Welcome to Minket ššæ
My name is Morkeh, and I strive to connect the world, one trivia puzzle at a time.
For those of you who are new or need a refresher, here are the rules:
Each puzzle will contain clues that are linked in some way.
To complete the puzzle, solve the individual clues and the link.
Send your answers to minketapp@gmail.com for a potential shoutout in the next puzzle if your answers are correct.
Answers will be revealed on Minket's website next Monday.
Learn something new and have fun š§
If you prefer listening to the puzzles, find Minket on your favorite podcast platform.
Letās get into it!
So, a big scandal has been brewing in D.C.
Bigger than Watergate.
Bigger than anything certain world burners could cultivate.
It has struck one of the most fundamental institutionsāthe ability to regurgitate random knowledge.
This institution is near and dear to my heart.
What happened was that a team, allegedly dominating the competition at one of D.C.ās bars, was caught using a smartwatch to cheat in the bar trivia's music round.
For those of you not familiar with this type of trivia, or those who come to the games for the booze, food, and moral support, the music round works like this:
The trivia DJ plays a song clip, and the teams have to guess the artist. Or, in some cases, the song. Or sometimes, both.
Iāve seen some interesting variations of this trivia style, from chipmunks versions of the song to Broadway reenactments to the chopped and screwed and everything in between.
I am a sucker for the original, and it's safe to say it is one of my favorite trivia genres.
During residency, one of my inpatient attendings, Dr. Antunes, would saunter giddily into one of our conference rooms with some snacks, a piece of paper, and a speaker.
He would gather all residents, medical students, other attendings that weren't hiding, and available staff for what he called "iTunes with Antunes."
Once together, he would split us into two teams, a mixture of experienced players and runts, and each team had to come up with a name.
One by one, the teams would go back and forth trying to figure out the artists of the songs he played from his phone playlist and the random trivia for each artist on his filled-out paper.
Oh yes, this was also a timed endeavor.
His collection was eclectic, ranging from his favorite metal and rock joints to modern spins and even some random picks here and there.
It is through this game I realized guessing songs is kind of my jam.
Quite frankly, I would crush it.
Iāve always been a trivia head, from reading World Almanacs annually as a youth, to inhaling the "I Love Decade" series from VH1 and BBC, to rarely turning down an invitation to a documentary.
Although I enjoy the occasional deep dive, something about music that gets me on my Jordan.
Maybe it was being introduced to a wide variety of music.
Maybe I have something in my brain that holds tightly to nonsense.
Maybe blame it all on my roots.
All can be true, but when that trivia genre comes up as a round, more often than not, Iām licking my lips.
Thatās partially what makes this scandal kind of sad.
I mean, I get it. If there are incentives and opportunities, people are going to cheat.
Smartphones and watches have changed the game, and itāll continue to get harder to monitor, especially if trivia is on these devices.
Sure, old-school tech like pen and paper, collecting phones, etc., can help, but it doesnāt take away the drive to get some of your bar tab paid for or an intoxicating feeling of superiority that lasts a night. I hear this is a premium in the nation's capital from my nine months here.
I for one, hate the look of impropriety. I used to get so annoyed when phones are out during the sessions that I would give that glance to chill out. I've been trying to cut back on that kind of neuroticism, but I do get that twitch at times when a phone is around in the middle of a round.
Jerks are everywhere, and I include myself.
Have I been on teams in the past that have snuck the occasional answer or two? Sure. Did we get caught? No. Did we always win during those immoral times? No.
Iām sure a lot of us everyday people have been in the same situation.
A systematic endeavor, however, may be a bit too far.
Itās a weird world we live in.
We are so hungry for instant gratification, and those meals are so devoid of substanceāthe equivalent of mental junk food running about.
Will I still go to trivia? Of course.
The game is the game, and I love playing. I love the art of trivia and quiz culture.
Hell, thatās why I created this thingāto have an opportunity to create puzzles that are challenging, educational, and a social experience.
For those of you who do, I hope you continue to go to trivia for what its core aspects are: to learn new things and hang out with others.
A toast to living in real life.
It's as simple as that.
What link can bring the laughs with:
1. Runts
2. Blame it all on my roots
3. A toast to living in real life
Sounds | Words | Visuals
- This week's piece was written to āLa Isla Bonitaā by Madonna
- This X-itter thread/paper on choosing the right problem to work on was a great reminder to spend more time thinking about what to work on and aligning oneās personal attributes and wants with the realities of the problem and impact wanted.
- YouTuber Roomieās video on the āMost Popular Song Each Month Since January 1980 is a nice run through of recent popular music. Also itās the type of thing that may be used for trivia training (Hint Hint).
A Moment of Reflection
What is your favorite game and how has it affected your life?
Thank you for reading. Until next time. -M