Monday Trivia #162 [DON ZEKO WINS!]
Hints:
1) Nothing to do with sports.
2) Not extensive, but within certain parameters.
3) Washington DC is eligible for inclusion but very unlikely to ever actually be included. The territories are not eligible for inclusion, unless they become states.
4) In the context of the question, the outliers really aren’t California and Florida so much as Rhode Island and Maine (and the absence of Texas).
5) New York has had 4, Pennsylvania/Michigan have had 3, Iowa-Wisconsin-Illinois-RI-California-Florida have had two, and the other listed states have had 1.
6) Instances since the turn of the 20th century.
The outliers are CA, TN and FL, so I am going to WAG at job loss?Report
This makes sense to me, but it also seems like there would be more states than merely those (for example, North Dakota has recently had HUGE job shocks)… so I’d say that the job loss probably has a fine point on it. Like, job loss when it comes to particular kinds of green energy?
Like “wind power job loss” or something?Report
My first instinct is something to do with e-cigarettes, vaping. Perhaps taxes on e-cig juice.
Also, delighted to see the game again.Report
The gradient doesn’t look as good on this computer as the one I created it on, so to clarify:
Light: California, Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine
Darker: Iowa, Florida, Wisconsin
Darker Still: Pennsylvania, Michigan
Darkest: New YorkReport
Rhode Island and Maine’s inclusion means it can’t be related to professional sports.
So, I got nothing!Report
Lacrosse?Report
Colorado would have to be up there — there’s a pro lacrosse team, and the University of Denver has become a perennial final-four team in the NCAA tournament.Report
*REAL* professional sports.
Iowa is also a disqualifier. The rest of them all have REAL teams… and none are solely hockey states.Report
Does it have anything to do with gas prices, by any chance?Report
Something to do with canals or hydroelectric power?Report
Three strikes laws, maybe?Report
A few hints/items.
First, I’m off to a rough start. Ignore the gradients altogether. Well, don’t ignore them because they’re mostly right, but I have to fix a couple. The states are right but a couple of the groupings are off. I’ll have to redo it tomorrow.
First hint (related to #1) I had to use categorical judgment in inclusion/exclusion. It’s objective, but I could have used different parameters. It’s a matter of having to draw the line somewhere. (Like if I was doing college football, counting Division I but not counting Division II and Division II, or if it was Major League Baseball history counting National League and American League but not counting Federal League.)
Second hint, nothing to do with sports.Report
Okay, map has been fixed. Gradients now accurate (within determined parameters).Report
It looks an awful lot like the maps I’ve seen going around of “states where you should vote 3rd party” or to be less prescriptive, “states where voting 3rd party will not help Trump win,” but that’s probably either coincidence or a correlation effect?Report
California would be a lot darker (like New York) and Pennsylvania would be a lot lighter, I think.Report
States where the median home price is above a particular multiple of the median income. Is Washington DC included in the calculations?
Seems like Washington would be on the list if this were true, though…Report
Washington DC is included, but in 100 years will never ever make this list. It’s as far from making this list as can possibly be.Report
Places where you can get a decent cup of borscht with a decent Reuben?Report
WEDNESDAY MORNING HINT: As mentioned above, Washington DC is eligible for inclusion but very unlikely to ever actually be included. The territories are not eligible for inclusion, unless they become states.
Bonus hint: In the context of the question, the outliers really aren’t California and Florida so much as Rhode Island and Maine.Report
Places where Will Truman had good hamburgers?Report
Late Wednesday Hint: the darkest (NY) is four, next (Michigan) is 3, next (Iowa) is 2, lightest (Indiana) is 1. All others have zero.Report
Places where Will’s ex-girlfriends reside?Report
THURSDAY HINT: Occurrences since January 1, 1900.Report
This hint finally dissuades me from my soup/sandwich answer.Report
Sharknadoes? We’ve had 0 in VA, so that part fits.Report
Leaugefests, and Maine is there because you had the wrong Portland.Report
26 instances over a period of 116 years. Close to every 4 years (104) with the occasional break.Report
There are 29, which works out perfectly. Hint hint!
4×1=4
3×2=6
2×6=12
1×7=7Report
States with closest vote margins in presidential elections.Report
Very close.Report
Tipping point states in presidential elections?Report
Got it.Report
Hooray!Report
Tipping point states, then?Report
Light: California, Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine
Darker: Iowa, Florida, Wisconsin
Darker Still: Pennsylvania, Michigan
Darkest: New York
Sorry, this was the list I was going on from above.
4*1
3*2
3*3
1*10Report