Author Topic: www.ken-jennings.com (Read 18912 times)

JenKennings · « **on:** June 05, 2006, 03:52:33 PM »

Hey, all. Haven't posted here in a while.

In case anyone is interested, I wanted to plug my new website, www.ken-jennings.com. Don't forget the hyphen, or you wind up at the awesome, all-text website of some guy in Florida who owns all the kenjennings.* domains and ain't selling.

My first book, Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Compulsive, Competitive World of Trivia Buffs, is set for release September 12 (just three months!) Though the book covers a pretty broad swath of subjects (the history of trivia, the different subcultures who enjoy it, the reasons for its modern-day ubiquity and popularity) the main narrative arc is (naturally) a behind-the-scenes look at my Jeopardy! run, so I thought it might be of interest to folks here. The book also includes some of my conversations with game show writers, and a whole chapter giving a brief summary of game show history and culture.

In preparation for its release, I thought it would be fun to try and build up a little community of trivia and game show fans of all stripes (or, as Random House would call you, "likely book buyers"). My daily blog and a message board will be going live within the month (fingers crossed) but you can already browse the static part of the site (a bio, an FAQ, details about the book and other projects, and so forth). I also want to start up a weekly trivia e-mailing, maybe as a way to give away some signed copies of Brainiac, come release date. You can register for the mailing list by entering an e-mail address at ken-jennings.com.

You can also act as informal beta testers for me, since the site is up but isn't really well-indexed by search engines yet. If you have problems with the site or notice anything at all goofy, feel free to drop us a line at webmaster [at] ken-jennings.com or ken [at] the same domain. Or let us know in a follow-up post here.

Thanks!

davemackey · « **Reply #1 on:** June 05, 2006, 05:16:29 PM »

[quote name=\'JenKennings\' post=\'120451\' date=\'Jun 5 2006, 03:52 PM\']
Hey, all. Haven't posted here in a while.[/quote]
I trust you spent all that money you won at Stamford? (grin)

Steve Gavazzi · « **Reply #2 on:** June 05, 2006, 10:29:56 PM »

[quote name=\'JenKennings\' post=\'120451\' date=\'Jun 5 2006, 03:52 PM\']
You can also act as informal beta testers for me, since the site is up but isn't really well-indexed by search engines yet. If you have problems with the site or notice anything at all goofy, feel free to drop us a line at webmaster [at] ken-jennings.com or ken [at] the same domain. Or let us know in a follow-up post here.

Thanks!
[/quote]

Um...okay...how to say this without sounding like a jerk...

The first thing I noticed about your site was the outline of your brain...and the second, honestly, was that most of the links light up a part of it that they don't point to. :-)

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #3 on:** June 05, 2006, 10:44:44 PM »

Ken, let me just say that this excerpt from the FAQ made my life.

Quote

You know, they're not podiums. They're lecterns. A speaker stands on a podium and behind a lectern.
Shut up.

JenKennings · « **Reply #4 on:** June 05, 2006, 10:57:50 PM »

[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' post=\'120478\' date=\'Jun 5 2006, 10:29 PM\']
Um...okay...how to say this without sounding like a jerk...

The first thing I noticed about your site was the outline of your brain...and the second, honestly, was that most of the links light up a part of it that they don't point to. :-)
[/quote]

Ha! Good catch. I can't believe nobody's noticed that.

There were two different breakdowns for the brain sections and it looks like they got mixed up. It'll be fixed ASAP.

[quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'120459\' date=\'Jun 5 2006, 05:16 PM\']
I trust you spent all that money you won at Stamford? (grin)
[/quote]

Yes, like many kids, I dreamed of getting out of the ghetto by earning some of that big, big crossword tournament money.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #5 on:** June 05, 2006, 11:04:30 PM »

Ken, I haven't had a chance to see the whole site, but I'm liking the layout, except for the link buttons lighting up different sections of your brain. ;-)

Also, from reading the FAQ, I'm glad the game show idea is still being pitched. Wishing you the best of luck with it.

Oh, and how about that student loan thing. I'm a non-hippie with a job. :-P

jdhernandez · « **Reply #6 on:** June 06, 2006, 12:39:15 AM »

I'm not a hippie and I have a part-time job. :-p Then again, I'm just another seasonal white-collar worker going to school and doing some taxes part of the year.

;-D

PS: I'm thinking that the link buttons lighting up different sections of the brain is a diversion of some sort, right?

JenKennings · « **Reply #7 on:** June 16, 2006, 04:36:31 PM »

[quote name=\'jdhernandez\' post=\'120494\' date=\'Jun 6 2006, 12:39 AM\']
PS: I'm thinking that the link buttons lighting up different sections of the brain is a diversion of some sort, right?
[/quote]

Hopefully it's just as diverting now that the links actually light up the right sections.

The blog is up and running too, as of today: http://www.ken-jennings.com/blog . I've already posted the first in what should be a series of game show-related photos, so stop on by if that sounds interesting.

davemackey · « **Reply #8 on:** June 16, 2006, 07:23:55 PM »

[quote name=\'JenKennings\' post=\'121619\' date=\'Jun 16 2006, 04:36 PM\']
[quote name=\'jdhernandez\' post=\'120494\' date=\'Jun 6 2006, 12:39 AM\']
PS: I'm thinking that the link buttons lighting up different sections of the brain is a diversion of some sort, right?
[/quote]

Hopefully it's just as diverting now that the links actually light up the right sections.

The blog is up and running too, as of today: http://www.ken-jennings.com/blog . I've already posted the first in what should be a series of game show-related photos, so stop on by if that sounds interesting.
[/quote]
Since you've no way of commenting on your blog, I did want to let you know here that the Feud podium you and Bob Boden are flanking is from the CBS run with Ray Combs.

Did Boden show you SuperBall!!!? Legend is that he has that prop, too.

clemon79 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 16, 2006, 07:31:55 PM »

[quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'121628\' date=\'Jun 16 2006, 04:23 PM\']
[quote name=\'JenKennings\' post=\'121619\' date=\'Jun 16 2006, 04:36 PM\']
The blog is up and running too, as of today: http://www.ken-jennings.com/blog . I've already posted the first in what should be a series of game show-related photos, so stop on by if that sounds interesting.
[/quote]
Since you've no way of commenting on your blog, I did want to let you know here that the Feud podium you and Bob Boden are flanking is from the CBS run with Ray Combs.
[/quote]
Why, and right by Ken's buzzer, it's a Jeopardy Challenger!

(Hey, if Ken can pimp, so can I!

)

Clay Zambo · « **Reply #10 on:** June 16, 2006, 10:08:30 PM »

[quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'121628\' date=\'Jun 16 2006, 07:23 PM\']
Did Boden show you SuperBall!!!? Legend is that he has that prop, too.
[/quote]

The legend is true. The prop sits outdoors, under a tent, bestrewn with leaves and dust. It's rather sad, actually.

Steve Gavazzi · « **Reply #11 on:** June 16, 2006, 11:42:17 PM »

Since we're asking silly things about Boden's collection...did he show you the original Any Number board? I've heard he's got that, too.

JenKennings · « **Reply #12 on:** June 17, 2006, 02:22:14 AM »

[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' post=\'121641\' date=\'Jun 16 2006, 11:42 PM\']
Since we're asking silly things about Boden's collection...did he show you the original Any Number board? I've heard he's got that, too.
[/quote]

When I wrote about Bob's collection in Brainiac, I emailed him to make sure I wouldn't get him in any trouble if I listed some of the items that had, um, mysteriously found their way into his collection.

His response: I could mention anything I like, except for items from a certain CBS daytime show, whose producers apparently take dumpster-diving pretty seriously.

So I feel I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of Super Ball, Any Number, etc.

clemon79 · « **Reply #13 on:** June 17, 2006, 04:57:32 AM »

[quote name=\'JenKennings\' post=\'121648\' date=\'Jun 16 2006, 11:22 PM\']
So I feel I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of Super Ball, Any Number, etc.

[/quote]
Are there any other props you can neither confirm nor deny?

Clay Zambo · « **Reply #14 on:** June 17, 2006, 10:01:17 AM »

[quote name=\'JenKennings\' post=\'121648\' date=\'Jun 17 2006, 02:22 AM\']
So I feel I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of Super Ball, Any Number, etc.

[/quote]

Oh. Well. Then, in that case...I was making up the whole thing. Especially the part about the dust and the leaves.