Transcript 04/29/10 - Brent Sonnek-Schmelz

[BBTranscriptTeam]

Brent Sonnek-Schmelz
Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Entrepreneur

Brent has a lot of business ideas that he kicks around in his head, all the time.

Meredith: Smartest decision you made recently?

Brent: Try out for the show!

Question Topics:
* The Eighties
* Periodicals
* On the Books
* The Civil War
* World Cultures
* Measure for Measure
* The Bible
* Psychology
* Business
* Famous Names
* Reference Works
* Movie Sequels
* At the Drugstore
* Peace Talks
* Holiday Traditions


$500 * Holiday Traditions
Bobbing for apples is thought to have originated as a Roman ritual honoring Pomona, the goddess of what?

A: Fruit B: Weather
C: Poetry D: Mono

Answer

A: Fruit ( 11 )

$1,000 * Peace Talks
International peace talks to limit "ICBMs" seek to reduce what type of military hardware?

A: Missiles B: Machine guns
C: Mines D: Mortars

Answer

A: Missiles ( 11 )

$2,000 * At the Drugstore
Follicuré is a brand that manufactures which of these products?

A: Eye drops B: Toothpaste
C: Shampoo D: Toilet paper

Answer

C: Shampoo ( 7 )

$3,000 * Movie Sequels
The popular 2005 animated movie "Madagascar" produced a 2008 sequel subtitled "Escape 2" where?

A: Africa B: Europe
C: Australia D: South America

Answer

A: Africa ( 11 )

$5,000 * Reference Works
On its cover, which of these reference books boasts that it contains over 500,000 synonyms and antonyms?

A: Rand McNally Atlas of the World B: The Joy of Cooking
C: The Old Farmer's Almanac D: Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus

Answer

D: Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus ( 6 )

$7,500 * Famous Names
In 1954, Brooklyn native Ruth Bader married Martin Ginsburg nearly forty years before she became a what?

A: NASA astronaut B: U.S. vice president
C: U.S. Supreme Court justice D: Wimbledon winner

Answer

C: U.S. Supreme Court justice ( 24 )

$10,000 * Business
Founded in 1899 by Giuseppe Pollio, Polly-O, as it is known today, is a popular brand of what?

A: Soups B: Cookies
C: Cheeses D: Nuts

Answer

C: Cheeses ( 27 )

-- Commercial Break --

During the summer, Brent gets teased for wearing short shorts. We're shown a picture of him in a pair.

Brent's wife, Frances (or did Meredith say "France"?) is in the audience.

Brent still has all of his lifelines, including his Ask The Expert. Today's expert is the co-anchor of Nightline and ABC News correspondent, Terry Moran.

$12,500 * Psychology
What psychological condition shares its name with a region of the Atlantic Ocean known for its squalls and shifting winds?

A: Doldrums B: Vertigo
C: Neurosis D: Euphoria

Answer

A: Doldrums ( 26 )

$15,000 * The Bible
The Bible refers to a human's life span as "threescore and ten," or how many years?

A: Fifty B: Seventy
C: Ninety D: One hundred

Answer

B: Seventy ( 27 )

$25,000 * Measure for Measure
Invented by surgeon John Hutchinson in the 1840s, a spirometer measure what important body function?

A: Lung capacity B: Brain activity
C: White blood cell count D: Kidney function

With 22 seconds left, Brent decides to Ask The Audience.

ATA

A: 69% B: 10% C: 12% D: 9%

Answer

A: Lung capacity ( 21 )

-- Commercial Break --

You're In the Hot Seat Home Game
Today's Winning Answer

Spoiler

B: Potatoes and cabbage

Sneak Peak at One of the Next Episode's Questions

$10,000
When he was killed, which of these famous Americans had a $5 Confederate note in his pocket?

A: Alexander Hamilton B: Crispus Attucks
C: Abraham Lincoln D: Patrick Henry

Meredith asks Brent how much money he made last year, as an entrepreneur. Brent's answer is "nothing at all." He doesn't know how long it will be until he makes some, so he'd like to keep these winnings "straightforward" (?). If he wins more, they may start a family.

$50,000 * World Cultures
Traditionally worn by women in the the highlands of Bolivia and Peru, "bombins" are what distinctive article of clothing?

A: Fur ponchos B: Bowler hats
C: Lace veils D: Wooden clogs

With 37 seconds left, Brent decides to Double Dip.

Brent's first answer is

Spoiler

Bowler hats

.

Answer

B: Bowler hats ( 37 )

$100,000 * The Civil War
What was the result of the famous Civil War battle between the two ironclad ships, the Monitor and the Merrimack?

A: Monitor sunk Merrimack B: Merrimack sunk Monitor
C: Neither ship sank D: Both ships sank

Brent: I think it's both ships sank, but I'll ask the expert.

Brent Asks The Expert with 33 seconds left.

Terry: Brent, I know the battle and, as I recall it, both ships, uhh--they fired away at each other and then they both left. One was very badly damaged and later sunk. But I think they both escaped the encounter with each other, intact. So, I think the answer is C and I gotta tell you, my confidence level on that is--well, it's not 100%. It's, ahhh, a little north of 50%. I think both ships survived the encounter. And one later sunk.

Brent: I was thinking both ships sank, then you talked about that. I think that neither sank at the point, but they both sank later?

Terry: That could well be. But I think that in that battle between the Monitor and the Merrimack, neither one sank the other.

Brent: All right. Well, I think you--I'm just going to go for that, and my wife may kill me. I think I'm done. I think I'm going to try it and see what happens.

Meredith reminds Brent that what he was thinking and that what Terry was thinking were opposite things, but Brent goes for it.

Answer

C: Neither ship sank ( 25 )

Brent will return on tomorrow's show.

[drew scheeler]

DD on the 50K. Going for 250K with the rest.

[MarleysGh0st]

Terry Moran has been doing a fine job of answering the questions he's been given, no doubt about that. But, man, does he need a dose of confidence in his answers.

He completely talks out his answer, including the possible tripwire regarding the fate of the ships after the battle. And then he estimates his level of surety as "a little north of 50%."

Giving yourself a loophole so you don't look so bad if you're mistaken is fine for you, Terry, but you'd have cost Brent another lifeline, if he still had his Double Dip at that point.

[TheConfessor]

The Doldrums are not unique to the Atlantic.

[ten96lt]

This stack wasn't as strong for me, I would've still been going on to $250K but with no lifelines. Would've burned ATA on the $10K (had a brain fart), ATE on $25K since I probably wouldn't have had enough confidence to pull the trigger alone and DD on the $50K doing the same thing as Brent in terms of answering since I had a hunch but not positive. Knew the Civil War question cold.

I hope to see that MDQ because I was recently watching "I love the 80's" and would love to see the question be about something they talked about on the show.

[earendel]

Brent Sonnek-Schmelz
Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Entrepreneur

Brent has a lot of business ideas that he kicks around in his head, all the time.

Meredith: Smartest decision you made recently?

Brent: Try out for the show!

I'm guessing this is in the WE® area.

$10,000 * Business
Founded in 1899 by Giuseppe Pollio, Polly-O, as it is known today, is a popular brand of what?

A: Soups B: Cookies
C: Cheeses D: Nuts

Answer

C: Cheeses ( 27 )

No idea, so ATA. That brand isn't sold around these parts, at least not where elwing shops.

During the summer, Brent gets teased for wearing short shorts. We're shown a picture of him in a pair.

Those didn't look really short. Interestingly Brent said he was trying to "bring back the 80s", and the topic of the $1M question in his stack is "The Eighties".

$12,500 * Psychology
What psychological condition shares its name with a region of the Atlantic Ocean known for its squalls and shifting winds?

A: Doldrums B: Vertigo
C: Neurosis D: Euphoria

Answer

A: Doldrums ( 26 )

I always associated doldrums with being depressed and apathetic, rather than stormy.

$50,000 * World Cultures
Traditionally worn by women in the the highlands of Bolivia and Peru, "bombins" are what distinctive article of clothing?

A: Fur ponchos B: Bowler hats
C: Lace veils D: Wooden clogs

With 37 seconds left, Brent decides to Double Dip.

Brent's first answer is

Spoiler

Bowler hats

.

Answer

B: Bowler hats ( 37 )

The expert has been pretty strong, and since I don't know this I'll use ATE.

$100,000 * The Civil War
What was the result of the famous Civil War battle between the two ironclad ships, the Monitor and the Merrimack?

A: Monitor sunk Merrimack B: Merrimack sunk Monitor
C: Neither ship sank D: Both ships sank

Brent: I think it's both ships sank, but I'll ask the expert.

Brent Asks The Expert with 33 seconds left.

Terry: Brent, I know the battle and, as I recall it, both ships, uhh--they fired away at each other and then they both left. One was very badly damaged and later sunk. But I think they both escaped the encounter with each other, intact. So, I think the answer is C and I gotta tell you, my confidence level on that is--well, it's not 100%. It's, ahhh, a little north of 50%. I think both ships survived the encounter. And one later sunk.

Brent: I was thinking both ships sank, then you talked about that. I think that neither sank at the point, but they both sank later?

Terry: That could well be. But I think that in that battle between the Monitor and the Merrimack, neither one sank the other.

Brent: All right. Well, I think you--I'm just going to go for that, and my wife may kill me. I think I'm done. I think I'm going to try it and see what happens.

Meredith reminds Brent that what he was thinking and that what Terry was thinking were opposite things, but Brent goes for it.

Answer

C: Neither ship sank ( 25 )

Assuming the expert came through for me on the previous question I'd have sailed past this one. The Merrimack (technically the CSS Virginia) and USS Monitor engaged each other at Hampton Roads, VA. Neither could inflict much damage on the other; ultimately the Monitor withdrew and despite efforts by the Confederate Navy to draw her out for a return engagement, the two ships never crossed paths again. The Virginia was destroyed after the Union captured Norfolk and the Monitor was towed out to the ship graveyard off Cape Hatteras, NC and sunk.

[MarleysGh0st]

The Virginia was destroyed after the Union captured Norfolk and the Monitor was towed out to the ship graveyard off Cape Hatteras, NC and sunk.

Not deliberately!

While the design of Monitor was well-suited for river combat, her low freeboard and heavy turret made her highly unseaworthy in rough waters. This feature probably led to the early loss of the original Monitor, which foundered during a heavy storm. Swamped by high waves while under tow by Rhode Island, she sank on 31 December 1862 off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. 16 of the 62 crewmen were lost in the storm.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Monitor

[earendel]

The Virginia was destroyed after the Union captured Norfolk and the Monitor was towed out to the ship graveyard off Cape Hatteras, NC and sunk.

Not deliberately!

While the design of Monitor was well-suited for river combat, her low freeboard and heavy turret made her highly unseaworthy in rough waters. This feature probably led to the early loss of the original Monitor, which foundered during a heavy storm. Swamped by high waves while under tow by Rhode Island, she sank on 31 December 1862 off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. 16 of the 62 crewmen were lost in the storm.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Monitor

I didn't know that. I thought it was deliberate. And I didn't know about the loss of life, either.

Ironclads never really caught on (except insofar as all ships were later built from steel rather than wood). Monitor was good as a river blockader but that was about all - it couldn't elevate its guns so it couldn't do much against fortifications or provide much ground support. As for Virginia it was really a refitted wooden ship, not a new design.

Marley, as a Civ IV player do you ever build ironclads?

[NellyLunatic1980]

Brent Sonnek-Schmelz
Atlantic Highlands, NJ

WE®

And what a dream stack for me. I'm going for $250K with all of my lifelines.

[wintergreen48]

$12,500 * Psychology
What psychological condition shares its name with a region of the Atlantic Ocean known for its squalls and shifting winds?

A: Doldrums B: Vertigo
C: Neurosis D: Euphoria

Answer

A: Doldrums ( 26 )

I always associated doldrums with being depressed and apathetic, rather than stormy.

You are right. I think that Atlantic hurricanes actually originate in the Doldrums, but the region is much more known for being very quiet, with nothing happening. It's an area where, in sailing days, ships could be stuck for weeks waiting for the winds to pick up. I think this is a pretty bad question, the only reason I would have known the answer is that 'Doldrums' is the only one of the four choices that describes an area in an ocean. The stuff about 'squalls and shifting winds' sounds more like 'Euphoria' than 'Doldrums,' but I don't think that there is any oceanic location known as 'Euphoria.'

[MarleysGh0st]

Marley, as a Civ IV player do you ever build ironclads?

Not usually. They have limited usefulness and I usually jump from frigates to destroyers, quickly enough.

[earendel]

Marley, as a Civ IV player do you ever build ironclads?

Not usually. They have limited usefulness and I usually jump from frigates to destroyers, quickly enough.

I agree. Generally I don't do much with frigates, either - I'm not much for a strong navy. I do try to get from galleons to transports as quickly as I can, however.

[ulysses5019]

$12,500 * Psychology
What psychological condition shares its name with a region of the Atlantic Ocean known for its squalls and shifting winds?

A: Doldrums B: Vertigo
C: Neurosis D: Euphoria

Answer

A: Doldrums ( 26 )

I always associated doldrums with being depressed and apathetic, rather than stormy.

You are right. I think that Atlantic hurricanes actually originate in the Doldrums, but the region is much more known for being very quiet, with nothing happening. It's an area where, in sailing days, ships could be stuck for weeks waiting for the winds to pick up. I think this is a pretty bad question, the only reason I would have known the answer is that 'Doldrums' is the only one of the four choices that describes an area in an ocean. The stuff about 'squalls and shifting winds' sounds more like 'Euphoria' than 'Doldrums,' but I don't think that there is any oceanic location known as 'Euphoria.'

I'm wondering about the horse latitudes.

[tanstaafl2]

Well, this one stumped me with Polly-O at 10K. Apparently not all that popular in the south but probably not hard for a WE to get.

Otherwise no problem to 100K. Certainly not as demanding as those impossibly difficult Q's the pole dancer had earlier like which frackin' mountain range is in Asia or whether your ear is higher than your hip. Jeez.

[tanstaafl2]

$12,500 * Psychology
What psychological condition shares its name with a region of the Atlantic Ocean known for its squalls and shifting winds?

A: Doldrums B: Vertigo
C: Neurosis D: Euphoria

Answer

A: Doldrums ( 26 )

I always associated doldrums with being depressed and apathetic, rather than stormy.

You are right. I think that Atlantic hurricanes actually originate in the Doldrums, but the region is much more known for being very quiet, with nothing happening. It's an area where, in sailing days, ships could be stuck for weeks waiting for the winds to pick up. I think this is a pretty bad question, the only reason I would have known the answer is that 'Doldrums' is the only one of the four choices that describes an area in an ocean. The stuff about 'squalls and shifting winds' sounds more like 'Euphoria' than 'Doldrums,' but I don't think that there is any oceanic location known as 'Euphoria.'

Day after day, day after day,
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.

The doldrums can be very calm indeed and that is perhaps what it is most associated with. But it can alternate with hard to predict periods of heavy winds and storms as the air circulates back into the intertropical convergence zone from the horse latitudes.

The recent Air France crash off Brazil went down in the doldrums about 2 degrees north of the equator and it was thought it may have been passing through a severe thunderstorm in the doldrums when it was lost. Although you don't always need heavy weather for severe turbulence to occur in that area of shifting atmospheric pressure. We won't likely kever know for sure until and if the black boxes are ever recovered.

[NellyLunatic1980]

I always associated doldrums with being depressed and apathetic, rather than stormy.

You are right. I think that Atlantic hurricanes actually originate in the Doldrums, but the region is much more known for being very quiet, with nothing happening. It's an area where, in sailing days, ships could be stuck for weeks waiting for the winds to pick up. I think this is a pretty bad question, the only reason I would have known the answer is that 'Doldrums' is the only one of the four choices that describes an area in an ocean. The stuff about 'squalls and shifting winds' sounds more like 'Euphoria' than 'Doldrums,' but I don't think that there is any oceanic location known as 'Euphoria.'

I'm wondering about the horse latitudes.

I'm wondering if it's possible to beat a dead horse latitude.

[Bob Juch]

The Virginia was destroyed after the Union captured Norfolk and the Monitor was towed out to the ship graveyard off Cape Hatteras, NC and sunk.

Not deliberately!

While the design of Monitor was well-suited for river combat, her low freeboard and heavy turret made her highly unseaworthy in rough waters. This feature probably led to the early loss of the original Monitor, which foundered during a heavy storm. Swamped by high waves while under tow by Rhode Island, she sank on 31 December 1862 off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. 16 of the 62 crewmen were lost in the storm.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Monitor

I don't think the Monitor was nearly big enough to have a crew of 62. I think someone included the crew of the towing ship.

[ulysses5019]

You are right. I think that Atlantic hurricanes actually originate in the Doldrums, but the region is much more known for being very quiet, with nothing happening. It's an area where, in sailing days, ships could be stuck for weeks waiting for the winds to pick up. I think this is a pretty bad question, the only reason I would have known the answer is that 'Doldrums' is the only one of the four choices that describes an area in an ocean. The stuff about 'squalls and shifting winds' sounds more like 'Euphoria' than 'Doldrums,' but I don't think that there is any oceanic location known as 'Euphoria.'

I'm wondering about the horse latitudes.

I'm wondering if it's possible to beat a dead horse latitude.

Only if it has a dead horse attitude.

[TheConfessor]

I'm wondering if it's possible to beat a dead horse latitude.

Wikipedia says yes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_latitudes

A more likely and better documented explanation is that the term is derived from the "dead horse" ritual, a practice in which the seaman would parade a straw-stuffed effigy of a horse around the deck before throwing it overboard. Seamen were often paid partly in advance before a long voyage (see Beating a dead horse). They would often spend their advance pay all at once, resulting in a period of time in which they would not have any income. This time was called the "dead horse" period, and it usually lasted a month or two. The ceremony was to celebrate having worked off the "dead horse" debt. As European west bound shipping would reach the subtropics at about the time the "dead horse" was worked off, the region became associated with the ceremony.

[NellyLunatic1980]

I'm wondering if it's possible to beat a dead horse latitude.

Wikipedia says yes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_latitudes

A more likely and better documented explanation is that the term is derived from the "dead horse" ritual, a practice in which the seaman would parade a straw-stuffed effigy of a horse around the deck before throwing it overboard. Seamen were often paid partly in advance before a long voyage (see Beating a dead horse). They would often spend their advance pay all at once, resulting in a period of time in which they would not have any income. This time was called the "dead horse" period, and it usually lasted a month or two. The ceremony was to celebrate having worked off the "dead horse" debt. As European west bound shipping would reach the subtropics at about the time the "dead horse" was worked off, the region became associated with the ceremony.

Wow, that is amazing. I was just making a joke. I never knew that there really is a connection between the two phrases!

(And I just noticed that my Raspberry Bored post count is all 7s. Today must be my lucky day. )