The quirky blog, The Long Cut, offered an interesting post recently — a quiz designed to see if, 1.) anyone is reading and 2.) if readers have a sense of Mark as a blogger. So, like any good blogger — and newspaper editor — I have no compunction about stealing an idea and remaking it. So here is the first edition of Channel Surfing’s Twenty Questions:
1. My favorite band/artist is:
a.) Bob Dylan; b.) Bruce Springsteen; c.) The Beatles; d.) Lou Reed; e.) none of the above
2. Which presidential candidate did I not vote for?
a.) Bill Clinton; b.) Michael Dukakis; c.) Al Gore; d.) John Kerry; e.) none of the above
3. Name the three colleges/universities that I attended:
4. I majored in English, but minored in what subject?
5. True or false: I scored higher on the math portion of the SATs than on the verbal portion.
6. Which job have I not held?
a.) Movie theater usher; b.) lighting rod installer; c.) mall security guard; d.) short-order cook; e.) none of the above
7. True or false: I attended the game at which the Knicks retired Earl Monroe’s number.
8. True of false: My wife Annie and I will be together 25 years next month.
9. Which of the following novelists do I not like?
a.) E.L. Doctorow; b.) Don Delillo; c.) Stephen King; d.) Joan Didion; e.) James Ellroy
10. Am I a dog person or a cat person?
11. Which magazine to do I subscribe to?
a.) Time; b.) Newsweek; c.) The New Republic; d.) The Nation; e.) none of the above
12. My all-time favorite baseball player is:
a.) Felix Millan; b.) Darryl Strawberry; c.) Tommie Agee; d.) Tom Seaver; e.) Willie Mays
13. My reporting beats have included which of the following:
a.) South Brunswick; b.) Cranbury; c.) Hillsborough; d.) Plainsboro; e.) Allentown; f.) Edison; g.) Princeton Borough; h.) Monroe
14. My favorite newspaper columnist is:
a.) Bob Herbert; b.) Frank Rich; c.) Paul Krugman; d.) James Carroll; e.) George Will; f.) E.J. Dionne Jr.
15. True or false: I supported the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
16. True or false: I opposed the first Gulf War.
17. Who is not among my favorite film actors:
a.) Humphrey Bogart; b.) James Dean; c.) Jerry Lewis; d.) Frank Sinatra; e.) Robert DeNiro
18. True or false: I prefer the Who to the Rolling Stones.
19. Which of these bands/artists have I not seen more than once?
a.) R.E.M.; b.) Steve Winwood; c.) Wilco; d.) Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes; e.) Bob Dylan
20. My favorite poet is: (fill in the blank)
Answer by responding to this post. I’ll post the actual answers later this week.
South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
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Hank Kalet 
1. My favorite band/artist is:a.) Bob Dylan; b.) Bruce Springsteen; c.) The Beatles; d.) Lou Reed; e.) none of the aboveNow THAT\’S just a trick question!2. Which presidential candidate did I not vote for?a.) Bill Clinton; b.) Michael Dukakis; c.) Al Gore; d.) John Kerry; e.) none of the aboveANOTHER trick question!3. Name the three colleges/universities that I attended:Penn State, Middlesex, Rutgers4. I majored in English, but minored in what subject?Journalism?5. True or false: I scored higher on the math portion of the SATs than on the verbal portion.false6. Which job have I not held?a.) Movie theater usher; b.) lighting rod installer; c.) mall security guard; d.) short-order cook; e.) none of the aboveI never saw you with your hair on fire so it must be B7. True or false: I attended the game at which the Knicks retired Earl Monroe\’s number.Who\’s Earl Monroe?8. True of false: My wife Annie and I will be together 25 years next month.True, but only married 18 years9. Which of the following novelists do I not like?a.) E.L. Doctorow; b.) Don Delillo; c.) Stephen King; d.) Joan Didion; e.) James EllroyHank never did like the Cujo…10. Am I a dog person or a cat person?I think I know a certain canine that could answer that.11. Which magazine to do I subscribe to?a.) Time; b.) Newsweek; c.) The New Republic; d.) The Nation; e.) none of the aboved12. My all-time favorite baseball player is:a.) Felix Millan; b.) Darryl Strawberry; c.) Tommie Agee; d.) Tom Seaver; e.) Willie MaysCaptain America13. My reporting beats have included which of the following:a.) South Brunswick; b.) Cranbury; c.) Hillsborough; d.) Plainsboro; e.) Allentown; f.) Edison; g.) Princeton Borough; h.) Monroea,b,c,d,g,h I think14. My favorite newspaper columnist is:a.) Bob Herbert; b.) Frank Rich; c.) Paul Krugman; d.) James Carroll; e.) George Will; f.) E.J. Dionne Jr.d15. True or false: I supported the invasion of Iraq in 2003.Hmm, THAT\’S a hard one.16. True or false: I opposed the first Gulf War.ditto!17. Who is not among my favorite film actors:a.) Humphrey Bogart; b.) James Dean; c.) Jerry Lewis; d.) Frank Sinatra; e.) Robert DeNiroHey laaaady!18. True or false: I prefer the Who to the Rolling Stones.Falserino!19. Which of these bands/artists have I not seen more than once?a.) R.E.M.; b.) Steve Winwood; c.) Wilco; d.) Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes; e.) Bob DylanB?20. My favorite poet is: (fill in the blank)Wouldn\’t that just make the others jealous?
1. Bob Dylan I think but could be the Beatles but you like all of them.2. c?3. Penn State, Middlexsex County College, Rutgers4. No idea…History? 5. True6. e-you did all of those7. Umm..True? 8. YES9. c-Stephen King10. Dog of course11. d-The Nation12. d-Tom Seaver13. All but f I think14. No clue15. False16. True17. c-Jerry Lewis18- False19. c-Wilco but that will change..20. ??? Not sure how I can not know but I don\’t know the favorite!
You posted this while I was on vacation in Miami, and I\’ve kept it in my RSS reader ever since, always meaning to give it a shot. I figure it\’s too late to give my answers now, but I only just now read the comment section and I wanted to make clear that I am not the \”Mark\” that left that first comment. Yikes.