Winning isn't everything...

[thoreau]

Winning isn't everything, particularly where Trivial Pursuit is concerned. This afternoon we played a nice game of Trivial Pursuit (Genus IV) with the Michaels and Paully. Here's a clue folks don't play Trivial Pursuit with a librarian, a math genius, a hardware store manager with a photographic memory and a seasoned game player with a sharp mind. Why? because you lose. You lose horribly!

Oh the carnage!

I spent an hour trying to get a goddamned history question right. I kept receiving these esoteric questions like "on this date in 1329 Saint Agnatious Fidgypot predicted this world event" - and I'd not have any idea - and everyone at the table would roll their eyes and say "Of course it was hugeamaflippywadgymot - I mean, come on Bob! HUGEAMAFLIPPYWADGYMOT how could you NOT know that?!"

All this going on for me personally while everyone around me scored pie after pie - sweeping by me with multiple rolls.

I swear of one David's turns lasted 45 minutes.

How many out of ten Britons bought a lottery ticket on January 4, 1973 on the 65 Million Dollar lottery?
Nine
correct. roll again.

How many licks to the center of the blowpop?
we may never know.
correct. roll again.

the useless, unbelievable storage vaults of information the four of them had stored in their heads was staggering!

What election year saw bumper stickers reading "Wallace, Wallace, Uber Alles"?
1968.
correct. roll again.

at one point I strolled into the Castro - got a manicure, a gin and tonic - and returned.
It was still David's turn.

What was a gladiator armed with, in addition to a dagger and spear?
A net.
correct. roll again.

David clearly established his trivial pursuit superiority today - but the Vicodin'd post-appendicitis patient Michael Golden won in the end - on a sports question no less.

Was Bob glad the game was over?
yes.
correct. roll again...

Comments

[scream4noreason.livejournal.com]

I can NEVER answer the sports questions,a point I pride myself on!

I hope the two of you have a very happy 2009!

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

thanks Love - you two as well!

[allanh.livejournal.com]

Give it up and go out and buy a copy of "Apples to Apples". It's a great game to even out the playing field when you're sitting at a table with brainiacs.

[surewood31.livejournal.com]

The thing with Trivial Pursuit is that there are so many editions out there, you could easily find one that is suited to your strengths and their weaknesses. As you said, David hadn't seen certain movies and such, so that would be a weakness.

Trivial not only means commonplace, but of little worth or importance.

We had a guy in college who had memorized every answer in his game. Obviously, none of us would play with him.

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

That would be me, although I didn't go to your school (unless you went to MIT, but I am too lazy to look up your profile)…

The reason I did it was to be more competitive with my parents who found the game while travelling to the US, and were quite good at most of it (even though it had a heavy american bias —perfectly normal for a US game, but we're not). I was horrible, so one after-noon I memorised the entire edition (there was only one at the time). Life was better then =)

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

I vote for Taboo (the game of unspeakable fun).

[allanh.livejournal.com]

No! It's forbidden! :)

Yeah, Taboo would work, too. Anything that relies on something other than memorized facts. Balderdash is another good alternative.

[bear-left.livejournal.com]

Oh, one of my friends wrote a dissertation on Saint Agnatious Fidgypot...

My sports knowledge saves me (of course the Timberwolves and the Heat entered the NBA in 1989!) when I'm useless on Entertainment (I barely know my "Spartacus" from my "The Women").

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

Carnage sounds right! We love games nights and make sure at least THREE different types of games are played in one night to level out the field (if it's obvious that someone has an advantage at a knowledge game!). Try FLUXX some time, if you haven't yet!

[truthfeather.livejournal.com]

Obviously the information was not totally useless. I'm glad you had a good, even if painful time.

I suspect your strength lies in games of strategy. Flex those mental muscles big boy.

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

it was a choice yesterday - Taboo - perhaps we'll play that next time.

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

well the game went on forever - David (Mr. Must-Have-Variety) commented on the way home that we should have played another to balance out. We had a great time - despite my lack of triviosity.

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

I've heard of apples to apples - we'll have to try that one.

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

we had a laughed filled lovely time regardless of my lack of triviosity.

[wrascalbc.livejournal.com]

Getting a manicure followed by a G & T? Strange game!

[surewood31.livejournal.com]

LOL. I went to UMCP (University of Maryland, College Park) though if I had known MIT had such eye candy, I might have applied. ; )

I have to say you were lucky. My parents looked down on any games involving education/knowledge so I never got to play Trivial Pursuit. I could see myself memorizing the cards easily to win.

So where are you from originally? (I looked up your profile and didn't see mention of it).

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

That's actually a much more complicated story. The "easy" version is that I'm British. The complex version involves me being born in Korea, and living in east Asia in my early years.

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

FLUXX is brilliant! Have you checked out *Zombie* FLUXX??

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

I saw online there are a whole mass of different Fluxx games people have come up with. We just have the old standard 3.1 or such!

[daddycoug.livejournal.com]

it's like our Thanksgiving get together and playing Fact Or Crap... it came to the question about an airline that made their stewardesses wear paper dresses. To me it was obvious, because of taking all the costuming and history of fashion classes when I was trying to get a textile design degree. The group thought I was insane. But everyone remembers and knows different sort of stupid shit. Happy Gnu Year!

[fargonrob.livejournal.com]

I know the feeling, I have learned to 1) when I know it's gonna be that way just play to play and knowing I am going to loose just enjoy the ride 2) not play those games in that company as often, move to a different game with a more level playing field.

And Apples to Apples.. yes, very fun, you wind up picking for the person, it can be VERY much fun!

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

ZOMBIE FLUXX LOOKS AWESOME :)

David gave this game away as christmas gifts this year. He waves high - and says "you have the cutest friends" (wink)

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

LOL - all for comic (sic) affect.

[althrman.livejournal.com]

Very funny……next time play “teams” . Can the Muffin-a-tor spell HUMILITY?

(hindenberg reporter voice) oh the humility - the humility.....

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

In Buddhism, humility is equivalent to concern of how to be liberated from the sufferings of life and the vexations of the human mind. The ultimate aim is to achieve a state of enlightenment through meditation and other spiritual practices. Humility can also result from achieving the liberation of Nirvana. When one experiences the ultimate Emptiness and non-self, one is free from suffering, vexations and all illusions of self-deception. Humility, compassion and wisdom characterize this state of enlightenment. or having one's ass beaten and handed to him on a Boxing Day match of Trivial Pursuit.

Chan (Zen) Master Li Yuansong states that enlightenment can come only after humility - the wisdom of realizing one's own ignorance, insignificance and lowliness, without which one cannot see the truth.

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

::blush::