I knew Tsongas was a swimmer and he's spot-on. These rankings are a little like Jeopardy!--some luck is involved. It's all about who swam or didn't that year and who had the time to commit to the training. All I need to do to realize I'm not the second coming of Michael Phelps is look at the times real swimmers (i.e., not masters) are putting up. But a number two ranking in the world is a number two ranking in the world, and I'll take it!red_chucks wrote:The late politician Paul Tsongas was a competitive masters swimmer. He turned 50 while running for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 1991. When reporters asked him if he felt bad hitting the big 5-0, he said no, at least he was the youngest in his age range at swimming. He then reflected a bit and said no matter how well you think you'll do when you reach a new age group, there is always someone who is really good who eats your lunch.
Introduce Yourself Here
Moderators: alietr, trainman, econgator, dhkendall
- This Is Kirk!
- Jeopardy! Champion
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Re: Introduce Yourself Here
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- Rank
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Re: Introduce Yourself Here
That was my first reaction, too. Except, while I don't actually think I can run 1500 metres that fast, I can most certainly walk it much faster than that.jeff6286 wrote:That doesn't seem all that tough. I'm 34, and I can run 1500 meters way faster than that.This Is Kirk! wrote:17:47.
Oh wait, you said swimming? Okay, that's not too bad.
Brian
...but the senator, while insisting he was not intoxicated, could not explain his nudity.
If I had 50 cents for every math question I got right, I'd have $6.30 by now.
If I had 50 cents for every math question I got right, I'd have $6.30 by now.
- jeff6286
- Watches Jeopardy! Way Too Much
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Re: Introduce Yourself Here
Now that I think about it, walking would probably be the better bet if I was in a race against This is Kirk. We all now that it's a bad idea to run along the side of the pool.bpmod wrote:That was my first reaction, too. Except, while I don't actually think I can run 1500 metres that fast, I can most certainly walk it much faster than that.jeff6286 wrote:That doesn't seem all that tough. I'm 34, and I can run 1500 meters way faster than that.This Is Kirk! wrote:17:47.
Oh wait, you said swimming? Okay, that's not too bad.
Brian
- trainman
- Moderator Extraordinaire
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Re: Introduce Yourself Here
Ooh, that's something I should use next time I get to audition: I am currently ranked as the 7,142nd best pinball player in the world. I know, it doesn't sound that impressive, but at least I'm ranked. (There are no age or even gender brackets in competitive pinball.)
- This Is Kirk!
- Jeopardy! Champion
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- Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:35 am
- Location: Seattle
Re: Introduce Yourself Here
I love pinball. What are your favorites?trainman wrote:Ooh, that's something I should use next time I get to audition: I am currently ranked as the 7,142nd best pinball player in the world.
- alietr
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Re: Introduce Yourself Here
Firepower!
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Re: Introduce Yourself Here
Me too. Ever since I was a young boy.This Is Kirk! wrote:I love pinball. What are your favorites?trainman wrote:Ooh, that's something I should use next time I get to audition: I am currently ranked as the 7,142nd best pinball player in the world.
Brian
...but the senator, while insisting he was not intoxicated, could not explain his nudity.
If I had 50 cents for every math question I got right, I'd have $6.30 by now.
If I had 50 cents for every math question I got right, I'd have $6.30 by now.
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- Just a Man Like Any Other
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- Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2011 1:45 pm
Re: Introduce Yourself Here
When I was in college, before many of you were born, there was a hole in the wall place downtown in my small college town called Rooter Russell's Rendezvous that consisted of one pool table and four walls full of pinball machines. I spent many a night into the wee hours playing those machines, and often at a cost of 25 cents for the evening. A few of those machines would spin the free game dial to 99, and I left 99 games on those machines more than a few times. In those days, most machines were Gottlieb or Williams, and Bally was just getting into the market. Gottliebs were the best machines in my opinion; their solid mechanics and that immensely satisfying thwock of the free game reward that vibrated all the way to your fingertips on the flipper buttons made them far more appealing than the cheesy flash of the later machines, especially the Ballys. Pinball began to lose its appeal for me when they changed the game from 5 balls to 3. My all time favorite was an old Gottlieb called Kings and Queens. Anybody know it?
The Santa Cruz boardwalk used to have a game machine museum that had functional machines all the way back into the 20s and 30s, way before the invention of the flipper buttons that pumped life into the hobby. It was a phantasmagorium where you could lose yourself for hours (days?), much like a Powell's Books...
Aah, good old days.
The Santa Cruz boardwalk used to have a game machine museum that had functional machines all the way back into the 20s and 30s, way before the invention of the flipper buttons that pumped life into the hobby. It was a phantasmagorium where you could lose yourself for hours (days?), much like a Powell's Books...
Aah, good old days.
- This Is Kirk!
- Jeopardy! Champion
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- Location: Seattle
Re: Introduce Yourself Here
Yes, I've played it. There's an annual pinball show here in Seattle and many people bring old electro-mechanical pins such as this one.bomtr wrote: My all time favorite was an old Gottlieb called Kings and Queens. Anybody know it?
- econgator
- Let's Go Mets!
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Re: Introduce Yourself Here
Absolutely, although I must admit two of my favorites were the Playboy and Kiss machines.bomtr wrote: My all time favorite was an old Gottlieb called Kings and Queens. Anybody know it?
- trainman
- Moderator Extraordinaire
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Re: Introduce Yourself Here
Favorite all-time machine is Twilight Zone.This Is Kirk! wrote:I love pinball. What are your favorites?
Favorites that I get to play regularly -- since they're among the collection at the location where my pinball league meets -- are FunHouse (same designer as Twilight Zone), Jack*Bot, Embryon, and Scorpion.
- Linear Gnome
- One Miner Gal
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- Location: Missouri
Re: Introduce Yourself Here
I haven't been around any pinball machines for decades, but I remember a brand-new Bally game called Paragon as an undergraduate in the late '70's (about the same time as Space Invaders).trainman wrote:Favorite all-time machine is Twilight Zone.This Is Kirk! wrote:I love pinball. What are your favorites?
Favorites that I get to play regularly -- since they're among the collection at the location where my pinball league meets -- are FunHouse (same designer as Twilight Zone), Jack*Bot, Embryon, and Scorpion.
Speaking of Space Invaders, I remember an electromechanical precursor called Invaders from Outer Space by Midway.
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- Figment of Imagination
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Re: Introduce Yourself Here
Pinball is one of my interests as well. I've been playing a lot of the Pinball Arcade on my Kindle Fire. It's not the same as playing on an actual machine, but it's pretty good for when I want a pinball fix.
My favorite tables are Twilight Zone, The Addams Family, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Funhouse, and The Getaway: High Speed 2.
My favorite tables are Twilight Zone, The Addams Family, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Funhouse, and The Getaway: High Speed 2.
"You're dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up anyway." -- Walt Disney
- Jasoni22
- Jeopardy! TOCer
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Re: Introduce Yourself Here
No Tommy / Pinball Wizard references yet? For shame.
I got a Monday Night Football pinball machine [not my pictures] for my 8th birthday. Great fun, and we still have it. I think my favorite pinball game to play in the arcades was Attack from Mars, though.
I got a Monday Night Football pinball machine [not my pictures] for my 8th birthday. Great fun, and we still have it. I think my favorite pinball game to play in the arcades was Attack from Mars, though.
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- Rank
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Re: Introduce Yourself Here
Look again.Jasoni22 wrote:No Tommy / Pinball Wizard references yet? For shame.
Brian
...but the senator, while insisting he was not intoxicated, could not explain his nudity.
If I had 50 cents for every math question I got right, I'd have $6.30 by now.
If I had 50 cents for every math question I got right, I'd have $6.30 by now.
- This Is Kirk!
- Jeopardy! Champion
- Posts: 6562
- Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:35 am
- Location: Seattle
Re: Introduce Yourself Here
I knew there had to be a twist.bpmod wrote:Look again.Jasoni22 wrote:No Tommy / Pinball Wizard references yet? For shame.
Brian
- someday
- Swimming in the Jeopardy! Pool
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Re: Introduce Yourself Here
Yes, me too! With "La Grange" by ZZ Top.jmenjes wrote:The Getaway: High Speed 2.
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- Just Starting Out on JBoard
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- Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2013 1:12 pm
Re: Introduce Yourself Here
Hey, my name is Justin. I'm 26 and finishing my Masters of Accounting and taking the CPA exam. I have "big fish, small pond" syndrome so I think I'm excellent at Jeopardy but I'm really not. I'm the worst at history, especially European and monarchs. I would like to eventually take the Jeopardy test, but I'm a bit of a chicken to be on national TV, even though I'm pretty gregarious in general. Another big problem is that I start my job in July, and will be working upwards of 80 hours a week, so I don't see much studying in my near future. I think I'm going to make the leap and take Jeopardy seriously in my early 30s.
Anyway, I admire anyone here who has tried out; you have a lot of guts and you should be proud just for that. The thought of getting on TV and getting decimated is such a scary thought. Some days I feel like I have what it takes knowledge-wise, and other times I'm completely humbled. In the mean time I'll probably just continue what I'm doing, which is study bits and pieces as they pique my interest. For instance, I just learned the basics of classical music last month and I listen to it while I study for the CPA.
Anyway, I admire anyone here who has tried out; you have a lot of guts and you should be proud just for that. The thought of getting on TV and getting decimated is such a scary thought. Some days I feel like I have what it takes knowledge-wise, and other times I'm completely humbled. In the mean time I'll probably just continue what I'm doing, which is study bits and pieces as they pique my interest. For instance, I just learned the basics of classical music last month and I listen to it while I study for the CPA.
- Jasoni22
- Jeopardy! TOCer
- Posts: 115
- Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2013 10:45 pm
Re: Introduce Yourself Here
Clever.This Is Kirk! wrote:I love pinball. What are your favorites?trainman wrote:Ooh, that's something I should use next time I get to audition: I am currently ranked as the 7,142nd best pinball player in the world.
- Spaceman Spiff
- One-and-done J! Champ (and proud of it!)
- Posts: 1010
- Joined: Sat Jul 02, 2011 6:10 pm
Re: Introduce Yourself Here
I know I used to love pinball (which, for some reason, wasn't around much in my native northwest Alabama; I think the state viewed them as "gambling devices" because of the free game potential, go figure -- especially if you follow the local news regarding electronic bingo; but I digress). They did have them at the game room at 'Bama when I was there, and I sometimes spent too much at those machines! (Laundry or pinball.... hmmmmm....)
However, in my mind, with the advent of the Bally Fireball (the first electronic vs. electromechanical machine), the games just went south for a player after that. It seemed the machines always had the ability to adapt to the player, or tweeked the "free game" scores, or such. Then, as mentioned elsewhere, it went from 5 balls per play to 3 (for the same price, of course; kind of like ice cream is today!), and I stopped playing. Of course, that was about the time the video games came on the scene, and the number of pinball machines dwindled -- smaller footprint, less maintenence, etc. for the arcade owners.
However, in my mind, with the advent of the Bally Fireball (the first electronic vs. electromechanical machine), the games just went south for a player after that. It seemed the machines always had the ability to adapt to the player, or tweeked the "free game" scores, or such. Then, as mentioned elsewhere, it went from 5 balls per play to 3 (for the same price, of course; kind of like ice cream is today!), and I stopped playing. Of course, that was about the time the video games came on the scene, and the number of pinball machines dwindled -- smaller footprint, less maintenence, etc. for the arcade owners.