Today was the third episode of this year’s Teen Tournament. Today’s Jeopardy! round included a category called “Right On The Money,” with trivia about U.S. currency. The $200 clue was (approximately) “The current $2 bill features Thomas Jefferson on the front and the signing of this document on the back.” The contestant responded, “What is the Declaration of Independence?” and this response was deemed correct.

It isn’t.

The back of the current $2 note does not feature the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It features the presentation of the draft of the Declaration of Independence to Congress by the Drafting Committee. The signing took place later, and not in the presence of all those depicted in the image on the back of the $2 note.

Click for superembiggification.

The image is an engraved version of John Trumbull’s famous painting.

Today I went to the ultramarket. While I was at the ultramarket, I saw the most appalling thing. I took a picture:

They’re from a local company with Polish owners.

For those who do not know, Sophie’s Choice is a novel turned film starring Meryl Streep about a Polish woman forced by a Nazi officer to choose one of her two children for death.

I’m sure the product is quite tasty. I’m not sure the best of judgment was used in selecting a company name.

Mr Trebek had a minor heart attack at his home yesterday. He is recovering in hospital, and intends to continue hosting Jeopardy! when it resumes taping in January. I wish him well, and look forward to many more awkward contestant interviews in the future.

Via Eugene Volokh comes this lovely photo, snapped in a New York City Balducci’s by NancyKay Shapiro:

Apparently, some found it offensive and the signs have been changed. It’s a marketing faux pas, though. Not a political correctness or religious tolerance issue. Here we have a company in the business of selling stuff that failed to take into account the irrational eating habits of a large section of its customer base, and it probably lost a non-negligible amount of business because of it.

If not catering to your customers’ irrational whims will hurt your business, should you do it? Or should you instead be engaged in business where success isn’t dependent on appeasing your customers’ irrationality?

A contestant relates a story from when he was a messenger. Upon making a delivery to the exercise guru, the messenger could not regain his pen from Richard Simmons until he had made a promise to exercise. The present day contestant is a husky man, with noticeable paunch. Alex responds:

You lied!

If he keeps this up, I’ll make this a regular feature.

PS: Remember to avoid dangling your participles!