Bill Gardner

Captain Bill Gardner Super Stumpers were a daily feature on my morning show in Summer 2010 on Southern California's 92.7, Jill-FM.  My challenge?  It's easy to come up with obscure "trivia," but can I make the answer even more interesting than the question?  That makes the game equally interesting to those who are only listening, and not actually playing!  Questions, answers, winners names, their cities and their prize:

Friday, July 23    Who earned $1,300 per SECOND in 2007?  Logical, great guesses called in to Captain Bill included "Bill Gates," "Alex Rodriguez," and "Oprah."  Correct answer was EXXON/Mobil, called in by Brian Pocock of Newport Beach.  Brian's reward for outsmarting Bill Gardner?  A family four pack of tickets to Six Flags Magic Mountain & Hurricane Harbor.

Thursday, July 22    This is something that happens to almost all of us.  When it does, 24% of us lie about it.  Hope you didn't miss some of those fun and funny guesses called into Captain Bill Gardner.  Then from the great city of Calabasas, Marty Hall called in the correct answer,  being late for work, according to careerbuilders.com.   

Wednesday, July 21   Another survey recently said that 4 out of 10 women say they've done this at work.  Virtually no man says he ever has.  What is it?   Answers called in included "Internet shopping," "nail filing," and "taking off their shoes." Correct answer is cry, as nailed by Christina Pearson of Anaheim. 

Tuesday, July 20    A recent survey asked "what's in your junk drawer at home that you can't throw away?"  Top answers were keys and rubber bands.  What finished third?  Thank you for all the smart answers called in like "matches," "scissors," "instruction pamphlets," "buttons," "pens or pencils," "batteries," and plenty more that all might have been better than the real answer.   Irvine, California's Courtney Cross first to hit it on the head by asking a coworker what's in her junk drawer.  Correct answer, birthday candles.

Monday July 19     Although we think of this medicine differently now, it was invented in Sandwich England as a treatment for the heart condition, "angina."  Name it!   Smart Jill FM listeners sharing the morning with Captain Bill called in logical thoughts from aspirin, to nitro glycerine, and even cocaine.  Correct answer, Viagra recalled from earlier schooling days by nursing student Jessica Kelly, who like Bill Gardner, hails from Laguna Beach.  Turns out Viagra was patented by Pfizer in 1991 after seven years of trial as a heart medicine.

Friday, July 16   439 million of these are known to be wasted by Americans this and every year.  Finally, a genuine Super Stumper!  Captain Bill Gardner even dropped the hint that he didn't think he'd ever wasted even one!  Sharp Jill FM listeners guessed things like "plastic water bottles," "toothbrushes," "pounds of food," "cell phone minutes," "minutes at work," "CD's," "disposable razors," "batteries," and "Christmas trees," all GREAT answers but today, no one got the correct answer, paid vacation days!  Lovely Vivian Petris of Lake Elsinore got the Faith Hill concert tickets for the OC Fair on Saturday the 24th. 

Thursday, July 15   There were thirteen people in the U.S. with this in common in 1985, but now there are over a thousand.  Thanks for guesses like "over 100 years old," "have electric cars," or "lottery winners."  Then Aliso Viejo's David Schneyer got it...billionaires, according to our source, CNBC.

Wednesday, July 14    Movies starring this person have grossed more box office revenues than any other movie star.  Who is it?  High on a Southern California mountain top near Big Bear and Arrowhead, the Crestline California Post Office strikes again!  Lovely Deborah Fraze got it with the first call...Harrison Ford! 

Tuesday, July 13  Sheila Bromberg was the only female in history to ever play a musical instrument on a Beatle song that we know.  The instrument she played was a harp.  Name that song.  Captain Bill said this one might be SO obscure, we'd never get the answer and would have to resort to giving away the Faith Hill tickets just for a phone call.  Good guesses include "Michelle," "Sgt. Pepper's Band," "Yellow Submarine" "Help," and more, and then believe it or not, along came Fred Eisenthal with the correct answer, "She's Leaving Home." 

Monday, July 12    Apparently there's been only one U.S. President since 1909 to NOT throw out a first pitch at a Major League Baseball game.  Can you name him?  Guesses called into (888) 454-5536 included Teddy Roosevelt, Gerald Ford, and Franklin Roosevelt among others, but lovely Ann Terraszas called in the correct answer, oddly enough, frequent Atlanta Braves game attender Jimmy Carter!

Friday, July 9   It takes about six months each year to do this, but if you can do it, you'll probably take home about $3,000,000!   Thanks for all the good guesses called in, like "hit the lottery," "sell exotic sports cars," "sell Real Estate," and even "begging for change on a street corner!"  Correct answer was play Major League Baseball, where the average players salary is now $3,000,000 per season.  Congratulations to the tag team of Bruce Jackman and lovely wife Joelle of Trabuco Canyon in beautiful Orange County, first to call in the winning answer.

Thursday, July 8    Last we heard, the average American works about eleven minutes to afford one of these.     Many great answers like "cell phones," "lunch," and "a computer" and more, but no one got the correct answer, a gallon of gas.   Lovely Nancy Shaw got todays pair of celebrity softball tickets for Saturday night at Pepperdine University, Malibu to see Steve Garvey and many other famous faces, past and present. 

Wednesday, July 7  There are two of these for every man, woman, and child in the United States.  Guesses ranged from "parents," "shoes," and "dogs," and despite hints Captain Bill gave, like "you have at least one," and "you may not like someone elses," this one WAS a super stumper.  Correct answer was "radios."  Vickie Mann was caller number five to win her way to Pepperdine University in Malibu on Saturday for Steve Garvey's Celebrity Softball at 6PM. 

Tuesday, July 6 Computer experts tell us this is the most commonly used computer password...and a reason why you shouldn't use it as your password.  Didn't take long for Susan Garrett of Anaheim, working her way toward Garden Grove to call Captain Bill Gardner with the correct answer, "password."  Yep.  PC Magazine says the rest of the most used passwords in order are password, 123456, qwerty, abc123, letmein, monkey, myspace1, password1, and link182. 

Friday, July 2 Here's a list of well known people, with something specific in common.  Antonio Banderas, Amy Grant, Howie Long, Valerie Bertinelli, and Daryl Hannah.  What do they have in common?  Cool guesses included "all on Jenny Craig," "all movie stars," "drive the same brand of car," and even the fun answer "all have dogs named Oreo."  Correct answer called in by Rich Bradley, all born in 1960, will turn 50 during 2010. 

Thursday, July 1 A recent survey said this is the food brand name you're most likely to name your dog, if you name your dog after any food brand name.  Fine guesses included Skippy, Maxwell, Bailey, and many others until lovely Gabby Banuelos put it to rest with the correct answer, "Oreo."

Wednesday, June 30 We don't think it's even around today, but forty-five years ago, this was the largest publication in the United States.  Wow.  Many, many great guesses that included everything from Life, Saturday Evening Post, and TV Guide, to the Pennysaver.  Bill Gardner added the hint that the question was weird, since this publication was given away free! Calling from the beautiful San Bernadino Mountains at the Crestline Post Office, lovely Heidi Farrell got it right.The S & H Green Stamp Catalog!

Tuesday, June 29 We're told that this is something in common about the vehicles driven by 80% of the world's millionaires.  Kandyl Martinez won her way to Knott's Berry Farm and Knotts Soak City for four with the correct answer, they're pre-owned.

Monday, June 28 A recent USA Today survey asked for your most memorable smell of all time.  Coffee finished first.  What was the unusual runner-up?  Newport Beach's Ryan Cash got it after plenty of great guesses from other sharp listeners.  Vick's Vapo-Rub!

Friday, June 25 "Name the major league baseball star that had nine back to back twenty win seasons and over 2800 strike outs, but never won the Cy Young Award?"  Sharp guy Mike Kelly put this to rest quickly with the correct answer, Cy Young himself!" 

Thursday, June 24  "Can you name the female recording star that's sold the most records? " 

 Captain Bill Gardner will have to get tougher questions if he wants to keep calling this a "super stumper!"  After guesses of Madonna and Dolly Parton, third caller, Andrea Suchomel said Barbra Streisand.  Yep.  71 million records sold to be "the champ," according to our source CBS TV News in 2010.

Wednesday June 23, "53%, or a little over half of us Americans do this.  47%, or a little less than half don't.  But each year, the number that don't do this, increases.  Does what?" 

Wow.  Talk about bright folks listening to Jill FM, the second caller, lovely Dawn Nicholas will take her three kids to Knotts Berry Farm & Knotts Soak City on us for her correct answer, pay Federal Income Taxes.   According to our source, The Tax Policy Center, a few years ago, the number of folks who DIDN'T pay taxes was just 40%, but it's growing a little each year and for the first time ever, non-payers are expected to outnumber those that do pay their income taxes!. 

Tuesday, June 22 "Orange County California has almost three dozen cities within it's borders.  According to our sources, this O.C. city has the most people per square mile.

Sharp Jill-FM listeners called in many great answers like Santa Ana and Anaheim, OC's two biggest and most populated, and others like Newport Beach, Aliso Viejo, , San Clemente, Garden Grove, Westminster, and many more... but congratulations to Woody Hon of Long Beach, first to call Bill Gardner with the correct answer, Lake Forest, with 6,282 people per square mile according to Wikipedia and the most recent (2005) census data.  AND home of our Jill-FM studios on Bake Parkway :-)

On the Captain Bill Gardner Super Stumper listeners won more pairs of Faith Hill tickets at the O C Fair, Pacific Amphitheater, Irvine.  And your tickets includes  O C Fair admission.  Listen right after 7AM and call in your answer to Captain Bill Gardner. 

Lovely Lisa Smith of Laguna Niguel won her way to the Santa Barbara Bowl with a pair of tickets for the August 4th, performance by rock and roll legend  Stevie Nicks!  Lovely Kathleen DeVote heard "Abracadabra" and other hits by the Steve Miller Band sung live July 10th at the Santa Barbara Bowl for her call to Captain Bill Gardner and 92.7 Jill FM