Transcript 4/29/2011 - Jennifer Donlon

[BBTranscriptTeam]

Jennifer Donlon
Boston, MA
Lawyer

Jennifer would like to redo her kitchen with some of her winnings. It works, but it's a 1980's generic contractor style with lots of white laminate everywhere. The person who owned the house before her sat hot pans down and so there are some big burn marks on the countertops. Jennifer's mother Kathy is in the relationship seat. Jennifer is glad that Kathy is behind her because Kathy is a nervous wreck. Jennifer said that when she was in 5th grade and got her ears pierced her mother cringed in a corner hoping Jennifer wouldn't see her, but the whole place was mirrored, so she could.

Topic Tree: (unrandomized)
10 - Smell This
9 - Eyes on the Road
8 - Jump Around
7 - Count 'Em
6 - Music Videos
5 - Surly Scientists
4 - Spanish Holiday
3 - Blended Food
2 - Game Shows
1 - Sporting Chance


Topic Tree: (randomized)
6 - Music Videos
9 - Eyes on the Road
10 - Smell This
5 - Surly Scientists
4 - Spanish Holiday
1 - Sporting Chance
8 - Jump Around
3 - Blended Food
7 - Count 'Em
2 - Game Shows

Question #1 (Game Shows - Level 2)
The 2006 book "Prisoner of Trebekistan" was penned by a former contestant on what TV game show?
A - The Price is Right
B - Wheel of Fortune
C - Jeopardy!
D - Deal or No Deal

Jennifer was very nervous when she saw the question and had no idea of the answer. But now that she's seen the choices, she knows

Spoiler

"Trebekistan" must be for Alex Trebek

.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Jeopardy!)
Value: $5,000
Bank: $5,000

Question #2 (Count 'Em - Level 7)
Including its two impressive front claws, how many legs does a lobster have?
A - six
B - eight
C - ten
D - twelve

Jennifer can't decide between

Spoiler

10 and 12

so she decides to jump the question.

Spoiler

Answer: C (10)
Value: $2,000
Bank: $5,000 (no change)

Jennifer was leaning that way but she was a little fuzzy and would rather skip it than take a chance.

Question #3 (Blended Food - Level 3)
In 1965, Yola and Coplait merged their companies and names to form a business now known for selling what?
A - chocolate
B - popcorn
C - orange juice
D - yogurt

Jennifer says she doesn't know why but the word

Spoiler

Yoplait

just jumped out at her.

Spoiler

Answer: D (yogurt)
Value: $15,000
Bank: $20,000

Question #4 (Jump Around - Level 8)
In his illustrious career as a daredevil, Evil Knievel attempted to jump all but which of these obstacles?
A - Caesar's palace fountains
B - 14 Greyhound buses
C - Snake River canyon
D - 74 New York cabs

Jennifer takes a quick look around to see how old the audience looks and see if they might remember him. They look pretty young but some might remember him, so she's going to ask the audience.

ATA results

A - 22%
B - 3%
C - 13%
D - 62%

The audience looks like a smart bunch so she's going to trust them.

Spoiler

Answer: D (74 New York cabs)
Value: $100
Bank: $20,100

commercial break

Jennifer normally likes to bargain but here she's out for every penny she can get.

Question #5 (Sporting Chance - Level 1)
According to legend, 19th century Englishmen using cigar box lids to hit wine corks across a table spawned what pastime?
A - billiards
B - pinball
C - ping-pong
D - dominoes

Jennifer says that

Spoiler

ping-pong

is the most logical answer.

Spoiler

Answer: C (ping-pong)
Value: $10,000
Bank: $30,100

Question #6 (Spanish Holiday - Level 4)
A Spanish-speaking person refers to what national holiday as "Dia de Trabajo"?
A - Labor Day
B - Veterans Day
C - Memorial Day
D - Independence Day

Jennifer didn't take a lot of Spanish but she's pretty sure that

Spoiler

"Dia de Trabajo" means "Day of Work" which would lead her to believe that it means "Labor Day"

.

Spoiler

Answer: A (Labor Day)
Value: $3,000
Bank: $33,100

Question #7 (Surly Scientists - Level 5)
A nasty rivalry between 19th century paleontologists Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope was fittingly dubbed the what?
A - bone wars
B - oil wars
C - gold wars
D - coal wars

Jennifer says that

Spoiler

bone wars is jumping out at her because paleontologists dig up dinosaur bones

.

Spoiler

Answer: A (bone wars)
Value: $1,000
Bank: $34,100

Question #8 (Smell This - Level 10)
In 2010, a North Carolina grocery chain put up one of the country's first scented billboards, treating passersby to the smell of what?
A - ground coffee
B - grilled steak
C - chocolate brownies
D - apple pie

"This is a tough one," Jennifer says. Her first thought was laundry detergent, but that's not one of the choices. She can't imagine being able to recreate the scent of

Spoiler

grilled steak

in a way that would be appetizing. Both

Spoiler

brownies and apple pie

would be good, but the easiest to do would be

Spoiler

ground coffee

. Meredith reminds her of her remaining lifeline but Jennifer says that she's going to risk going home and make

Spoiler

A

her...then she pauses and asks herself if she wants to do this. Meredith asks, "Final answer?" and Jennifer replies, "Not yet."She decides to jump the question.

Spoiler

Answer: B (grilled steak)
Value: $500
Bank: $34,100 (no change)

Question #9 (Eyes on the Road - Level 9)
In 2007, what U.S. state became the first to ban texting while driving?
A - California
B - Washington
C - New York
D - Maine

Jennifer knows nothing about this but she feels that it's

Spoiler

California because they have so many strict restrictions on driving.

. She also thinks it's illegal in

Spoiler

New York, can't remember about Maine and has no idea about Washington

. "What the heck," she says, as she gives her final answer.

Spoiler

Answer: B (Washington)
Value: unrevealed
Bank: $1,000 (consolation prize)

commercial break

The "Blast from the past" question was worth $100,000 in 2009:
Aristotle wrote that what animal, though immune from other illnesses, is "occasionally subject to flatulence"?
A - goat
B - elephant
C - dog
D - lion

Spoiler

B (elephant)

[MarleysGh0st]

Question #7 (Surly Scientists - Level 5)
A nasty rivalry between 19th century paleontologists Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope was fittingly dubbed the what?
A - bone wars
B - oil wars
C - gold wars
D - coal wars

Jennifer says that

Spoiler

bone wars is jumping out at her because paleontologists dig up dinosaur bones

.

Spoiler

Answer: A (bone wars)
Value: $1,000
Bank: $34,100

If the question writers have been reading up on the bone wars, how did they get the brontosaurus question wrong, a few weeks ago?

[SportsFan68]

Question #8 (Smell This - Level 10)
In 2010, a North Carolina grocery chain put up one of the country's first scented billboards, treating passersby to the smell of what?
A - ground coffee
B - grilled steak
C - chocolate brownies
D - apple pie

"This is a tough one," Jennifer says. Her first thought was laundry detergent, but that's not one of the choices. She can't imagine being able to recreate the scent of grilled steak in a way that would be appetizing. Both brownies and apple pie would be good, but the easiest to do would be ground coffee. Meredith reminds her of her remaining lifeline but Jennifer says that she's going to risk going home and make A her...then she pauses and asks herself if she wants to do this. Meredith asks, "Final answer?" and Jennifer replies, "Not yet."She decides to jump the question.
[Obscure] Spoiler:
Answer: B (grilled steak)
Value: $500
Bank: $34,100 (no change)


Question #9 (Eyes on the Road - Level 9)
In 2007, what U.S. state became the first to ban texting while driving?
A - California
B - Washington
C - New York
D - Maine

Jennifer knows nothing about this but she feels that it's California because they have so many strict restrictions on driving.. She also thinks it's illegal in New York, can't remember about Maine and has no idea about Washington. "What the heck," she says, as she gives her final answer.
[Obscure] Spoiler:
Answer: B (Washington)
Value: unrevealed
Bank: $1,000 (consolation prize)

No problem up to here. On these two, I'm out the door. Well, I guess I have two JTQs, so I'm still alive.

[vettech]

Question #2 (Count 'Em - Level 7)
Including its two impressive front claws, how many legs does a lobster have?
A - six
B - eight
C - ten
D - twelve

Jennifer can't decide between

Spoiler

10 and 12

so she decides to jump the question.

Spoiler

Answer: C (10)
Value: $2,000
Bank: $5,000 (no change)

Jennifer was leaning that way but she was a little fuzzy and would rather skip it than take a chance.

How does a Boston girl not get this one?

[earendel]

Jennifer Donlon
Boston, MA
Lawyer

Jennifer would like to redo her kitchen with some of her winnings. It works, but it's a 1980's generic contractor style with lots of white laminate everywhere. The person who owned the house before her sat hot pans down and so there are some big burn marks on the countertops. Jennifer's mother Kathy is in the relationship seat. Jennifer is glad that Kathy is behind her because Kathy is a nervous wreck. Jennifer said that when she was in 5th grade and got her ears pierced her mother cringed in a corner hoping Jennifer wouldn't see her, but the whole place was mirrored, so she could.

Question #4 (Jump Around - Level
In his illustrious career as a daredevil, Evil Knievel attempted to jump all but which of these obstacles?
A - Caesar's palace fountains
B - 14 Greyhound buses
C - Snake River canyon
D - 74 New York cabs

Jennifer takes a quick look around to see how old the audience looks and see if they might remember him. They look pretty young but some might remember him, so she's going to ask the audience.

ATA results

A - 22%
B - 3%
C - 13%
D - 62%

The audience looks like a smart bunch so she's going to trust them.

Spoiler

Answer: D (74 New York cabs)
Value: $100
Bank: $20,100

Interestingly NPR's Saturday "Weekend Edition" program had a story about Knievel and it mentioned the attempt to jump the fountains at Caesar's Palace.

Question #8 (Smell This - Level 10)
In 2010, a North Carolina grocery chain put up one of the country's first scented billboards, treating passersby to the smell of what?
A - ground coffee
B - grilled steak
C - chocolate brownies
D - apple pie

"This is a tough one," Jennifer says. Her first thought was laundry detergent, but that's not one of the choices. She can't imagine being able to recreate the scent of

Spoiler

grilled steak

in a way that would be appetizing. Both

Spoiler

brownies and apple pie

would be good, but the easiest to do would be

Spoiler

ground coffee

. Meredith reminds her of her remaining lifeline but Jennifer says that she's going to risk going home and make

Spoiler

A

her...then she pauses and asks herself if she wants to do this. Meredith asks, "Final answer?" and Jennifer replies, "Not yet."She decides to jump the question.

Spoiler

Answer: B (grilled steak)
Value: $500
Bank: $34,100 (no change)

I'd JTQ also. All four of the answers would be good attention-getters.

Question #9 (Eyes on the Road - Level 9)
In 2007, what U.S. state became the first to ban texting while driving?
A - California
B - Washington
C - New York
D - Maine

Jennifer knows nothing about this but she feels that it's

Spoiler

California because they have so many strict restrictions on driving.

. She also thinks it's illegal in

Spoiler

New York, can't remember about Maine and has no idea about Washington

. "What the heck," she says, as she gives her final answer.

Spoiler

Answer: B (Washington)
Value: unrevealed
Bank: $1,000 (consolation prize)

Time to JTQ again because I don't think the audience would know this one (or else they'd pick NY because they're familiar with the law).

[MarleysGh0st]

Question #9 (Eyes on the Road - Level 9)
In 2007, what U.S. state became the first to ban texting while driving?
A - California
B - Washington
C - New York
D - Maine

Jennifer knows nothing about this but she feels that it's

Spoiler

California because they have so many strict restrictions on driving.

. She also thinks it's illegal in

Spoiler

New York, can't remember about Maine and has no idea about Washington

. "What the heck," she says, as she gives her final answer.

Spoiler

Answer: B (Washington)
Value: unrevealed
Bank: $1,000 (consolation prize)

Time to JTQ again because I don't think the audience would know this one (or else they'd pick NY because they're familiar with the law).

I knew that New York had the law, but I couldn't recall when it was passed here or whether we were first. Since I don't text, I wasn't really paying attention.

The Ithaca Journal happened to have an article on Saturday about the uneven enforcement of the law in the state. Among other problems, police have a major roadblock in enforcing it.

New York also has a weak texting-while-driving law. It's only a secondary offense, meaning police can't pull someone over specifically for it without another infraction involved.

New York is one of only four states that has a texting-while-driving ban but doesn't make it a primary offense. Twenty-seven states have it as a primary infraction.

"We're almost never in favor of a secondary violation," said Richard Carey, deputy director of the state Association of Chiefs of Police and a retired chief in Glens Falls, Warren County. "If you're in violation of the law, that should enough probable cause to execute a vehicle stop."

[Bob Juch]

Question #9 (Eyes on the Road - Level 9)
In 2007, what U.S. state became the first to ban texting while driving?
A - California
B - Washington
C - New York
D - Maine

Jennifer knows nothing about this but she feels that it's

Spoiler

California because they have so many strict restrictions on driving.

. She also thinks it's illegal in

Spoiler

New York, can't remember about Maine and has no idea about Washington

. "What the heck," she says, as she gives her final answer.

Spoiler

Answer: B (Washington)
Value: unrevealed
Bank: $1,000 (consolation prize)

Time to JTQ again because I don't think the audience would know this one (or else they'd pick NY because they're familiar with the law).

I knew that New York had the law, but I couldn't recall when it was passed here or whether we were first. Since I don't text, I wasn't really paying attention.

The Ithaca Journal happened to have an article on Saturday about the uneven enforcement of the law in the state. Among other problems, police have a major roadblock in enforcing it.

New York also has a weak texting-while-driving law. It's only a secondary offense, meaning police can't pull someone over specifically for it without another infraction involved.

New York is one of only four states that has a texting-while-driving ban but doesn't make it a primary offense. Twenty-seven states have it as a primary infraction.

"We're almost never in favor of a secondary violation," said Richard Carey, deputy director of the state Association of Chiefs of Police and a retired chief in Glens Falls, Warren County. "If you're in violation of the law, that should enough probable cause to execute a vehicle stop."

South Carolina has it as a primary infraction but the way the law is written it's pretty much impossible to enforce: It says that the officer must know that the driver is texting and not doing something else such as using the phone's directory to look-up a number. Does using an app count as texting? They'd have to rely on the driver confessing that he was texting.

[MarleysGh0st]

Jennifer's appearance got a rather harsh mention as the first item of this column:

http://news.bostonherald.com/track/insi ... ition=also

May Day! May Day!

• Boston attorney Jennifer Donlon walked away with just $1,000 on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” on Friday after blowing $34,000 and the ninth question Meredith Vieira posed. Donlon stumbled when asked: “Which state was the first to ban texting while driving?” She picked California. The right answer was Washington.