Israel’s National Parks Authority was uneasy about a proposed new attraction but, after consulting church authorities, head of planning Zeev Margalit concluded that it would “not hurt the feelings of the Christian tourists and it would not be too kitchy, so we decided to go with it.” With what? (This storycourtesy of Daniel Radosh.)
by noon ET Thursday to e-mail your answer to newsquiz@slate.com.
Wednesday’s question (No. 184)–“Post-Game Blame”:
Fill in the blank on one Atlanta Falcon’s analysis of his team’s Super Bowl loss. “Instead of getting mentally ready for the Broncos, we were ___________.”
“Getting mentally ready for the Bengals. Were we surprised when Denver was introduced!”–Mac Thomason
“Building a fort with our knee and shoulder pads.”–Alex Balk
“Anticipating that all-new Simpsons episode.”–Elliot Cohen
“Visiting Manuel Noriega in prison.”–Neal Pollack
“Praying. Which just goes to show you how much power that has, let me tell you. Thanks a lot, Jesus.”–Tim Carvell (Chuck Lawhorn had a similar answer.)
Click for more responses.
Randy’s Wrap-Up
What we know about Miami. Here’s the sketch on the place mat in the coffee shop: Sitting in the lobby of a lovely art deco hotel, Crockett and Tubbs read A Man in Full aloud to Gloria Estefan. This replaces last year’s place mat: Leaving the lobby of a tatty deco hotel on their way to enjoy an early bird special, my grandparents are elbowed into the gutter by a coke-sniffing fashion photographer on his way to Disney World. Next year’s millennial mat: A dolphin and his lawyer sit at the controls of an atomic monorail filled with Latin American millionaires throwing oranges at the ghost of Jackie Gleason as he flees inside the Fontainbleu Hotel. Come on down!
Third and Long Answer
“Instead of getting mentally ready for the Broncos, we were talking about Eugene.”
The night before the game, Eugene Robinson, one of five Falcons visiting the zone north of downtown Miami, was arrested for soliciting a prostitute.
Another distraction some Falcons blamed for their lack of concentration–their families were allowed to travel and stay with the team.
“Having families in the hotel became a hassle to some guys,” said Robinson. “We had to drive all the way to the zone north of downtown Miami to hire a hooker in peace,” he did not add.
Waiting for the Dough Extra
An experiment reported in the New York Times shows how waiter or waitress behavior affects the size of the tip. Will the following increase or decrease it?
1. Introduce yourself.
2. Draw a smiley face on the bill.
3. Touch the customer on the shoulder when asking if the meal was all right.
4. Rub the customer on the thigh and wink when asking, “Anything else?”
5. Crouch at the table when taking the order.
6. Crouch under the table when taking the order.
Answers
1. Increase
2. Increase for waitress; decrease for waiter
3. Increase
4. Not included in experiment
5. Increase
6. Not included in experiment
In 1998, restaurant tips totaled over $12 billion, averaging 16.7 percent.
Race Results
Top target: A Man in Full.
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