Full Moon. For a recap about his novel Cannery Row, check out the 6/4/23 edition of JAQR.
TRIPLE STUMPER #1
LAKES & RIVERS
Tributaries of this 1,500-mile-long Australian river include the Darling & the Murrumbidgee
***MURRAY****
The Murray River is Australia's longest river (~1500 miles). Its tributaries include the Murrumbidgee and the Darling, which are Australia’s second and third longest rivers, respectively. The river, which is in southeast Australia, rises on a mountain named The Pilot in the Snowy Mountains (a region of the Australian Alps) and flows west. The rivers serves as a boundary between the states of New South Wales and Victoria and eventually empties into the Great Australian Bight (which indents Australia’s southern coast) near the city of Adelaide (the capital of South Australia).
TRIPLE STUMPER #2
A CENTURY AGO: 1923
This Russian immigrant files a patent for the iconoscope, the first television transmission tube
***VLADIMIR ZWORYKIN***
Vladimir Zworykin [zwor-EE-kin] was a Russian-born American engineer who invented the iconoscope and kinescope TV systems. The iconoscope was a camera tube and the kinescope was a cathode-ray receiver. Zworykin worked at Westinghouse before its TV research division was transferred to RCA, which introduced electronic TV broadcasting at the New York World's Fair in 1939. Zworykin is sometimes called the “Father of Television,” but Utah native Philo Farnsworth is nicknamed that as well. Zworykin is also notable for appearing as the last entry in many encyclopedias (ones that don’t include Russian politician Gennady Zyuganov, that is).
TRIPLE STUMPER #3
A GAME OF CARDS
The name of this 18th century whist expert & author is often invoked as an authority, as in "According to"
***EDMOND HOYLE***
Edmond Hoyle (1672-1769) was an Englishman who wrote about card games. His most famous work was "A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist." That work gave rise to the expression “according to Hoyle,” meaning a strict adherence to the rules. The trick-taking game whist, whose former names include whisk, ruff, and trump, was the most popular intellectual card game of in the West in the 19th century, before it was superseded by bridge. The quote "when in doubt, win the trick" is often attributed to Hoyle, who also codified the laws of backgammon and wrote treatises on chess. Some modern books about card games include the name Hoyle in their title, akin to how some dictionaries include the name Webster.
