FJs for the 2/29/16 week

[MarkBarrett]

Lena Horne-type weather is bringing March in like a lion outside, so I am going to post this early before the wind and trees defeat local power lines.

2/29 FINAL JEOPARDY! CATEGORY
WORLD LEADERS

2/29 FINAL JEOPARDY! CLUE
In 2006 a former llama herder became president of this country

3/1 FINAL JEOPARDY! CATEGORY
20th CENTURY POETS

3/1 FINAL JEOPARDY! CLUE
It was said "his accent which started out as pure American Middle West" became "quite British U"

3/2 FINAL JEOPARDY! CATEGORY
STATE CAPITALS

3/2 FINAL JEOPARDY! CLUE
Settled in the 1780s, it’s the only state capital without a McDonald’s

3/3 FINAL JEOPARDY! CATEGORY
AMERICAN HISTORY

3/3 FINAL JEOPARDY! CLUE
In the 1690s its legislature referred to this place as "his majesty's ancient colony and dominion"


3/4 FINAL JEOPARDY! CATEGORY
POP MUSIC MILESTONES

3/4 FINAL JEOPARDY! CLUE
In 1972 this anthemic song became the first Billboard chart-topper by an Australian-born artist

Correct responses in spoiler box:

Spoiler

Bolivia
T.S. Eliot
Montpelier
Virginia
"I Am Woman"

The players were 4/15 (26.66%) with a 2-0-1-1-0 success pattern.

The extra clues have two triple stumpers sandwiching a requested missed Daily Double. There was a request for the Sen. Marchi clue in THE TYPE OF TRANSPORT, but I did not see his name. I did the Molinari clue in guessing that was the one meant.

BACKING BANDS $1600: Billy Vera

THE LAST MAN $1200 (DD): In 1996 Delaware's Billy Bailey became the last condemned murderer to be put to death in the U.S. this way

THE TYPE OF TRANSPORT $1000: Named for a New York City borough president, the Guy V. Molinari

Correct responses in spoiler box:

Spoiler

the Beaters
hanging
ferry

[MarkBarrett]

Peru
Sandburg
Columbus, OH
electric chair
no guess on the ferry
rest & relaxation
I knew Helen Reddy was an Aussie

[skullturf]

Peru on Monday, and then aced the rest of the week. But Friday was a classic example of an FJ that I definitely would have missed on a different day.

My mind started to wander through "anthemic" songs of the early 70s: American Pie? Not Australian. Something by the Bee Gees, who were Australian? Not Staying Alive; that was late 70s. It seemed like they wanted a solo artist, and perhaps a song that was vaguely political in some way... It clicked this time, but on another night it wouldn't have, and it felt like a challenging clue. It helps that I did already know Helen Reddy was Australian.

I'm proud of coming up with the correct response on the Molinari transportation clue. I didn't previously know the name, but since the clue specifically avoided naming which NYC borough they were talking about, it made me think "I bet this is the Staten Island ferry!"

I knew Billy Vera was with the Beaters, but that category was a 4/5 for me, as I'm sure it was for many others on this board. I got them all except Grace Potter, who I don't remember ever having heard of. (Sorry, Grace!)

[Leander]

Peru Monday
Thursday, thought Virgina too obvious and made the leap from ancient colony to Roanoke colony to North Carolina

Did not know Billy Vera
Went with electric chair, would have thought hanging, at least in an Eastern state, ended earlier.
R&R means rest and recreation to me

[TenPoundHammer]

Peru Monday.

I clammed on R&R because I wasn't sure if the first word was "rest".

[econgator]

Argentina
Sandburg
knew ferry (it's one of the SI ferries)
relaxation (although I knew -- and have used -- recreation)
No clue Reddy was an Aussie

[Lefty]

Of FJ, I got all but Bolivia. Didn't know, and I guess Peru is llama land to me. There was enough in the poets clue to make it the most instant of gets, but were we really expected to know what "quite British U" means? Also not crazy about "it was said of" clues minus attribution, but maybe I'm an old grump. Old enough, at least, to think of Helen Reddy almost immediately. I knew "ancient" meant "old" and Montpelier's McDonaldslessness I learned of on one of the J! boards.

Of the extras, knew only the Staten Island ferry. And I think I have usually said "and recuperation".

P.S. I forgot to click "Peru or Argentina" in the survey.

[This Is Kirk!]

Rest and recreation
I knew Helen Reddy was Aussie

[OrangeSAM]

....P.S. I forgot to click "Peru or Argentina" in the survey.

Psst! You can go back and check that box until the poll closes on May 26.

[Volante]

Mon - Peru
Fri - "Down Under" Didn't know Helen Reddy was Australian. Didn't know Helen Reddy period.

[seaborgium]

I was between Bolivia and Peru on Monday and went the wrong way; I was spoiled only on Juneau being a wrong answer for Wednesday's FJ, and believe I would have said that (as it was, my inclination with Juneau eliminated was toward Montpelier); and I thought the crux of Thursday's FJ was to know who was king in the 1690s and what state was named after him, and said Georgia. The dumb thing is my first inclination was Virginia, but that was just a gut reaction and I felt it was too obvious, so I started combing over the clue for a key, saw "His Majesty," and figured that was it. I guess I was looking more for a reason to eliminate Virginia than to confirm it; otherwise I might have zeroed in on "ancient... dominion."

I decided a New York transport must be a subway. Silly me.

DBear and I are thus far the only ones to guess "I Am Woman" without having known Helen Reddy was Australian.

[Plactus]

Wrong guesses: Peru, Salt Lake City (thought it was too far west, but couldn't talk myself into anything), Jamestown (I hate "this place" which gives no help on if they're going for a city, state, etc. Reminds me of the Times of India FJ! a few years back), — (oof; barely recognized the name Helen Reddy and I had no idea "I am woman, hear me roar" came from a song).
I was sure Eliot was wrong, too.

Said rest and relaxation.

[Lefty]

....P.S. I forgot to click "Peru or Argentina" in the survey.

Psst! You can go back and check that box until the poll closes on May 26.

Wow. I did it, but it felt sort of...shady.

[cf1140]

Well I did not expect Monday's FJ to poll so low.

[Fleeboy]

Of FJ, I got all but Bolivia. Didn't know, and I guess Peru is llama land to me.

According to Sinatra, it is:

"Come fly with me, let's float down to Peru
In llama-land there's a one-man band
And he'll toot his flute for you"

[hbomb1947]

Monday: I thought it was a terrible FJ clue -- a total YEKIOYD, and neg-baity. I had Peru because you see llamas everywhere at Machu Picchu. As TPH would say, WLT Bolivia?

Wednesday: a dartboard clue. I had Juneau, and I found Alex's comment unhelpful -- like I was supposed to know how big Montpelier was compared to some other state capitals? (other than the obvious, like it wasn't going to be a city like Boston)

Friday: I never knew Helen Reddy was Australian, plus "anthem" made me think of songs you'd hear in a sports arena or stadium. I went with "Rock & Roll Part 1" by Gary Glitter although I guess "Part 2" is more of the anthemy one.

On the extra clues, Billy Vera & the Beaters, that great 1-hit wonder, was a slam-dunk, since I've often performed their one hit, "At This Moment," at karaoke. Had gas chamber for the method of execution that was phased out.

[seaborgium]

like I was supposed to know how big Montpelier was compared to some other state capitals?

I thought it was a standard trivia chestnut that Montpelier has a four-digit population and is the smallest capital city. I mean, Juneau is an attractive answer because of its inaccessibility and I won't fault anyone for guessing it, but scoffing at the idea that a Jeopardy hopeful would be expected to know that Montpelier is tiny makes it seem like there isn't much hope for you.

[cinemaniax7]

I didn't know that Helen Reddy was Australian, but then again, I wasn't sure that she was NOT Australian. So based on 1972 and "anthemic," I went with Reddy because of "I Am Woman." As for R&R, I said "rest and recreation," but I've heard it both ways.

[hbomb1947]

like I was supposed to know how big Montpelier was compared to some other state capitals?

I thought it was a standard trivia chestnut that Montpelier has a four-digit population and is the smallest capital city. I mean, Juneau is an attractive answer because of its inaccessibility and I won't fault anyone for guessing it, but scoffing at the idea that a Jeopardy hopeful would be expected to know that Montpelier is tiny makes it seem like there isn't much hope for you.

Considering the caliber of some of the people in the game thread who missed this one, your statement is hyperbole at the very least. We all have "trivia chestnuts" that we haven't heard until we hear them. Of course I knew that Montpelier is small but so are some other capital cities like Augusta (population under 20,000). With the possible exception of Austin Powers and Schliemann and a couple others, we all have holes in our knowledge bases, which we do our best to plug over time. And with my online test scores and other markers like cumulative FJ performance, there's obviously plenty of hope for me if I get The Call. So lay off the H-Bomb.

[gamawire]

DBear and I are thus far the only ones to guess "I Am Woman" without having known Helen Reddy was Australian.

Well, there's at least three of us now.