Frank Spangenberg is coming to my GeoParty!

There's another peculiarity about Jeopardy material that can be a big help: If you watch the show regularly, you'll notice recurring phrases that give away the correct responses to clues. A lot of these consist of a nationality and an occupation. For instance, if you hear "Chinese-American architect," you can be sure the correct response will be "Who is I.M. Pei?" Here are a few others: Swedish playwright = Strindberg; Norwegian playwright = Ibsen; Norwegian artist = Munch; Danish astronomer = Brahe; Polish composer = Chopin (or Paderewski — be careful); Finnish architect = Saaranin; Finnish composer = Sibelius; Indian conductor = Mehta; Yugoslav tennis player = Monica Seles; Czech tennis player = Navratolova; Welsh poet = Dylan Thomas, etc. Anytime they ask for a European Duchy, it's Luxembourg. A "nonsense poet" is Edward Lear. An "ode poet" is almost always Keats. A "Round Table wit" is surely Dorothy Parker. A U.S. commonwealth is probably Puerto Rico. (Virginia is also a commonwealth, but they'll probably refer to Virginia as a state — although they might say, "This commonwealth state . . . .") If a poet is referred to as a "lord," it's either Byron or Tennyson — make an educated guess, perhaps based on the dates they give. (Byron came before Tennyson.)

State and World Capitals
U.S. Presidents (order, years of office, general biography)

State Nicknames
Shakespeare (basic plot lines, major characters)

Book of Biographies
World's Religion
World's Currencies
U.S. Senators (which states)
Cabinet Members
Major World Leaders

History, Geography, Literature, Mythology, Artists, Composers, Religions, and Languages

Poets + Poetry
U.S., Canada, U.K., South Africa, Germany, France, Australia, Russia, Italy, Spain, India, Mexico, and China

cultural literacy
Americana
"On the Tip of Your Tongue" Irene M. Franck
Mary Mallon
_Karl Coryat (http://www.pisspoor.com/jep.html)

Haiku #505: Ode to a Combustible Lover

Passion ignited
A chemical reaction
Mine bucket of coal

Haiku # 504 To Celebrate a Dear Friend

What I would give you,
If I could give anything:
Beer-drops from heaven

(dedicated to Natale)