Ben Fernandez

Trivial Matters

December 7, 2010 by Ben Fernandez Leave a Comment

Last month, I jumped the gun by asking questions about the frustrations of the San Francisco Giants in not winning a World Series in 53 seasons playing in SF. I’m happy to report, our wait is over. They won and the entire Bay Area can rejoice. We are wonderfully blessed to have two Major League teams within our geographical area and they are both worthy of our support. Would like to do more baseball questions this month, but I am sure the readers are not all fans, so I work up some holiday cheer.

Who starred in the updated version of “Christmas Carol” known as “Scrooged” in 1988?
Who was the singing host of the perennial Christmas TV favorite “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”?
What famous singer wrote the lyrics to “The Christmas Song”?
Who played the title role in the 1985 movie “Santa Claus”?
What is in James Stewart’s pocket when he is brought back to the present on Christmas Eve in the classic “It’s a Wonderful Life”?
Who played the music for “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” as well as all of the other Peanuts TV specials?

NOVEMBER’S TRIVIA ANSWERS:

Bobby Richardson
Ralph Terry
Candy Maldonado
Mitch Williams
Scott Spiezio
Bengie Molina

NOVEMBER TRIVIA WINNER:
Barry Tiras of Walnut Creek

WIN LUNCH ON BEN!
The first person to email or mail, no calls please, the correct answers to all of the above questions will win a $25 gift certificate at The Uptown Cafe in downtown Danville, compliments of Ben Fernandez!
Entries must be received by Dec 24, 2010. In the event of a tie, the winner will be drawn at random. Please email your answers to info@aliveeastbay.com, or mail to ALIVE East Bay, 199 East Linda Mesa Avenue, Suite 10, Danville, CA 94526. Employees and family members of employees of ALIVE East Bay are not eligible.
Restaurant may be changed without notice.

Trivial Matters

November 7, 2010 by Ben Fernandez Leave a Comment

While doing this I am watching game two of the NLDS between the Giants and Braves, Giants are ahead one game to zero, but you will know how they did when you read this. So, let us delve into Giants postseason foibles as we know them.

When Willie McCovey hit the line drive to end the 1962 World Series, our heart broke. Who caught the line drive?
The Yankee pitcher that day pitched a complete game and was named the MVP of that series. Who was he?
The Giants missed a chance to go to the World Series in 1987 when the Giant right fielder muffed a line drive in the eighth inning of the deciding game. Who was he?
The Giants made the World Series in 1989 when Will Clark hit a line drive single in the 8th inning of the final game. Who was the Cub pitcher that day?
Heartbreak of heartbreaks occurred in 2002 when a singles hitter for the Angels hit a three-run homer in the 8th inning of game six of the World Series and started the downhill slide to lose that key game after a 5-0 lead. Who hit the Homerun?
The Angels’ catcher in that series went on to become a Giant and a real fan favorite. Who was he?

OCTOBER’S TRIVIA ANSWERS:

Cliff Robertson
Errol Garner
Pittsburgh and Boston
“Autumn in New York”
Edward Gibbon
Nick Nolte

OCTOBER TRIVIA WINNER:
Mr. Nobody!!!!!

WIN LUNCH ON BEN!
The first person to email or mail, no calls please, the correct answers to all of the above questions will win a $25 gift certificate at The Uptown Cafe in downtown Danville, compliments of Ben Fernandez! Entries must be received by Nov 25, 2010. In the event of a tie, the winner will be drawn at random. Please email your answers to info@aliveeastbay.com, or mail to ALIVE East Bay, 199 East Linda Mesa Avenue, Suite 10, Danville, CA 94526. Employees and family members of employees of ALIVE East Bay are not eligible. Restaurant may be changed without notice.

Trivial Matters

October 8, 2010 by Ben Fernandez

I have finally recovered from my funk for making a large boo boo a couple months back. I will do my best to restore trust. As we enter the fall season, let’s get seasonal.

Who was the Oscar winning actor who appeared with Joan Crawford in the movie “Autumn Leaves”?
Who was the piano player that made “Autumn Leaves” popular?
The World Series is called the Fall Classic. Which two teams appeared in the first one in 1901?
Ella Fitzgerald and other female singers made a jazz classic out of the fall season. What was the song?
Who wrote “The Fall of the Roman Empire”?
Who was the male star of “Mulholland Falls”?

September’s Trivia Answers

Tom Ewell
Bobby Grich
Tony Bennett
Phil Silvers as Sergeant Bilko
Cosmo
Richard Widmark

SEPTEMBER TRIVIA WINNER: Jill Salamanca of Pleasanton

WIN LUNCH ON BEN!
The first person to email or mail, no calls please, the correct answers to all of the above questions will win a $25 gift certificate at The Uptown Cafe in downtown Danville, compliments of Ben Fernandez! Entries must be received by September 25, 2010. In the event of a tie, the winner will be drawn at random. Please email your answers to info@aliveeastbay.com, or mail to ALIVE East Bay, 199 East Linda Mesa Avenue, Suite 10, Danville, CA 94526. Employees and family members of employees of ALIVE East Bay are not eligible. Restaurant may be changed without notice.

Trivial Matters

September 2, 2010 by Ben Fernandez

Well, I went ahead and did it. In the little quiz a month or so ago, I said that Doc Medich and Fritz Peterson were the Yankee pitchers who swapped wives. Shame on me! Thanks to reader, Dominick Collichio, my error was pointed out. It was Mike Kekich, not Doc Medich. I got my “iches” crossed. Thanks to Dominick for pointing this out. I am happy to see he reads this nonsense. I promise to keep my “iches” under better control. Speaking of “iches” or “itches,” let’s go.

Who was the male star of the 1955 movie “Seven Year Itch”?
Who was the long time second baseman for the Orioles and Angels in the 70’s and 80″s?
Whose first hit record was “Rags to Riches” in the 50’s?
The original name of this TV series was “You’ll Never Get Rich.” Who was the star and what was the name of the character?
Michael Richards played Kramer on the “Seinfeld” show. What was Kramer’s first name?
Who made a classic introduction to a long movie career when he played Tommy Udo in 1947’s “Kiss of Death”?

AUGUST’S TRIVIA ANSWERS:
1. June Lockhart 2. Ray Milland 3. Cy Young 4. Shangri-la 5. Ira Gershwin 6. Hubert Humphrey

AUGUST TRIVIA WINNER:
Debbie McGaffey of Livermore

WIN LUNCH ON BEN!
The first person to email or mail, no calls please, the correct answers to all of the above questions will win a $25 gift certificate at The Uptown Cafe in downtown Danville, compliments of Ben Fernandez! Entries must be received by September 25, 2010. In the event of a tie, the winner will be drawn at random. Please email your answers to info@aliveeastbay.com, or mail to ALIVE East Bay, 199 East Linda Mesa Avenue, Suite 10, Danville, CA 94526. Employees and family members of employees of ALIVE East Bay are not eligible. Restaurant may be changed without notice.

Trivial Matters

August 6, 2010 by Ben Fernandez

A whole bunch of us got lost in “Lost,” the terrific TV series that just ended a seven year run. It almost never made sense, but we did not care. It is too soon to do a quiz based on the show, but we can “lost” anyway.

Who played the mother on the TV series “Lost in Space”?
Who won an Oscar in 1946 for his performance in “Lost Weekend”?
What major league pitcher lost the most games in his career?
What mythical land was celebrated in the novel “Lost Horizon”?
A classic song about loss is “The Man Who Got Away.” Judy Garland sang it, Harold Arlen wrote the music, but who wrote the lyrics?
Who lost the 1968 US Presidential election to Richard Nixon in 1968?

JULY’S TRIVIA ANSWERS:
1. Mel Gibson 2. Mel Ott 3. Mel Torme 4. Melvin Purvis 5. Mel Blanc 6. Mel Allen

JULY TRIVIA WINNER:
John Martinez of Walnut Creek

Entries must be received by May 20, 2010. In the event of a tie, the winner will be drawn at random. Please email your answers to info@aliveeastbay.com, or mail to ALIVE East Bay, 199 East Linda Mesa Avenue, Suite 10, Danville, CA 94526. Employees and family members of employees of ALIVE East Bay are not eligible. Restaurant may be changed without notice.

Trivial Matters

July 15, 2010 by Ben Fernandez

The annual Kings X Trivia Tournament was held June 28 at WPLJ in Walnut Creek. The competition was fierce. Any one of the six teams could have won. I am happy to say that my team “Outhouse Time Machine,” was the winner. As usual, it took a village to win, so my congratulations go to Tim Reagan, Scott Strain and Bob Canter. It was a grand group.

Since I am in a “Mel” low mood, let’s go to work.

Who played Mad Max in the movie series of the same name?
He was the third Major League player to hit more than 500 homeruns. Who was he?
We knew him as the “Velvet Fog.” What was his name?
Who was the FBI agent credited with tracking down John Dillinger?
Who was the voice of Sy, the Mexican, on the Jack Benny radio show?
Who was the Yankee baseball radio announcer who always said “How About That”?

JUNE’S TRIVIA ANSWERS:
1. “Carousel” 2. June Jones 3. June Havoc 4. Beaver Cleaver of “Leave it to Beaver” 5. June Allyson 6. “How About You”

JUNE TRIVIA WINNER:
Roberta Montes of San Leandro

WIN LUNCH ON BEN!
The first person to email or mail, no calls please, the correct answers to all of the above questions will win a $25 gift certificate at The Uptown Cafe in downtown Danville, compliments of Ben Fernandez!
Entries must be received by May 20, 2010. In the event of a tie, the winner will be drawn at random. Please email your answers to info@aliveeastbay.com, or mail to ALIVE East Bay, 199 East Linda Mesa Avenue, Suite 10, Danville, CA 94526. Employees and family members of employees of ALIVE East Bay are not eligible. Restaurant may be changed without notice.

Trivial Matters

June 3, 2010 by Ben Fernandez

Later than usual, the annual Kings X Trivia Tournament will be held at WPLJ’s in Walnut Creek on June 27 from 11AM to 7PM. It is still called Kings X Tournament as a tribute to the long time home of Trivia in the Bay Area, “Kings X” Restaurant in Oakland. Drop by if you would like to see grown people get very competitive over worthless information. If you would like to play, let us know. The moderator will be Rich Berkery, last year’s champion and one of the games’ superstars. June is later than usual, but June is a great month. Speaking of that:

“June is Busting Out All Over” is a song from, to my mind, Rogers and Hammerstein’s greatest musical. What was that show?
A former NFL quarterback with the first name June coached University of Hawaii to great football fame a few years back. Who is he?
She passed away recently, but was made famous in the show “Gypsy” as Gypsy Rose Lee’s sister. Who was she?
One of the most beloved children of 1950’s TV had a mother named June. Who was the little boy and what was the show?
She played the “girl next door” in the movies of the 40’s and 50’s. She was Mrs. Glenn Miller in the “Glenn Miller Story.” Who was she?
“I like New York in June” is the first line in a great Burton Lane standard. What is the song?

MAY’S TRIVIA ANSWERS:
1. Dermot Mulroney
2. Doc Medich and Fritz Peterson
3. David Groh
4. Tiny Tim 5. Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco
6. “Get Me to the Church on Time” from “My Fair Lady”

MAY TRIVIA WINNER:
Stacey Norman of Alameda

Entries must be received by June 25, 2010. In the event of a tie, the winner will be drawn at random. Please email your answers to info@aliveeastbay.com, or mail to ALIVE East Bay, 199 East Linda Mesa Avenue, Suite 10, Danville, CA 94526. Employees and family members of employees of ALIVE East Bay are not eligible. Restaurant may be changed without notice.

Trivial Matters

May 7, 2010 by Ben Fernandez

It seems like holy matrimony is the subject of the month. Playing Trivia is not necessarily conducive to a long marriage, but my spouse and I are going on 53 years. I cannot really say that thinking of this stuff has contributed to the longevity, but you never know.

HERE ARE THIS MONTH’S QUESTIONS:

Who played the “best friend” in the movie “My Best Friend’s Wedding”?
In the 1970’s, two New York Yankee pitchers swapped wives. It was a cause celebre. Who were those restless cats?
One of the big TV episodes of the 70’s was the night that Rhoda Morgenstern, of the hit show “Rhoda,” got married. Who played the groom?
Johnny Carson was never one to miss a bet. What singer was married on his program?
Whose wedding captivated the world in 1956?
“I’m Getting Married in the Morning” were the opening lines to a great song. What was the song and what was the famous Broadway show that it was sung in?

APRIL’S TRIVIA ANSWERS:
1. Al Jolson 2. George and Ira Gershwin 3. William Howard Taft 4. W. Somerset Maugham 5. Ed Wynn 6. Bill Rigney

APRIL TRIVIA WINNER:
Charlotte Miller of San Ramon

WIN LUNCH ON BEN!
The first person to email or mail, no calls please, the correct answers to all of the above questions will win a $25 gift certificate at The Uptown Cafe in downtown Danville, compliments of Ben Fernandez!
Entries must be received by May 20, 2010. In the event of a tie, the winner will be drawn at random. Please email your answers to info@aliveeastbay.com, or mail to ALIVE East Bay, 199 East Linda Mesa Avenue, Suite 10, Danville, CA 94526. Employees and family members of employees of ALIVE East Bay are not eligible. Restaurant may be changed without notice.

Trivial Matters

April 6, 2010 by Ben Fernandez

I had a successful knee replacement operation in August of 2009. On one of my visits to my doctor, he mentioned reading this silly little column in ALIVE Magazine. His name is Aaron Salyapongse and he is quite a guy and a fine doctor. At least, I now know that someone reads this stuff other than the folks who respond for prizes. April is the month of Fools, Showers and the opening of baseball season. Let’s say hello to April.

1. What famous vaudeville singer of the early 20th Century sang “April Showers”?

2. What brother combination wrote the song “Fools Rush In”?

3. Who was the first U. S. President to throw out an opening day first pitch?

4. Who wrote the famous book and play “Rain”?

5. What famous old time comic was known as the “Perfect Fool”?

6. Who was the manager of the SF Giants in their inaugural season 1958?

MARCH’S TRIVIA ANSWERS:
1. Ian Bannen
2. Lefty O’Doul
3. George Murphy
4. “Galway Bay”
5. William Bendix
6. Bob Crane

MARCH TRIVIA WINNER:
Sue Branagan of Walnut Creek

Entries must be received by April 15, 2010. In the event of a tie, the winner will be drawn at random. Please email your answers to info@aliveeastbay.com, or mail to ALIVE East Bay, 199 East Linda Mesa Avenue, Suite 10, Danville, CA 94526. Employees and family members of employees of ALIVE East Bay are not eligible. Restaurant may be changed without notice.

Trivial Matters

March 4, 2010 by Ben Fernandez

One of the nice things that has occurred over the past few months is rekindling a friendship with one, Tim Murphy. Tim and I were teammates on the Cheese Factory of Pleasanton Trivia Team that stormed San Francisco in 1973 and won the one and only championship of the Trivia Society of Lower Battery Street in San Francisco. Tim has made a comeback and is one of the regulars for our monthly session at Grand Oaks Restaurant in Oakland the last Tuesday of each month. Tim has a remarkable memory for old movies and famous radio shows of the 40’s. Come down and join us sometime. Speaking of guys named Murphy, we all know what March means. Having spent a marvelous month in Ireland, the Irish in me is coming out. Don’t be fooled by the name. Me mother was descended from Auld Sod.

1. “Waking Ned Devine” was one of the most delightful movies of the past 20 years. What actor, who had been an Oscar nominee in the 1960’s, was the star of the movie?

2. He once hit .395 in the National League, but is more famous for managing the San Francisco Seals in the 40’s, introducing baseball to Japan and owning a fine hofbrau on Geary Street in SF. Who was he?

3. He danced with Fred Astaire in 1940, but became more famous as US Senator from Californian in the 60’s. Who was he?

4. “If you ever go across the sea to Ireland” are the opening lines to a famous Irish song. What is it?

5. Who starred in radio on “The Life of Riley”?

6. Who was the star of the TV series “Hogan’s Heroes”?

FEBRUARY’S TRIVIA ANSWERS:
1.Maurice Chevalier 2. Ellis Valentine 3. “Love, American Style” 4. “Babes in Arms” 5. “Love in Bloom” 6. Love Canal

WIN LUNCH ON BEN!
The first person to email or mail, no calls please, the correct answers to all of the above questions will win a $25 gift certificate at The Uptown Cafe in downtown Danville, compliments of Ben Fernandez! Entries must be received by March 15, 2010. In the event of a tie, the winner will be drawn at random. Please email your answers to info@aliveeastbay.com, or mail to ALIVE East Bay, 199 East Linda Mesa Avenue, Suite 10, Danville, CA 94526. Employees and family members of employees of ALIVE East Bay are not eligible. Restaurant may be changed without notice.