A Dubious Honor

Welcome to Battle Mountain, Nevada. The arm pit of America!

Yesterday I realized that it was getting pretty late in the week and I needed to start covering some ground if I wanted to get to Colorado on time; so I've just been buzzing right on down the road. As I drive through Nevada I certainly don't feel like I'm missing much. Eastern Colorado looks like a hotbed of activity compared to South Central Oregon and Nevada! Just miles and miles of desert. I was just mindlessly driving along as I entered Battle Mountain and suddenly I realized where I was...I was in the arm pit of America!!

You see, one of my favorite shows on NPR is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell me (you know, NPR's weekly news quiz) and every week they bring on some special guest, for a section called, “Not my Job”. It's usually a well known celebrity, some big shot in the media or something like that and they ask them three questions about a topic they don't know anything about. The questions are multiple choice and all of the answers seem preposterous, but one of them is true.

Anyway, I remember one episode earlier this year and the questions were about Battle Mountain. You see, 5 years ago the Washington Post had named the 5 worst places in the US and Battle Mountain Nevada was the winner! And I now I found myself in this very town; how exciting!

It actually was really exciting; it had been a boring day driving and I was screaming and hollering with delight in the car (it doesn't take much to entertain me).

Anyway, I thought maybe all of you would like to play the game so I found the old episode on-line and here are the questions about Battle Mountain. One answer is correct for each question. Either play by yourself or post your answers in the comments section for a little friendly competition. Can you do better then special guests Jill St. John and Robert Wagner did on the show?

And NO cheating! If you've already heard the show then you're disqualified.

So here we go-

#1: Battle Mountain as a deep dark secret about it's founding, what is it?

A: It's named after a battle between settlers and indians that never actually happened.
B: The mountain of the towns name is actually a huge pile of mining waste
C: It was created out of whole cloth in 1956 entirely as a tax shelter for an oil company

#2: You know you've arrived in Battle Mountain when you see what famous landmark?

A: The worlds largest EPA Super Fund toxic waste dump
B: The nations second tallest dedicated cell tower
C: The letters “BM” written in huge letters on a nearby hill

#3: The town was surprised to be drug out of obscurity and into the lime light by being named Arm Pit of America by the Washington Post. How did they react?

A: They sued the Post for defamation and after 3 years of litigation won their suit and damages of $10
B: They convinced the Gillette company to film a lady's razor commercial there
C: They decided to hold an annual Arm Pit festival

Best of luck. And remember, you're on your honor!

I'll post the answers tomorrow of the following day depending on when/if I find internet access.

Get the answers