Spooky Pop Culture
This classic song, released in 1982, was originally titled "Starlight" before it became a groundbreaking 14-minute music video directed by John Landis.
What is "Thriller" by Michael Jackson?
Born in Oakland, this Bay Area native began her legal career in 1990 as a Deputy District Attorney for Alameda County.
Who is Kamala Harris?
Navjeet's childhood/family nickname.
Who is Sammy?
This chunky, electronic virtual pet needed to be fed and cleaned up after on a tiny black and white screen, or else it would die.
What is a Tamagotchi?
A small decorative pillow or cushion used to add flair to a sofa or armchair.
What is a throw pillow (or accent pillow)?
After dominating the 2023 box office, this Mattel doll and her boyfriend became the most searched and most popular Halloween costume for both adults and couple, spawning versions like "Weird" and "Cowboy."
What/who is Barbie?
This actor graduated from Skyline High School in Oakland.
Hint: He's famous for starring in movies like Forrest Gump and Toy Story.
Who is Tom Hanks?
The year Navjeet last had a haircut.
What is 2019?
This popular phrase, used to express approval or excitement, was popularized by the movie Mean Girls and their attempts to make a new slang word happen.
What is fetch?
According to common superstitious belief, this specific grain should be thrown into a new home before anything to ensure a life of plenty.
What is rice?
The Halloween episode "Treehouse of Horror" became an annual tradition for this animated family, beginning in their second season in 1990.
Who are The Simpsons?
Name the three major sports teams whose homes have moved OUT of Oakland in recent years in "The Oakland Exodus."
Who are the Warriors, A's, and Raiders?
This was Navjeet's nickname in high school because he would come to school after a full night staying awake playing video games.
What is Nightcrawler?
This classic original song was performed by Phoebe Buffay on the hit NBC sitcom Friends.
What is Smelly Cat?
The feng shui practice of "smudging" to clear bad energy in a new home typically involves burning this aromatic herb.
What is sage?
This thin, tall, faceless horror creature wears a black suti and is a prominent example of a creepypasta, an internet urban legend, that originated on the Something Awful forums in 2009.
Who is Slenderman?
Before she became a two-time Oscar winner, this actress and singer who starred in Euphoria was born and raised in Oakland.
Who is Zendaya?
This brand of watch is at the top of Navjeet's wishlist.
What is AP?
Held annually in the school library or gym, this event was the only time in the year where you could trade your parent's crumbled dollar bills for giant erasers, novelty pens, and the newewst Goosebumps books.
What is the Scholastic Book Fair?
In investing, this is the fundamental principle of spreading your money across different assets to reduce risk.
What is diversification?
In 2024, singer Lizzo dressed up as this popular prescription weight loss drug, referencing South Park's parody of this topic.
What is Ozempic?
This world famous martial artist and actor moved to Oakland in 196 and founded his second Jun Fan martial arts studio here. His son was also born in Oakland.
Who is Bruce Lee?
Navjeet proposed to his lovely wife in this beautiful coastal town.
What is Carmel-by-the-Sea?
The "mini-trampoline for your feet" that allowed you to strap springs to your sneakers for bouncing.
What are Moon Shoes?
This is the specific document you must complete to adjust the tax withholding on your paycheck when starting a new job.
What is a W-4?
The name of the house in the 1999 horror film The Haunting, which is said to be cursed by a dark past.
What is Hill House?
This political organization was founded in Oakland in 1966 by Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton.
What are the Black Panthers?
This is the name of Nav's childhood dog.
This classic Nickelodean sketch comedy show aired from 1994 to 2005 and was often called SNL for kids.
What is All That?
When hanging a picture on a wall, you should ideally drive the nail into one of these vertical supports to prevent the picture from falling.
What is a stud?
This 1996 horror film is famous for establishing the rules of the slasher genre, including "Don't answer the door" and "Don't drink or do drugs."
What is Scream?
This famous Oakland author and adventurer, known for novels like The Call of the Wind and White Fang, is honored with a park and square in the city.
Who is Jack London?
A previous short hair / long beard look prompted this nickname in his late 20s.
Who is James Harden?
The famous yellow bracelet that started the early 2000s trend of wearing bright rubber wristbands, often in support of various causes.
What is the Livestrong Band?
In healthcare, this term refers to the fixed amount you pay for covered health care services before your insurance plan starts to pay.
What is a deductible?
Observed on November 1st and 2nd, this Mexican holiday is distinctly different from Halloween as it is a joyful celebration honoring deceased loved ones by building ofrendas (altars) and welcoming their spirits back home.
What is Dia De Los Muertos?
This Oakland native and Oscar-winning actor is known for his roles in Moonlight and Green Book, and attended St. Mary's College in nearby Moraga.
Who is Mahershalah Ali?
Navjeet's favorite color.
What is orange?
Before the iPhone, the side of this popular T-mobile smartphone would flip out to reveal a full keyboard.
What is the Sidekick?
This is the specific tool you should use to turn off the water supply to a leaky sink or toilet if you can't find the main house shut-off valve.
What is a shut-off valve (or isolation valve)?
This popular phrase, now a social media trend, is used to describe a character or celebrity who dresses in a normal but slightly terrifying way, such as an accountant or businessman.
What is Cousin-Greg core? (Or Corporate Gothic.)
This former mayor of Oakland, known for his colorful language and political history, served three non-consecutive terms and was also a US Congressman.
Who is Jerry Brown?
When he retires from Google at the ripe age of 45, Navjeet would like to give back to the community by sharing this knowledge.
What is personal finance?
This handheld electronic game required you to obey voice commands like twist and pull before the time ran out.
What is the Bop-It?
The type of mortgage that requires the borrower to pay only the interest for a set period, after which the principal balance becomes due.
What is an interest-only mortgage?
Winifred, Sarah, and Mary of the iconic 1993 Disney film about colonial-era witches.
Who are the Sanderson sisters?
Counting titles won in Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, and while based in Oakland, this is the total number of NBA Championships the Golden State Warriors have won through 2024.
What is 7?
Nav's favorite Nickelodeon show about a sports ball-head shaped blondie.
This website, launched in 1999, allowed millions of people to share and download MP3 music files for free, much to the chagrin of the music industry.
What is Napster?
This specific feeding pattern occurs when a baby, especially a breastfed infant, demands to be fed very frequently over a few hours to increase the mother's milk supply.
What is cluster feeding?