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1. Way back in 2006, we held mental_floss Teacher Appreciation Week. One day, we’ll do this again. But for now, if you had to celebrate one teacher, who would it be? Why?
2. I don’t get to many Broadway shows. But my most memorable experience came last year, when my wife took me to see Frost/Nixon. Frank Langella’s Nixon gives a dramatic speech toward the end, and it was as if our 37th President was directly addressing (and swearing at) the audience. A Frost/Nixon movie is in the works, but I can’t imagine they’ll be able to do that scene justice. Anyway, what single stage moment stands out for you?
3. Here’s your chance to shamelessly plug a struggling business. I’ve already expressed my love for the Planet Smoothie in Roxbury, NJ. Free wireless, comfortable seating, liquid lunches and rarely a crowd. But that last part scares me. Name an establishment you’re hoping to help save. And if you live within, say, 45 miles of Roxbury, fill up the tank and head on over.
4. Sounds like Seattle is going to lose the SuperSonics to Oklahoma City. Bill Simmons of ESPN recently ran an entire column of letters from their desolate fan base. Has your favorite team ever relocated on you? Did you give up on them?
5. In my mind, McDonald’s offered roughly ten Chicken McNuggets dipping sauces. To make sure we didn’t miss any, I contacted McD’s media relations to verify. The verdict? Only three dipping sauces exist. But Terri Dann did such a great job with this banner, I can’t let it go to waste. Take the full two minutes. Don’t try to sneak the Chicken Selects dipping sauces in here. And ketchup doesn’t count.
I guess I’m supposed to ask a question. Let’s try this: What’s your idea for a ridiculous ‘name x in y minutes’ quiz? Use this one as your guide.
6. I’m off next Friday. So I’d love the next Happy Hour to consist entirely of reader-submitted questions. What would you like to ask your fellow flossers? Before I head out, I’ll pick the 5 or 6 best questions and set that to post Friday morning.
Have a great weekend!
5. Name all the original Street Fighter II characters in 2 minutes.
posted by Ira on 3-7-2008 at 9:19 am
Also, the fact that the quiz accepted BBQ as a sauce, but not Barbecue, is mind boggling.
posted by Ira on 3-7-2008 at 9:22 am
Your mind is boggled by that? Really? Who cares?
posted by Ken on 3-7-2008 at 9:30 am
I can add ‘barbecue’ to the mix. I had no idea anyone would actually take the time to lodge a complaint.
posted by Jason on 3-7-2008 at 9:31 am
MINNESOTA NORTH STARS.
And yes, as much as I love the Wild now, I might still be a little bitter about it.
posted by Miss V on 3-7-2008 at 9:33 am
1. My 2nd grade teacher. My parents got divorced that year and she was so very patient with me and my weird fears, my anger, my relapse into baby talk. A very good woman, and a good teacher too.
2. Ragtime, the scene where Sarah explains to her baby why she tried to bury him alive. Powerful song, well performed.
3. Reading Books in Rockford, MI. Best used book store in the area. The fiction section is in an old train car; gotta love that. They have a web store now; booksinrockford dot com, so even non-Michiganders can check them out.
5. Name all of Strawberry Shortcake’s friends in 2 minutes; name all the versions of Windows in 2 minutes; name the X-Men; list merv griffin’s tv shows in 3 minutes (probably a long list!)
posted by faburobin on 3-7-2008 at 9:35 am
Sorry, in the future I promise to refrain from pointing out any idiosyncracies.
posted by Ira on 3-7-2008 at 9:39 am
Les Miserables - when Val Jean is dying at the end. SO MOVING!
posted by Sarah on 3-7-2008 at 9:41 am
Barbecue is now accepted. As are 7 different variations of Sweet ‘N Sour.
I couldn’t come up with an alternate for Hot Mustard, though. That one people will have to nail.
posted by Jason on 3-7-2008 at 9:45 am
Haute Mustard ;)
posted by Ira on 3-7-2008 at 9:51 am
1) Alice Ann Eberman, my homeroom teacher and 9th grade english teacher. First teacher to let us call her by her first name (it was alice ann, not alice, not alice anne!), let me hide on the couch in the back of her room when I was going through the typical teenage angst, and was all around wonderful.
3) Govornor’s Cup Coffee, in Salem, Oregon. Good coffee, great baristas, ratty old couches and a giant coffee roaster in the middle of the room.
5) Somehow I’m proud of myself that I didn’t know the dipping sauces.
5a) name the countries in south america. Name the main characters on 90210. Name the colors of M&Ms. Name the flavors/styles of M&Ms. Name the top 10 most populated cities in the US. Characters on Seseme Street.
posted by Jenny on 3-7-2008 at 10:02 am
3. The Book Thing in Baltimore. They take books that you no longer want and give them away to people that do want them. Though not technically a business since they don’t make any money, they have been struggling with holding down a location for as long as I can remember. I’ve always thought that books should be exchanged freely; I try to get books from friends and family when they’re done with them and give them on away when I’m done.
posted by Heather on 3-7-2008 at 10:09 am
1) My 10th grade biology teacher. She instilled in me a love for science, inspired me to become a vegetarian, and taught me that hard work is required for success.
4) My Raiders went to LA, but they saw the light and came back. I stayed a fan through the whole process. You can’t leave RaiderNation once you’re in.
6) How did you hear about Mental Floss or what was the first link/article you read?
posted by Lebetho on 3-7-2008 at 10:10 am
If you want a relatively touch challenge - name all 206 bones in the human body in 10 minutes! (I thought 2 minutes wouldn’t be very nice).
posted by Katie on 3-7-2008 at 10:22 am
Sorry, I meant tough!
posted by Katie on 3-7-2008 at 10:23 am
3. For the Love of Dogs Bakery, Lexington, KY. This place is the best for your dogs (and cats/ they have a kitty corner). You can bring your dog with you to sniff out the treats they like and everything is healthy for your best friend.
posted by Karen on 3-7-2008 at 10:23 am
I had an English teacher in high school that taught me about life. He was the main reason I went to the university I did. I was a math guy in high school, but this teacher opened my eyes to many new things. No other teach had more time for his/her students than this one. Without him I would not be the man I am today.
posted by gpo on 3-7-2008 at 10:40 am
Honey has been a McNugget dipping sauce since they came out, but isn’t included in the list. Odd, that.
posted by Nathan on 3-7-2008 at 10:50 am
Here’s the email I received from corporate headquarters:
“In the United States, there are three types of dipping sauces available for the Chicken McNuggets: Sweet ‘N Sour Sauce, Barbeque Sauce, and Hot Mustard Sauce. There are also three dipping sauces for the Chicken Selects; including Ranch Sauce, Honey Mustard Sauce and Chipotle Barbeque Sauce.”
posted by Jason on 3-7-2008 at 10:54 am
i’m a honey guy with my nuggets too. not sure why that isn’t on the list. maybe it isn’t an official sauce, but they have it around for breakfast and are always willing to dole it out…
posted by tuffy on 3-7-2008 at 10:55 am
i just wish i hadn’t spent 1:45 trying to come up with different names for honey. :)
posted by tuffy on 3-7-2008 at 10:56 am
I used to live in Japan and the McDonalds there had wasabi dipping sauce.
posted by Joshua on 3-7-2008 at 10:59 am
ok, one more comment… jason, i just noticed that your email from corporate says, “in the united states…”
perhaps we need to do a little digging and find out what people in other countries use…
posted by tuffy on 3-7-2008 at 11:00 am
@ Karen - our boys *love* the stuff from For the Love of Dogs! We usually take them with us to Farmers’ Market in the summer and they pick out what they want there.
1. Mr. Belcher, my high school guidance counselor. He was the best when it came to getting us into college and finding money for it.
2. There’s the scene in Movin’ Out when the lead female character (young widow) seems to have a breakdown, then ‘recovers’ to get on with her life. Probably depends on the quality of the dancer, though, as to how powerful it is.
3. Not that they’re struggling, but Belle’s Bakery in Lexington, KY. Best chicken salad in the world. Period.
4. I follow pretty much only college teams, and they tend to stay put.
5. I could have SWORN honey mustard was a sauce. Oh, well. How about ‘name all of Stephen King’s novels in five minutes’?
6. What’s the most jarring transition in your iTunes list? I have a series of orchestral selections that roll over into Credence Clearwater Revival when I’m going alphabetical.
posted by Roger on 3-7-2008 at 11:07 am
1. My third grade teacher Mrs. Murphy. She is the only teacher I have ever had brave enough to invite part or all of the class to her home. The first time was just the girls for her daughter’s birthday – an overnight event – and the other was an end of the year party with the whole crew. She had the coolest old house with all the requisite squeaks and creaks and a maze of rooms you could play hide and seek in forever. Oh, and she served us Pac-Man cereal for breakfast.
2. Had to be the play I got to help out with my senior year. The drama department, of which I was a member, adopted the (to be politically correct) slower students and taught them to act, then helped them put on a play – way cool feelings of pride to see something you have helped come off nearly perfect.
posted by Jennifer on 3-7-2008 at 11:22 am
1) William C. Wells was the best teacher any student could be fortunate enough to have. And I’d also like to throw out my buddy Niko, who deals with second graders every day.
3) Equinox on Mississippi in North Portland (Oregon). There’s a rule in Portland: If there’s a line outside the restaurant on Saturday morning, the restaurant sucks. I do love walking by the damnfools lined up on Mississippi to duck into the hidden courtyard of Equinox.
posted by Mary Sue on 3-7-2008 at 11:40 am
The most memorable stage moment: At the end of Cabaret (the version performed at Studio 54), John Stamos’ character, the cabaret MC, reveals a very stark fate.
One idea for a quiz: name the original Trivial Pursuit categories in 3 minutes.
posted by Paul on 3-7-2008 at 11:50 am
2. I was taken to see Rent by my grandfather and great-aunt during a long weekend in NYC. I was only 15 at the time and one of the most memorable, although horrific at the time, moments was what appeared to be a type of modernistic interpretive dance done by all players in which they crawled in to what appeared to be a large skin colored bag and proceeded to move around while shouting random explitives and sexual nouns. I think it is so memorable because as I said I was only 15 and was at the show with my grandfather and great-aunt. I’ll never forget the uneasiness I felt.
posted by J. Gower on 3-7-2008 at 11:58 am
2) Not to get graphic, but the stage shows put on in Red Light district of Amsterdam are quite memorable (sorry, but you asked)
3) Both PBS and NPR are having pledge drives this week. Both could use our support.
4) Thankfully, the Dolphins are still in Miami, but only time will tell.
5) I was unaware there was more than 2 dipping sauces for a McNugget (BBQ & Honey, which apparently doesn’t even count). BTW, what the hell is a “Chicken Select?” and why do they need their own sauces?
6) Aside from a McNugget, what is the oddest/strangest food you have eaten? (I’ll apologize now, as I understand this question requires a bit of ethnocentricity to answer, but never-the-less, I still think it’ll get some good responses)
posted by Florida on 3-7-2008 at 12:07 pm
1. Would have to be my freshman year history teacher. She really reached out to the students, and showed them how to have fun in the subject while still learning.
2. Mm, that part in Spamalot where Lancelot finally comes out of the closet. Truly touching.
Just kidding–I really felt for that moment in Sweeney Todd, when Todd kills the beggar woman whom the audience knows is his wife. It is great on stage, and the movie does a good job, too.
3. Maine Art Glass Studio, in Lisbon Falls. They have some of the best art and jewelry I have ever seen in my life. Here’s to you, MAGS.
4. Not quite, but I was pretty upset when my middle-school field hockey team changed uniforms. It was a horrid betrayal.
5. Name all the Harry Potter characters in 9 3/4 minutes. Even I probably can’t do it!
6. Did your parents particularly affect where you are today? If so, how?
posted by Allison on 3-7-2008 at 12:18 pm
Does anyone remember when you get honey with your McNuggets? not honey mustard, but ACTUAL HONEY?
posted by lylalai on 3-7-2008 at 12:27 pm
2. Saw His Dark Materials in London. We did rush tickets that put us literally in the front row. During one of the sword fights, the blade was swung like a foot away from my face.
Also, the end of Journey’s End is just amazing. The curtain goes down on an empty set, then comes back up with the set pieces gone and all of the actors standing in formation. It was so stunning the audience didn’t know if they should clap. We didn’t, just slowly stood and walked out.
posted by Kevin on 3-7-2008 at 12:37 pm
1. Ms. Hall, my third grade teacher who didn’t punish me for telling outright lies. LOL She suggested to my mom that I should be put in a creative writing class.
4. I was also inconsolable when the Stars ran south. Hockey teams just don’t fit right in the South, IMO. Doubly worse when they take a team away from a hockey lovin’ state like MN. Ok, maybe I’m still a little bitter. ;)
5. I didn’t take the quiz, but I remember always getting honey. Wasabi sauce would rock, of course then I’d eat more chicken nuggets.
posted by mrs.djs on 3-7-2008 at 1:16 pm
1. The best teacher I’ve ever had was my chem teacher Mr. Weeks. His classes were so much fun and he was so laid-back with his students. He would let us call him Mr. Weefy (a nickname that sprouted from a late-night scrabble game, which I highly recommend for the bored insomniac). The true highlight of his classes was the ‘Molecule Dance’ where he’d act out the behavior of molecules in different states of matter.
2. On an orchestra trip to New York in Sophomore year, a group of us went to see the Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. It was a great show, but the moment that I really remember was during the masquerade scene. The phantom had appeared and was accosting the crowd, and at one point he sang a note deliberately flat. It added so much to the feel of the scene and the character that I still remember it.
5. Name the greek pantheon in 1 minute.
6. What cartoons remind you of your childhood?
posted by heather on 3-7-2008 at 2:17 pm
I was always a honey-with-mcnuggets kid. That wasn’t so unusual. What was strange was that I always “peeled” the mcnugget and ate the breading first.
Does anyone else remember the Chinese-themed era of chicken nuggets? I think they came with a fortune cookie and chopsticks, and if I remember correctly, this was the origin of sweet and sour sauce.
posted by Jack on 3-7-2008 at 2:18 pm
1. Dr. Paul Hogan, US History prof. in college. His method of teaching included very interesting object lessons that left a real impression on me. He was also a great storyteller; he LIVED history, didn’t just teach it.
Quiz idea: #1 Name every Tom Hanks movie ever made. #2 Name all of the Supreme Court Chief Justices. #3 Name all of the First Ladies #4 name all of the elements listed on the periodic table
6. What are your least favorite house chores and why?
posted by Cyndi on 3-7-2008 at 2:25 pm
They almost moved the New England Patriots to Connecticut. Fortunately, the deal fell through and it never happened. Whew!
I always got honey with my mcnuggets.
Quiz: Name the 12 apostles in the New Testament. Name the 5 Americans killed in the Boston Massacre. Name the 4 Beach Boys songs that hit number one in the Billboard charts.
posted by Bill T. on 3-7-2008 at 3:02 pm
I’ve never had honey with McNuggets, but so many people seem to be recommending it I may have to try it out on my way home. BTW, to Jack - I’m still a ‘peeler.’ Don’t know how or why it started, but I’m definitely a breading-first kind of McEater.
posted by Roger on 3-7-2008 at 3:52 pm
I have been thinking about an art prof from undergrad alot lately, Eric Weller. He always told us to write down our first 10 ideas, throw them away, and start with the 11th idea. He really challenged me to go beyond the obvious solutions to problems, artistic and otherwise.
posted by scootergirl on 3-7-2008 at 4:12 pm
1. My high school German teacher. I really learned a lot from her, and thanks to that knowledge base, I’m now teaching German myself.
2. I haven’t seen many actual professional plays, so all mine involve my high school drama experience :).
3. Sarah Jane Yarn Shoppe in Fort Wayne, IN! I just found it and it’s a great little place…and the ladies who own it are great.
5. Name all the Beatles’ albums in 2 minutes…or if you want to get even trickier, name the Beatles’ number 1 hits in 5.
posted by Fruppi on 3-7-2008 at 4:53 pm
5) Name the wives of Henry XII in 4 minutes, Name all the James Bond movies in 5 minutes, Name all 50 states in 12 minutes (I figured that those extra two minutes would be useful)
6) It’s surprising that so few people would have suggestions for future post ideas. But that just means that the odds are in my favor!
How about best vacation memory
I believe that August is the only month to have no federal holidays. What do you think should be a new holiday?
Your favorite local landmarks/roadside attractions in your area
Favorite issue/feature/article from Mental_floss magazine
posted by Colin on 3-7-2008 at 5:39 pm
3. 2nd Street Bakery, Sweetwater Coffee Company (organic roaster), and Pascal’s Coffee, all in Gainesville, Florida. Also Rocky’s Mexican Italian Villa (I couldn’t make this up) in Orange Lake.
posted by spooler on 3-7-2008 at 7:47 pm
1) I can’t narrow it down to just one! There’s my high school band director, my physics teacher, and right now, my acting teacher, Brenda. She is freakin awesome! She is crazy, but she loves us, and we love her. The names I have picked out (for the kids I will never have) are all derivatives of names of influential people in my life. …Except River Spirit. Oh, daughter #3, I hope for your sake you never exist… But anyway, all three of them are included.
2) Actually, it’s part of the show I’m working right now, I’m on wardrobe crew for a show at my school, and me and the other girl nail that quick change every time! Love it. Only one more night, but I’m kind of glad, the green room that I used to love is starting to feel like a dark, lonely quiet jail cell, where the occasional snacks and my notebook, light, and pen are contraband and could be confiscated at any moment. Sleep. I need sleeeep.
3) I know I’ve gotten honey, and this made me think, how would McNuggets taste dipped in syrup? But I’m mostly a hot mustard girl myself.
posted by peacefulvalley on 3-7-2008 at 11:19 pm
1. My 9th grade history teacher, Mr. Booker, my high school choir teacher Mr. Anderson, and Dr. Van De Graaff who taught me anatomy up at Weber State. All three of them were awesome teachers.
3. Terrace Pharmacy in Ogden, UT. They have really fast service, friendly people, and a free delivery service as well. Is my plug for them tainted because I work there? They were awesome before I started…
6. If you were in a rock band, what would the name of your band be?
posted by Janel on 3-9-2008 at 12:06 am
1) My 4th grade teacher, Ms. Smith, for so, so many reasons. She’s one of the reasons that I became a teacher. Ms. Taylor-McGriff, by 7th and 8th grade history teacher. She just made history come alive for us; I still remember some of the stuff that I learned in her class, and it’s been 12 years. Finally, Mrs. Covington, my 10th grade history teacher. The woman knew enough anecdotes to fill a book, plus, after studying Napoleon, she took us to Waterloo. (the real one, in Belgium- we lived in France it wasn’t THAT far-fetched)
5. I miss BBQ sauce. They don’t serve it in China. So yes, Tuffy, the sauces and foods in each country are different. (There are some similarities- I have yet to go to a country without nuggets, or the Big Mac) But the menus all include some “regional” foods, with some truly disgusting results. (anyone up for a taro pie? Like the apple pie- which they serve, thank goodness, but with TARO in it.) Hmmm, that could be a quiz, spot the real McDonald’s food. Anyway, the only sauces I’ve seen here are the sweet and sour, and another spicy one that I’ve never tried.
posted by greenstrawberries on 3-10-2008 at 3:40 am
Hey Jake, I totally remember the asian theme and that is where sweet n sour was born. I was a BBQ fan before that now it’s sweet n sour all the way!
posted by Sandy C on 3-10-2008 at 3:30 pm