saber5055

@30 Helens you made me tear up. Hugs.

Week 11 • Nov. 21, 2022 — NO asterisk 46. Plays. The January 12, 1864 Washington Evening Star reported on a performance of this “dashing comedy” to “a full and delighted house.” 47. Musical Theater. The pair at the center of tumult in this long-running show were originally going to be a Jewish girl & a Catholic boy. 48. Seconds in History. The Fortune, the 2nd ship to land at this harbor, disappointed those already there, carrying 35 new residents & “not so much as bisket-cake.” 49. Southern Colleges. To aid transport in poorer nations, in the 1920s grads of this college built makeshift buggies celebrated in their fight song. 50. States & The Census. The 2020 Census gave Montana a second U.S. House seat; its most populous county, this one that attracts tourists, grew 11%.

I was frustrated with Friday's FJ. Montana is my favorite state, I was sent there by my editor to do two cover stories for our magazine (and to find "a wooly man in chaps" as a bonus). I flew into Bozeman and spent two days on the interviews, then took the rest of the week off as vaca, rented a car, drove to West Yellowstone, spent the night, then drove through Yellowstone to the south gate ... which closed behind me as there was a big-time blizzard on tiny road through the Continental Divide (which was not a problem for this northerner). Mine was the only vehicle on the road past Old Faithful, the park rangers were just waiting for me! I spent the night in Jackson, Wyoming, and the Yellowstone south gate remained locked for the season. So I drove back to Bozeman via Idaho. Stopped to see Butte on the way back (not an attractive town). When it was time to fly home, I almost started crying in the Bozeman airport, I did not want to leave. Best vacation EVER. I've never felt more at home anywhere. I spent all my FJ time trying to come up with Gallatin County. And it turned out to be Yellowstone. Just shoot me. I take that vacation trip several times a year, in my mind.

At least you came up with an answer. :-P

Exactly. Applicants have just become more professional in their game play. If anyone watches American Ninja Warrior, "back when," no one could make it up the warped wall. Now everyone can, and the show keeps making the wall taller and ninjas are beating that too. Watch old reruns and few if any ninjas can complete the course. Today, that same course is a snap for every single ninja, even the teens make a cake walk out of what used to make every ninja fall back in the day. Same with Jeopardy. Players are just better at the skills needed. It's just the natural order of things, like the evolution of species.

It struck me that Cassie is the one who is attractive to the men on this show ... Lindor first (I still miss him) and now Cormac. Maybe Jenny should reconsider her rocker ts and super-tight pants. I'm on Team Donno for the win, whatever the win is.

I looked at TJF and indeed, there is a new regular episode today. Just not here, even in the wee hours. But thanks to TJF, I know the results, I just won't get to view them. Football beats Jeopardy I guess, at least in the Midwest.

No Jeopardy here today, Thanksgiving. Anyone having an episode or do we all skip a day?

It came to me easily as not too long ago there were several entertainment-news tv stories about how it would be the longest-running musical. So three cheers for watching a lot of fluff tv (and TMZ).

I guess I am the only one who totally forgot Thanksgiving and, therefore, the Clue Crew would use that as a FJ reference. Instead, I was thinking of shiploads of convicts being unloaded in Australia with no food to feed the prisoners already there. The pilgrims were nowhere in my thinking. I was 100-percent in the Land of Oz.

Watching a regular game for the first time in a week, I felt like it was Celebrity Jeopardy quality. After a week of not knowing pretty much any answer, tonight I could answer nearly all of the clues, including FJ. Funny I don't feel smarter, I'm just a bit depressed Jeopardy seems to have let down for the common folk. I hope they step it up tomorrow.

I wasn't a contestant but I'm reserving a big round HUMBLE PIE for myself.

Yes! The pie that goes to infinity and beyond! Week 10 is in the books and here's how we all did ... or didn't. 30 players reported. Two scored an asterisk, no mean feat during this tough tourney. Special mention to Dankesean and TheArtandSound. It's good there will be plenty of pie since there are 15 of us at the pie table. Woo hoo! Table for 1 is pretty crowded too, with an even 10 occupants. Well done! The T42 has four members, a nice size for a dinner party. The T43 only has one occupant, and that person is the Winner of Week 10, none other than the very pretty @dankesean. Congratulations Dankesean for topping this week, a stellar achievement indeed. And in keeping with the theme, you are awarded what is considered the most beautiful trophy in the world, personalized just for you. SCORE!

I'm very happy to be at the ROUND PIE table this week. I love pie, and always asked for a Birthday Pie instead of cake when it's that time of year. Which it is in ten days. My birthday present is my third round of chemo on that day, so Happy Birthday to me. I will try to bring a pie home with me afterward. My problem is, ALL pie is delicious. Which to choose?

I teared up when Amy won. I was thrilled for her, and hope she can and will use her increased fame to continue to do good. She never fails to impress me, I think she's the BEST. This world could use more Amys. A lot more. I felt kinda bad for Sam until I saw he won $50,000. Just being one of the three in this fantastic tournament of Top Brains would be enough prize for me, but I was happy he will take home a nice check. Plus, he has quite the fan club out here!

Never mind!

Same here. It's my daily routine to go to TFJ early to get the FJ clue for the contest and to see who won that day. Since the ToC, I've not gone to TFJ until the next day to get the clue. I don't want to be spoiled as I'm enjoying every second of this tournament and want every day to be new and a surprise as I love all three players. I can support and be happy for whomever is the final winner.

Week 10 • Nov. 14, 2022 — TWO asterisk 41. Geogra-Flee. In July 2022 the ousted President of this country fled west across the Indian Ocean to the Maldives. * 42. Name’s The Same. Name shared by a Victorian novelist & an 1805 flagship captain whose name is heard in a famous phrase. * 43. The New Testament. Paul’s letter to them is the New Testament epistle with the most Old Testament quotations. * 44. Movies & Literature. Ridley Scott’s first feature film, “The Duellists”, was based on a story by this author to whom Scott’s film “Alien” also pays tribute. * 45. English Cities. William the Conqueror’s son built a fortress on a key Northern river in 1080, giving this city its name.

I find myself talking to all the contestants throughout the game. Thrilled Sam won Friday so the tourney will continue, at least through Monday. I was irritated at my station previewing the return of the current season's champ next week. I don't want this fab ToC to ever end. And speaking from the shallow end of the pool, so shallow it barely covers my toes, I find High Hair Andrew He extremely attractive. Yowza!

I LOL'd so hard at Ken's comment about Spockets.

I posted a photo of the OG Mr. AtoZ in the season thread back when our AtoZ became a television star.

I'm really surprised some people are dwelling on things that don't matter about this ToC instead of enjoying the competition with three top-notch players, something we haven't seen for a long time. Ken also appears to share my enthusiasm, his interviews have been stellar, and he makes every player feel welcome and important. I don't care if this tournament runs seven months (I wish it would), I'm enjoying every second of it. Ken also is pleased and happy with the quality and skill of all three players, if my read on it is correct. I especially liked Amy's interview yesterday. I played tournament tennis back in the day and was riveted to the television to watch Billy Jean King take on Male Chauvinist Bobby Riggs. That was must-see tv back then. BJK has been a hero of mine since always, so for her to ask to meet Amy ... OMG, what an honor of the highest level. And to all of those trolls who hate Amy for being Amy ... BJK will never want to meet you.

Our FJ players are holding their own during the ToC. Of the 29 reported scores, five of you got the asterisk, no mean feat topping the ToC's three top-shelf players. I'm hanging with the 0 group, which has six members this week. The T41 indeed needs a bench to fit all 15 player who got that score. T42 has a group of five, T43 is seating two, and Toothbrush, you are seated all alone at that very fine T44. Winner of Week 9 is our most consistent player of all times, or at least these past nine weeks. And that's @labresq, who has scored the same for the past seven weeks. That has to be a record! So behold, our mighty labresq, your official Week 9 Winner badge of honor.

Week 9 • Nov. 7, 2022 — ONE asterisk 36. Phrases from the Ancient World. Cicero wrote that a tyrant ordered this to be hung from the ceiling “by a horse-hair”; his guest begged to leave. 37. Chemical Element Names. The 3 elements whose names begin with 2 vowels are iodine & these 2, one synthetic & one natural. 38. Contemporary Authors. A trip to El Paso with his young son & wondering what the city might look like years into the future inspired a novel by this author. 39, Geographic Pairs. By ferry, the distance between these 2 paired Mediterranean islands is about 40 miles from Alcudia to Ciutadella. * 40. London Locales. To fight malaria, this former royal estate helped move quinine-producing cinchona plants from South America to India. *

As a life-long Star Trek geek I was rooting for Wesley, I mean Wil. I wondered if he was living with abuse back in the early ST days, but good on him for standing up and making it public to help others who might be suffering. I also like his character of WIL WHEATON! on BBT. Will be interesting to see who the third finalist is, but right now I like both Ike and Wil.