Mr. Write's Page

The Questions…

1. President Lyndon Johnson was noted for feeding unashamedly at the public trough. He illegally accepted expensive gifts and even shipped White House furniture to the LBJ Ranch in Texas. What military contingent did he once dispatch on a mission at the ranch?

2. Why is Motel 6 called Motel 6?

3. There’s no fan like an Italian opera fan. What is the record for the longest standing ovation after an opera performance?

4. What is the only snake that builds a nest for its eggs?

5. During the filming of the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, Disney executives were puzzled by actor Johnny Depp’s over-the-top portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow. (One asked Depp if the character was drunk or gay.) Depp said he based the pirate on two characters, one fictional and one real. Who were they?

The Answers…

1. Johnson once sent a detachment of Marine helicopters to herd his flock of peacocks.

2. Because the nightly rate was $6.00 when the first Motel 6 opened in Santa Barbara, California, in 1962.

3. After a performance of Otello in Venice in 1991, Placido Domingo was applauded for one hour, 20 minutes, during which time he made 101 curtain calls. Three years earlier in Berlin, Luciano Pavoratti made 165 curtain calls after a performance — but the applause only lasted one hour, seven minutes.

4. The (shudder) king cobra.

5. He based Jack Sparrow on the cartoon character Pepé Le Pew and on Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. Richards played Jack’s father in the third film of the series.