2nd Place Week

This week, to wrap up the JGT SUMMER SLAM, we honor those who ALMOST made it to the top. We honor those who won the pennant, but lost the World Series. People who won their primary, but lost the general election. Couldn’t quite pull off the win in some crappy reality show? We’ll see ya on this week’s quiz! Should be a fun quiz.

And then, on Sunday, we wrap it up with the SUMMER SLAM Main Event! We’ll have more details tomorrow.

The Friday Five

I had a nice little roll going with the Friday Five until everything went to hell in March. I think it’s time to bring it back. Here’s what I’m doing, reading, and where I’m eating these days.

We got named Philly’s Best Podcast by Philly Mag in their latest edition! Pretty heady stuff. It’s been a labor of love for the past two years and I’m really, really proud of what we’ve created. If you haven’t listened, you should. Our interview with Terrill Haigler, aka _yafavtrashman last week was terrific. And legendary lawyer Chuck Peruto was really good too. Be sure to follow us on Instgram and Facebook.

Bought The Regulars a few weeks ago, and oh man is it awesome. It’s by Sarah Stolfa, who was a bartender at Philly’s legendary dive bar McGlinchey’s. She decided to take photos of the regulars as they sat at the bar. The pictures are beautiful, and the writing is terrific too.

In the old days, you had brunch at your favorite bar on the weekends. Nowadays, it’s all about grabbing a picnic lunch and heading to Fairmount. As for the lunch, we’ve been going to Woodrow’s for our hoagies lately, and they never disappoint. I’ve become a vegetarian for the most part, so I no longer get their Italian, which is awesome, but the shrimp Po Boy is fantastic. As for where to sit and eat? It’s REALLY tough to beat the view at Lemon Hill (below).

Been really into Missing in Alaska podcast. Crazy story I had never heard before. In 1972, two Congressmen boarded a Cessna in Alaksa and were never seen again. It was believed that the plane went down in bad weather. But there’s a twist: a mobster would marry one of the men’s widows a year later. And in the 1990s, that mobster would state that the plane had been bombed. So the podcast tries to figure out what the truth is. I haven’t quite reached the end yet, and it drags a bit at times because it’s sooooo comprehensive, but it’s really interesting. You can read more about the case here.

Reading a book about about William Dampier. One of the coolest people ever. Scientist, philosopher, oh yeah and pirate. He circumnavigated the globe three times, was court martialed, marooned, and introduced the words barbecue, avocado, and chopsticks to the english language. This is the book. Really good.

Alright, see ya next week. In the meantime, be sure to follow JGT Quizzo on Facebook.

Interview with Jefferson CEO

Not sure why in the world the CEO of Jefferson Health would agree to sit down with three goofballs like us, but that’s part of what’s so great about Stephen Klasko. The guy is passionate about radically changing healthcare, and he explained the changes he’d like to see in this candid, funny, and fascinating interview we did with him on Wednesday night. If you’re not already following the Philly Blunt on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, you should be.

Breakfast Week

This week, we celebrate the first meal of the day at quizzo. If you’d like to play and aren’t a part of the SUMMER SLAM, you can sign up here. See ya this week!

Top Scores for Breakfast Week

Team	Score	Week
Boyz II Menehune	47	Week 7
Cool Cats & Kittens	47	Week 7
L. Ron Hubbard's Diabetics	47	Week 7
Hallmark Hot	46	Week 7
Smells Like Quarantine Spirit	46	Week 7
Expired Walmart Meat	45	Week 7
Au Bon Pandemic	44	Week 7
Underground Bard	44	Week 7
Social Distance Warriors	43	Week 7
Texas City Players Club	43	Week 7

Summer Slam Roundtable after 6 Weeks

On Sunday night, Carl, J Michael, and JGT counted down our 51 teams until we got to #1. It was a fun discussion. We’ll do it again soon. If you don’t want to hear us talking quizzo minutiae you can see the standings right here. But who are you kidding, you want to hear us talking quizzo minutiae.

RIP Malik B

A few years ago I stumbled across Mr. Green. If you’re a fan of old school hip-hop, you’ll freaking love this dude. He basically records street musicians, samples their music, then gets a hip-hop legend to drop a verse or two over it. His “Live from the Streets” album is an absolute masterpiece. Hooks from Peruvian pipe bands, ukulele players, random people he hears singing in parks, it’s a really remarkable work.

One of the songs on the album starts with him talking to a street musician named Kevin Brown. He sings an original, Green records it, then makes it into a sample. He then adds drums and bass, and takes the beat to Malik B, who as most people in Philly know used to be a member of the Roots. Malik B dropped a verse over it. I love his lispy voice, his verse a free association rhyme that somehow all loosely ties together:

I’m like a horse with it, Darth Vader force with it
I hope the double XL or fucking Source get it
Career a Porsche with it, on the stoop you bullshitted
Nineteen pages I google to hear some more critics
It’s more headaches, pure ridicule gimmicks
Fuck a poor image we ready to get some more spinach
And be fortunate, official and authentic
Meet Trina down in MIA and get lost in it

It makes no sense, which is part of what’s great about it. And if you dig poetry, how can you not to love the rhyming of critics, gimmicks, spinach, and authentic?

The entire thing is as beautiful as it is unlikely, and the video is a love letter to the city of Philadelphia.

Kevin Brown apparently died a few years ago. Malik B. died yesterday. Both lived hard and died young. But before they left they created art. And at a time we need our artists more than ever, we thank them for it.

Leisure Week

Too much work at quizzo last week, so we had to get back to, as my son calls it, “brelaxin'”. Questions about amusement parks, lakes, beaches, hiking, playing cards, etc. But don’t let the name fool you, this week’s quiz will be no pleasure cruise. We’re up to the sixth week of the tourney, so time for us to tighten up the questions a bit. See ya this week!

Top Scores for Leisure Week

Team	Score	Week
Au Bon Pandemic	50	Week 5
Boyz II Menehune	50	Week 5
Smells Like Quarantine Spirit	50	Week 5
The Jawns	50	Week 5
Cool Cats & Kittens	49	Week 5
Expired Walmart Meat	48	Week 5
Sweet Hats	48	Week 5
DelCovid-19	47	Week 5
Super Spreaders	47	Week 5
Texas City Players Club	47	Week 5

Scores After Five Weeks of the SUMMER SLAM!

The Cool Cats and Kittens have moved into the lead of SUMMER SLAM! with Walmart Meat not far behind. This week things get interesting, as we’ll be throwing out the lowest scores moving forward. As of now, Carl and I are preparing to host a show this coming weekend to discuss our leaderboard. Stay tuned for local listings. This week’s theme is Leisure Week.

Scores After Four Weeks

Here ya go, our scores heading into week 5. Cool Cats and Kittens have moved up into being tied for the lead with Walmart Meat, and Zodiac Killer and Smells Like Quarantine Spirit are nipping at their heels. Down the board a bit, Hangin’ Tough is doing just that, holding the 30th and final slot, but only by .25 of a point. Probably the most surprising team on the outside looking in are the Branch Covidians, who finished in the Final Four in April Madness, and are tied for 31st.

Professionals Week

In the lead up to our big Office quiz on Sunday, our theme this week is professionals. Because if there’s one thing we pride ourselves on here at JGT Quizzo, it’s professionalism. LOL, just kidding. So expect questions about various occupations: from teachers to bartenders to used car salesmen. We’ll see ya this week!

If you want to play this week and aren’t in the SUMMER SLAM! you can sign up here.

The Office Quiz on July 26th!

There’s no quiz on the 19th, but we’re coming back on the 26th with what’s gonna be a great quiz: a quiz about The Office (American version). Questions about Pam, Dwight, Michael, and the rest of Dunder Mifflin. So if you want people to be afraid of how much they love you, get your team together and sign up here. It’s the next best thing to lying on the beach and eating hot dogs. See ya Sunday!

Scores After Three Weeks of SUMMER SLAM!

Here ya go, gang. Here are our scores after three weeks. Expired Walmart Meat holding a narrow lead over Zodiac Killer and Cool Cats and Kittens. Good luck this week!

Sunday Night Quizzo for Broad Street Ministry

After taking off the 5th, we’ll be back this Sunday with a fundraiser the Broad Street Ministry, who do tremendous work with the city’s homeless. One of their many programs is the Clothing Closet, which last year distributed over 15,000 articles of clothing. It’s free to play, and 50% of all tips on Sunday night will go to BSM. Hope you’ll join us this Sunday at 8 PM.

YOU CAN SIGN UP HERE.

Expired Walmart Meat in the Lead After Two Weeks of Summer Slam

Here they are, folks, our scores after two weeks of Summer Slam. Expired Walmart Meat has the lead, followed closely by the Zodiac Killer$. Cool Cats and Kittens are third, newcomers Quarantine Spirit are 4th, and World Cup winners Underground Bard are in 5th.