The Daily Brief

Ok, I’m sort of dredging the bottom here. And, if you read the same car-zines I do, you will have the answer at your fingertips. But, after the last few day’s ordeal, I’m not up to any intellectual rigor, and I’m in the mood for bettin’ on the Longshot. So, here goes:

How many “Bond” DB5’s were there, what are their serial numbers, and what is the believed disposition of each?

Pretty good for coasting, ‘eh?

Oh, and use of search engines is totally OK here. But please give credit where credit is due. 🙂

Congratz! to reader Andrew V. (see comments)

Like a lot of people in Hollywood, this writer/producer/director owes his career to Steven Spielberg. But after this small-budget flop, and this big-budget flop, when he and his partner penned this necessarily big-budget film (although it only required two-thirds the budget of the second), he couldn’t go back to Spielberg looking for that kind of money. So they did this small-budget film, which turned out to be moderately successful (and considered one of the best of its rather low-brow genre). Then, that third film turned out to be one of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, grossing over $200M (almost $400M worldwide), and spawning two sequels.

BTW: That second film actually made a tidy profit worldwide. But, as I have explained before, a film is expected to at least cover its budget domestically.

Hint #1: (actually, more of a clarification) Spielberg is credited in all four movies. By my use of the term, “penned”, we know the anonymous partner is another writer. Not mentioned, but implied, is the fact that he/she is also credited in all four movies.

Congratz! to reader MakeMineRed, who had a couple of mis-ques, but stuck with it, and worked it out. (see comments)

Time Tag jiggered

This war movie was the first “above the title” credit for this drama superstar, and the “introducing” credit for this comedy superstar, who has had these four television series’ named after him.

Congratz! to readers Doc and Andrew V., who share credit for this one. (See comments)

Correlate these two people: Chet Atkins and Benny Hill.

Hint #1: I would have thought our own dear Timmer would have gotten this right out of the gate. Particularly as he has previously stated that Kneck and Kneck (sic) was one of his favorite albums.

Time stamp jiggered

Congratz to reader Doc! (see comments)

OK, this should be an easy one for any of you willing to admit to occasionally liking to dress up in pointy ears or a funny forehead:

By far, the record for performing the most guest roles in the Star Trek franchise, is held by this actor.

But tell us, Andrew V.: what sort of Trekkie garb do you have stuck in the back of your closet? 😉

A Qualified Congratz to reader Andrew V. (see comments).

This is inspired by Sgt. Mom’s Borderline Radio post.

I was originally going to ask the call sign of Wolfman Jack’s radio station from American Graffiti. But that alone would be too easy. So, in American Graffiti, George Lucas portrayed Wolfman Jack’s studio as just on the outskirts of Modesto, CA. Name the famous legislation which made this an impossibility (as well as said call sign).

The Answer! I knew this was too easy. Reader M. Thompson has it down (see comments).

Well, I had another one lined up for today. But this, from Puzzleblogger Kevan Choset, at Volokh, was so good, I had to share it here.

An easy one. What do these actors have in common?

• Warren Beatty

• Kevin Costner

• Clint Eastwood

• Mel Gibson

• Robert Redford

I have some guesses. But I’m staying mute – both here and there. Hint: based upon Choset’s history as Puzzleblogger: the correct answer likely has more to do with some mathematical or heuristic relationship of the names themselves, than a finer point of cinematic history.

Congratz to reader Andrew V., who got the final two actors who’ve won Best Director Oscars.

However, this is the last time I steal a trivia question from another blogger:

Is that it, Kevan – 5 actors who have won directing Oscars?

If so, I am gonna’ be sooooo mad. Easy is right: too frickin’ easy! I’ve been racking my brain this week, trying to find some mathematical or heuristic relationship between the actors’ names, birthdates, etc..

[note: time stamp jiggered]

When this famous segregated country club decided to make room for this Hollywood star, one of its members is noted as saying, “can’t we at least pick one who looks like a gentile?”

Of course, feeding the quote into Google will likely give you the answer straight away. But please give the other folks a sporting chance. Oh, and hint #1 is in the question itself. 😉

Congratz (again) to reader Bill. (see comments)

Danny Thomas, you might recall, was a Lebanese Catholic.

If you start addressing your Lava Lamp as Rover, what (besides talking to inanimate objects) might your obsession be?

Congratz to reader Clayton Ruff (see comments).

From David J., aka Zombie Boy, over at Resurrection Song.

Seven Songs I can’t currently get out of my head:

1. “Head On” by The Jesus & Mary Chain. Makes me want to grab a girl and dance fast and nasty.
2. “Mysterious Ways” and all of its remixes, U2 and various Producers. Probably the one U2 song that really haunts me.
3. “You Don’t Get Much” The BoDeans. It’s the drums mostly…and I can relate the the words all to well.
4. “Crazy (Tony Kanal Remix) [Full Version]” Alanis Morissette. I love the original by Seal and this version just relaxes me instantly.
5. “Kashmir” Led Zepplin. What? I need a reason? It’s Kashmir and it gets better every time I listen to it.
6. “Remedy” Bird York. Love this lady’s voice.
7. “Angel Eyes” John Hiatt. Again, it needs no explanation.

If you read this, consider yourself tagged.

This Hollywood Legend declined to play opposite Judy Garland in this screen epic because she was a drug addict. However, eight years later, he became a very vocal advocate of LSD.

Congratz to our own dear Timmer, who got it right with Cary Grant and A Star Is Born.

His objection was not some moral judgement on Judy’s drug use itself. But Grant was known for having one of the strongest work ethics in Hollywood. And, like most upper/downer addicts, Judy was quite unreliable.

While Grant used LSD, in a clinical setting, over 100 times, I have no indication that he ever “dropped acid” recreationally. But LSD was being widely used by psychiatrists in the ’50s and early ’60s. LSD didn’t become illegal in the US until 1968

This from Archie Leach, Cary Grant’s autobiography (chapter 14):

Now, I believe in caring for my health; and I trust you do too. Physical health is a product of, and dependent upon, mental health — one nurtures and nourishes the other. And so, together with a group of other interested Californians — doctors, writers, scientists and artists — and the encouragement of Betsy, who was interested herself, I underwent a series of controlled experiments with Lysergic Acid, a hallucinogenic chemical or drug known as LSD 25. Experiment is perhaps a misleading word; to most people it signifies patronization and objectivity. For my part I anxiously awaited their personal benefits that could be derived from the experiences, and was quite willing to be less than objective. Any man who experiments with something that cannot benefit himself, or add to his happiness, and that of his fellow man in turn, is a fool and a menace to society. I’ve heard that a man here and there died during LSD25 sessions; but then I’ve heard that men died during poker games and while watching horse racing; but that didn’t seem to stop such occupations. Those men might have died anywhere while doing anything. Men have also died testing airplanes and parachutes, vaccines and common cold cures. In attempting to traverse the next step into progress and knowledge, men have always died. But there is a difference between the man who knows what he’s about with a high-powered airplane, and an idiot who puts wings on a bicycle and takes off from the edge of Niagra (sic) Falls.

LSD 25 is a psychic energizer and the exact opposite in reaction to the addictive drugs and opiates. Indeed, Seconal, or similar sedative, is usually given as an antidote, to quell and offset the effects of LSD 25, if necessary. The action of the chemical releases the subconscious so that it becomes apparent to yourself. So that you can see what transpires in the depth of you mind — and what goes on there you wouldn’t believe, ladies and gentlemen — and learn which misconceptions, guilts and fears, with their resultant repressions, inhibitions and insecurities, have formed the pattern for your past behavior. A successively recurring pattern since childhood.

The feeling is that of an unmarshaling of the thoughts as you’ve customarily associated them. The lessening of conscious control, similar to the mental process which takes place when we dream. For example, when you’re asleep and your mind no longer concerned with matters and activities of the day, your subconscious often brings itself to your attention by dreaming. With conscious controls relaxed, those thoughts buried deep inside begin to come to the surface in the form of dreams. These dreams, since they appear to us in symbolic guise, are fantasies and, if you will accept the reasoning, could be classified as hallucinations. Such fantasies, or hallucinations, are inside every one of us, waiting to be released, aired and understood. Dreams are really the emotions that we find ourselves reluctant to examine, think about, or meditate upon, while conscious.