Curiosity in the world: rec.games.trivia - 25 new messages in 4 topics

rec.games.trivia
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia?hl=en

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Today's topics:

* Rotating Quiz #30 - 7 messages, 6 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/2a04cf8a6cd50539?hl=en
* QFTCI11 Game 6 Rounds 9-10: no border, challenge round - 13 messages, 8
authors
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/486bdd2363edecfd?hl=en
* Calvin's Quiz #163 - 4 messages, 4 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/1a890d6a373758e3?hl=en
* Rare Entries Contest MSB72: 2nd reminder - 1 messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/e1c0881c0d67dba9?hl=en

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Rotating Quiz #30
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/2a04cf8a6cd50539?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 7 ==
Date: Wed, Sep 7 2011 10:21 pm
From: John Masters

On 2011-09-07 22:48:05 +0000, Peter Smyth said:

> Normal rules apply, answers will be posted in about three days time.
>
> 1. At which racecourse is the Grand National horse race held?

Aintree

> 2. Which country won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930?

Uruguay

> 3. In golf, what is the name of the amateur equivalent of the Ryder Cup?

Curtis Cup

> 4. Which tennis player holds the record for the fastest serve, at 156mph?

Nadal

> 5. In which city were the recent 2011 World Athletics Championships held?

Daegu

> 6. In the 1932 Olympics, what was the longest distance that female
> athletes were able to compete in?

Mile

> 7. Name a motor racing driver who has won both the Formula 1 World
> Drivers Championship, and the Indianapolis 500.

John Surtees

> 8. In which Italian city does SS Lazio football club play their home games?

Rome

> 9. In which country will the 2011 Rugby World Cup be staged?

New Zealand

> 10. What is the surname of the Ukrainian brothers who between them hold
> all four major heavyweight boxing titles?

Klitchko

>
> Peter Smyth

== 2 of 7 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 2:49 am
From: "David"

> 1. At which racecourse is the Grand National horse race held?

Aintree

> 2. Which country won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930?

Germany

> 6. In the 1932 Olympics, what was the longest distance that female
> athletes were able to compete in?

Half Marathon?

> 7. Name a motor racing driver who has won both the Formula 1 World Drivers
> Championship, and the Indianapolis 500.

Nigel Mansell

> 8. In which Italian city does SS Lazio football club play their home
> games?

Rome

== 3 of 7 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 6:43 am
From: Erland Sommarskog

Peter Smyth (psmythREMOVE@THISukf.net) writes:
> 1. At which racecourse is the Grand National horse race held?

Derby

> 2. Which country won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930?

Uruguay

> 4. Which tennis player holds the record for the fastest serve, at 156mph?

Goran Ivanisevic

> 5. In which city were the recent 2011 World Athletics Championships held?

Daegu in South Korea

> 6. In the 1932 Olympics, what was the longest distance that female
> athletes were able to compete in?

400 m

> 7. Name a motor racing driver who has won both the Formula 1 World Drivers
> Championship, and the Indianapolis 500.

Mario Andretti

> 8. In which Italian city does SS Lazio football club play their home
> games?

Rome

> 9. In which country will the 2011 Rugby World Cup be staged?

France

== 4 of 7 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 6:45 am
From: Erland Sommarskog

Mark Brader (msb@vex.net) writes:
>> 7. Name a motor racing driver who has won both the Formula 1 World
>> Drivers Championship, and the Indianapolis 500.
>> 8. In which Italian city does SS Lazio football club play their home
>> games?
>
> Uruguay.

So we can draw the conclusion that you are perectly certain of that there
is no racing driver named Uruguay, so you didin't want to make a fool of
yourself to make that guess in public?

== 5 of 7 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 6:58 am
From: msb@vex.net (Mark Brader)

Erland Sommarskog:
> So we can draw the conclusion that you are perectly certain of that there
> is no racing driver named Uruguay, so you didin't want to make a fool of
> yourself to make that guess in public?

Actually, I think the cause of that effect must've been the presence
of a number followed by a period in that question not as part of the
question number.
--
Mark Brader | "Unless developers are careful, good software
Toronto | attracts so many improvements that it eventually
msb@vex.net | rolls over and sinks..." --Ben & Peter Laurie

My text in this article is in the public domain.

== 6 of 7 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 5:54 pm
From: "Rob Parker"

> 1. At which racecourse is the Grand National horse race held?

The one in Australia is held at Sandown, but you probably want Aintree as
the answer.

> 2. Which country won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930?

Uruguay

> 3. In golf, what is the name of the amateur equivalent of the Ryder Cup?
> 4. Which tennis player holds the record for the fastest serve, at 156mph?

Djokovic (?)

> 5. In which city were the recent 2011 World Athletics Championships held?

Daegu (or something similar)

> 6. In the 1932 Olympics, what was the longest distance that female
> athletes were able to compete in?

800m (?)

> 7. Name a motor racing driver who has won both the Formula 1 World Drivers
> Championship, and the Indianapolis 500.

Graham Hill (?)

> 8. In which Italian city does SS Lazio football club play their home
> games?

Rome (?)

> 9. In which country will the 2011 Rugby World Cup be staged?

New Zealand

> 10. What is the surname of the Ukrainian brothers who between them hold
> all four major heavyweight boxing titles?

Rob

== 7 of 7 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 7:16 pm
From: Jeffrey Turner

On 9/7/2011 6:48 PM, Peter Smyth wrote:
> Normal rules apply, answers will be posted in about three days time.
>
> 1. At which racecourse is the Grand National horse race held?
> 2. Which country won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930?
> 3. In golf, what is the name of the amateur equivalent of the Ryder Cup?
> 4. Which tennis player holds the record for the fastest serve, at 156mph?
> 5. In which city were the recent 2011 World Athletics Championships held?
> 6. In the 1932 Olympics, what was the longest distance that female
> athletes were able to compete in?

440

> 7. Name a motor racing driver who has won both the Formula 1 World
> Drivers Championship, and the Indianapolis 500.
> 8. In which Italian city does SS Lazio football club play their home games?
> 9. In which country will the 2011 Rugby World Cup be staged?
> 10. What is the surname of the Ukrainian brothers who between them hold
> all four major heavyweight boxing titles?

--Jeff

==============================================================================
TOPIC: QFTCI11 Game 6 Rounds 9-10: no border, challenge round
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/486bdd2363edecfd?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 13 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 12:35 am
From: "Peter Smyth"

"Mark Brader" wrote in message
news:SZudnaKyerRVnvXTnZ2dnUVZ_tednZ2d@vex.net...
>
>These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2011-02-28,
>and should be interpreted accordingly.
>
>On each question you may give up to two answers, but if you give
>both a right answer and a wrong answer, there is a small penalty.
>Please post all your answers in a single followup to the newsgroup,
>based only on your own knowledge. (In your answer posting, quote
>the questions and place your answer below each one.) I will reveal
>the correct answers in about 3 days. For further information see
>my 2011-05-23 companion posting on "Questions from the Canadian
>Inquisition (QFTCI5GNM, QFTCI11, QFTCIMM)".
>
>I wrote both of these rounds.
>
>
>* Game 6, Round 9 - No Common Border
>
>For each question in this round we'll give you a list of four
>countries or US states. Only two in each list *are not* adjacent --
>that is, they *do not* have a common border -- and you must name
>those two. For example, if we'd included Canadian provinces as
>well, we might have said "New York, Ontario, Quebec, and Vermont".
>New York is adjacent to Ontario, Quebec, and Vermont; Quebec is
>adjacent to New York, Ontario, and Vermont; but Ontario and Vermont
>have no common border, so the answer would be Ontario and Vermont.
>
>All borders in the round are land borders.
>
>1. Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru.
Columbia & Peru
>2. Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam.
Thailand & Laos
>3. Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria.
Saudi Arabia & Syria
>4. Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay.
Paraguay & Uruguay
>5. Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden.
Sweden & Russia
>6. Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland.
Czech Rep & Switzerland
>7. Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont.
New York & New Hampshire (your example helps a bit here!)
>8. Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe.
Botswana & Mozambique
>9. Central African Republic, Chad, Libya, Sudan.
Libya & Central African Republic
>10. Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota.
North Dakota & Iowa
>
>* Game 6, Round 10 - Challenge Round from All Directions
>
>This is the Challenge Round from All Directions. The categories
>are: Northern Lights, Southern Cooking, Eastern Orthodox, Western
>Music, Central Station, and Everywhere You Want to Be.
>
>A. Northern Lights
>
> A1. The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, currently appear
> at latitudes farther south in Canada than in Scandinavia.
> Why?
because the magnetic and geographic north poles are in different places
> A2. We are currently approaching a "solar maximum", when the
> intensity of sunspots and solar magnetic activity will be
> highest, and in consequence, so will the Northern Lights.
> To the nearest whole year and within 1 year, how long does
> it take on average from one solar maximum to the next?
14
>B. Southern Cooking
>
> B1. These questions are about chefs from New Orleans, and as
> usual we need their surnames. This chef is known for
> Cajun cooking; his restaurant takes its name from his late
> wife and his own first name, and his brand of seasonings
> is his "Magic Seasoning Blends". What's his name?
>
> B2. This chef grew up in Massachusetts but now lives in
> New Orleans. He has had two TV shows, and owns
> restaurants in several cities, many of them bearing his
> first name. His spice blend is known as his "Essence".
> What's his name?
>
>C. Eastern Orthodox
>
> C1. In the Eastern Orthodox or simply Orthodox Church, there
> is no person whose position directly compares to the
> Pope in Roman Catholicism. But there is one position
> that stands out as the leader for practical purposes
> if not on matters of faith. This position is currently
> held by Bartholomew I; what is his title?
Patriarch
> C2. Various dates are given for the schism between the
> Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, but one of
> the definitive events took place when Pope Leo IX
> and <answer C1> Cerularius excommunicated each other.
> Within 50 years, in what year did they do that?
1350, 1450
>D. Western Music
>
> D1. During the last century, several people became famous for
> their movie roles as "singing cowboys". But one of them
> was *The* Singing Cowboy. He was a top box-office draw
> despite appearing mostly in B-movies, he wrote the song
> "Back in the Saddle Again" (which became his signature
> piece), and in later life he owned the Los Angeles Angels
> baseball team. Who was he?
Roy Rogers
> D2. Another singing cowboy did not own a baseball team, but
> was born on a site where a baseball stadium would later
> be built. His horse was Trigger, his dog was Bullet,
> his wife's horse was Buttermilk, and his real name was
> Leonard Slye. What do we know him as?
Roy Rogers
>E. Central Station
>
> E1. The central railway station in Toronto is called Union
> Station. You may have heard of it. But that name also
> occurs in many other cities in North America. What does
> it mean?
it was served by more than one railway company
> E2. What's the official name of Toronto's central bus station
> for Greyhound and other long-distance bus companies?
>
>F. Everywhere You Want to Be
>
> F1. The category title refers to a slogan used for Visa
> credit cards. In Canada, what was Visa called before
> it was called Visa?
>
> F2. Same question for either the US or the UK. Give the name
> that was previously used for the Visa card in either
> country. Hint: each name is derived from the bank that
> first issued the card there.
Barclaycard

Peter Smyth

== 2 of 13 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 7:03 am
From: Erland Sommarskog

Mark Brader (msb@vex.net) writes:
> 1. Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru.

Colombia and Peru

> 2. Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam.

Vietnam and Thailad

> 3. Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria.

Syria and Saudi Arabia

> 4. Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay.

Paraguay and Uruguay

> 5. Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden.

Swedeb and Russia

> 6. Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland.

Switzerland and Czech Republic

> 7. Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont.

Vermont and New TYork

> 8. Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe.

Botswana and Mozambique

> 9. Central African Republic, Chad, Libya, Sudan.

Libya and Sudan

> 10. Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota.

Iowa and Minnesota

> A1. The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, currently appear
> at latitudes farther south in Canada than in Scandinavia.
> Why?

Doesn't everyone take a vacation and go south these days? I do!

> A2. We are currently approaching a "solar maximum", when the
> intensity of sunspots and solar magnetic activity will be
> highest, and in consequence, so will the Northern Lights.
> To the nearest whole year and within 1 year, how long does
> it take on average from one solar maximum to the next?

> C1. In the Eastern Orthodox or simply Orthodox Church, there
> is no person whose position directly compares to the
> Pope in Roman Catholicism. But there is one position
> that stands out as the leader for practical purposes
> if not on matters of faith. This position is currently
> held by Bartholomew I; what is his title?

Patriarch

> C2. Various dates are given for the schism between the
> Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, but one of
> the definitive events took place when Pope Leo IX
> and <answer C1> Cerularius excommunicated each other.
> Within 50 years, in what year did they do that?

1050

> D2. Another singing cowboy did not own a baseball team, but
> was born on a site where a baseball stadium would later
> be built. His horse was Trigger, his dog was Bullet,
> his wife's horse was Buttermilk, and his real name was
> Leonard Slye. What do we know him as?

Roy Rogers

== 3 of 13 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 7:19 am
From: Erland Sommarskog

Dan Tilque (dtilque@frontier.com) writes:
> Followup question: What are the only two sets of four countries that are
> all adjacent to each other? (Single-point adjacency does not count.)

Not sure if I understand your question correctly, but I can think of
six such sets:

France, Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg
Russia, Latvia, Lithuana and White Russia
Russia, Lithuania, White Russia and Poland
Bosnia-Hercegovnia, Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia
Azerbaijan, Turkey, Armenia and Georgia
Azerbaijan, Turkey, Armenia and Iran

(In the last two cases, the border between Azerbaijan and Turkey
is very short, but more than a single-point adjaency: about 300 metres.)

== 4 of 13 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 8:20 am
From: msb@vex.net (Mark Brader)

Erland Sommarskog:
> Swedeb and Russia

You have a cold, eh? Ged well soon. :-)
--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "To err is human, but to error requires a computer."
msb@vex.net | -- Harry Lethall

== 5 of 13 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 8:29 am
From: tool@panix.com (Dan Blum)

Mark Brader <msb@vex.net> wrote:

> * Game 6, Round 9 - No Common Border

> 1. Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru.

Brazil & Colombia; Brazil & Ecuador

> 2. Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam.

Vietnam & Cambodia

> 3. Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria.

Iraq & Jordan

> 4. Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay.

Uruguay & Paraguay

> 5. Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden.

Norway & Finland

> 6. Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland.

Czech Republic & Switzerland

> 7. Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont.

New York & New Hampshire

> 8. Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe.

South Africa & Mozambique; Botswana & Zimbabwe

> 9. Central African Republic, Chad, Libya, Sudan.

Libya & Central African Republic

> 10. Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota.

Iowa & North Dakota

> * Game 6, Round 10 - Challenge Round from All Directions

> A. Northern Lights

> A1. The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, currently appear
> at latitudes farther south in Canada than in Scandinavia.
> Why?

The Earth's magnetic field is weaker over Canada

> A2. We are currently approaching a "solar maximum", when the
> intensity of sunspots and solar magnetic activity will be
> highest, and in consequence, so will the Northern Lights.
> To the nearest whole year and within 1 year, how long does
> it take on average from one solar maximum to the next?

11 years

> B. Southern Cooking

> B1. These questions are about chefs from New Orleans, and as
> usual we need their surnames. This chef is known for
> Cajun cooking; his restaurant takes its name from his late
> wife and his own first name, and his brand of seasonings
> is his "Magic Seasoning Blends". What's his name?

Lagasse; Prudhomme

> B2. This chef grew up in Massachusetts but now lives in
> New Orleans. He has had two TV shows, and owns
> restaurants in several cities, many of them bearing his
> first name. His spice blend is known as his "Essence".
> What's his name?

Prudhomme; Lagasse

> C. Eastern Orthodox

patriarch

> C2. Various dates are given for the schism between the
> Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, but one of
> the definitive events took place when Pope Leo IX
> and <answer C1> Cerularius excommunicated each other.
> Within 50 years, in what year did they do that?

550; 660

> D. Western Music

> D1. During the last century, several people became famous for
> their movie roles as "singing cowboys". But one of them
> was *The* Singing Cowboy. He was a top box-office draw
> despite appearing mostly in B-movies, he wrote the song
> "Back in the Saddle Again" (which became his signature
> piece), and in later life he owned the Los Angeles Angels
> baseball team. Who was he?

Gene Autry

> D2. Another singing cowboy did not own a baseball team, but
> was born on a site where a baseball stadium would later
> be built. His horse was Trigger, his dog was Bullet,
> his wife's horse was Buttermilk, and his real name was
> Leonard Slye. What do we know him as?

Roy Rogers

> E. Central Station

> E1. The central railway station in Toronto is called Union
> Station. You may have heard of it. But that name also
> occurs in many other cities in North America. What does
> it mean?

It means the station was originally owned by the Union Pacific
railroad

> F. Everywhere You Want to Be

> F2. Same question for either the US or the UK. Give the name
> that was previously used for the Visa card in either
> country. Hint: each name is derived from the bank that
> first issued the card there.

BankAmericaCard

--
_______________________________________________________________________
Dan Blum tool@panix.com
"I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't just made it up."

== 6 of 13 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 8:47 am
From: msb@vex.net (Mark Brader)

Dan Tilque:
> > Followup question: What are the only two sets of four countries that are
> > all adjacent to each other? (Single-point adjacency does not count.)

Erland Sommarskog:
> Not sure if I understand your question correctly, but I can think of
> six such sets:
>
> France, Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg
> Russia, Latvia, Lithuana and White Russia
> Russia, Lithuania, White Russia and Poland
> Bosnia-Hercegovnia, Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia
> Azerbaijan, Turkey, Armenia and Georgia
> Azerbaijan, Turkey, Armenia and Iran

Looks like Dan didn't consider exclaves. I looked at Angola's Cabinda
exclave to see if it produced another example, but it doesn't. But while
I was on that map, I spotted Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Because this is of the same type as the group with Luxembourg, I think
these are the two that Dan had in mind.

Except, after I did this, I looked in a downloaded CIA World Factbook for
other examples -- i.e. landlocked countries with exactly three neighbors.
And I found three more listed:

Burundi, D.R. Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania
Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil
Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe

I suspect Dan's mention of "single-point adjacency" was intended to exclude
the last one. In fact there is no clear example of single-point adjacency
between any countries in the world, but the borders in the area where
Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia come together are undemarcated
and unclear. According to the CIAWF, Botswana and Zambia appear to have
made a de facto recognition of a short mutual border -- which would mean
that, de facto, Namibia and Zimbabwe shere even a single point and that
last four-country set is bogus.

But Dan could have intended any two of the Luxembourg, Malawi, Burundi,
and Paraguay groups.
--
Mark Brader | "There are no nations! There is only humanity.
Toronto | And if we don't come to understand that right
msb@vex.net | soon, there will be no nations, because there
| will be no humanity." --Isaac Asimov

My text in this article is in the public domain.

== 7 of 13 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 12:00 pm
From: Erland Sommarskog

Mark Brader (msb@vex.net) writes:> Erland Sommarskog:
>> Swedeb and Russia
>
> You have a cold, eh? Ged well soon. :-)

Nah, only a keyboard I don't use that often. Unfortunately, that
gets well soon. That is, vacation is leading towards its end.

== 8 of 13 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 12:09 pm
From: Erland Sommarskog

Mark Brader (msb@vex.net) writes:
> Looks like Dan didn't consider exclaves. I looked at Angola's Cabinda
> exclave to see if it produced another example, but it doesn't. But while
> I was on that map, I spotted Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia.
> Because this is of the same type as the group with Luxembourg, I think
> these are the two that Dan had in mind.

There is also the case with B-H. While Dubrovnik to some extent is an
extent is an exclave it is not really in the sense as Cabinda, Nakhichevan
or Kalingrad. B-H has Neum which intrudes on the Croatian coast-line deep
in a bay. But even if Tito had not transferred Neum to B-H (Neum has an
overwhelmingly Croatian population), the set of Croatia, B-H, Serbia and
Montenegro would qualify.

And I read some time back that Croatia has plans to build a bridge over
to the Korcula peninsula, which would mean that you could drive from
Split to Dubrovnik without any border control. (Well, I have passed those
borders in total three times, and I don't recall that there was much
controls anyway.)

== 9 of 13 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 2:46 pm
From: Dan Tilque

Mark Brader wrote:
> Dan Tilque:
>>> Followup question: What are the only two sets of four countries that are
>>> all adjacent to each other? (Single-point adjacency does not count.)
>
> Erland Sommarskog:
>> Not sure if I understand your question correctly, but I can think of
>> six such sets:
>>
>> France, Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg
>> Russia, Latvia, Lithuana and White Russia
>> Russia, Lithuania, White Russia and Poland
>> Bosnia-Hercegovnia, Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia
>> Azerbaijan, Turkey, Armenia and Georgia
>> Azerbaijan, Turkey, Armenia and Iran
>
> Looks like Dan didn't consider exclaves.

Yes, I was looking at this from the four-color theorem perspective. That
is, situations where four colors are required to map the countries.
Exclaves could conceivably be colored differently from the main country.
I also last looked for these before Montenegro became independent, so
that's probably why I missed the one centered on Bosnia.

I looked at Angola's Cabinda
> exclave to see if it produced another example, but it doesn't. But while
> I was on that map, I spotted Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia.
> Because this is of the same type as the group with Luxembourg, I think
> these are the two that Dan had in mind.

Actually the two I had in mind were centered on Luxembourg and Paraguay.
I forgot about the ones in Africa.

> Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe
>
> I suspect Dan's mention of "single-point adjacency" was intended to exclude
> the last one.

Yes.

Requiring exclaves and overseas territories to be colored the same as
the main country could result in more than 4 colors being required. If
you count the ocean as a territory with its own color, any group of 4
mutually adjacent countries where none are landlocked will result in 5
colors required. Of those mentioned in this thread, only

Russia, Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus

all have ocean shores. There is one other group of four countries plus
the ocean which become require 5 colors. Anyone know what those
countries are? (Hint: it involves overseas territories, not exclaves.)

--
Dan Tilque

Keeping Pluto dead has taken a lot of work.
-- Mike Brown "How I killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming"

== 10 of 13 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 3:24 pm
From: msb@vex.net (Mark Brader)

Dan Tilque:
> Yes, I was looking at this from the four-color theorem perspective. That
> is, situations where four colors are required to map the countries.
> Exclaves could conceivably be colored differently from the main country.
> I also last looked for these before Montenegro became independent, so
> that's probably why I missed the one centered on Bosnia.

I worked out in 2003 that the land areas of the world were then
4-colorable without having to cheat by "coloring exclaves differently".
The world's gained a few more countries since then, but I don't think
anything has changed to affect that conclusion.

> Requiring exclaves and overseas territories to be colored the same as
> the main country could result in more than 4 colors being required. If
> you count the ocean as a territory with its own color, any group of 4
> mutually adjacent countries where none are landlocked will result in 5
> colors required.

The usual mapping convention is that the ocean *and all lakes* are in
the same color, which obviously causes the world to require 5 colors
-- you only need to consider a group of 4 mutually adjacent countries
and their lakes.

> Of those mentioned in this thread, only
>
> Russia, Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus
>
> all have ocean shores. There is one other group of four countries plus
> the ocean which become require 5 colors. Anyone know what those
> countries are? (Hint: it involves overseas territories, not exclaves.)

I don't know. If the four countries aren't mutually adjacent, it would
seem to require either a landlocked country with overseas territories,
or else countries whose territories touch on two separate continents,
and I don't know an example of either.

Here's what I posted in 2003. This is consolidated from two postings
to alt.fan.cecil-adams; I got the Azerbaijan part wrong originally
and had to correct it, but here I'll just fold the correction in place.

...if you say that the lakes and oceans don't count, then none of
the actual countries with disconnected pieces causes a problem in
four-coloring, as far as I know. In every case one of the following
situations applies:

(1) The disconnected pieces are enclaves within a country that was
already adjacent to the main piece of the country (e.g. Campione
d'Italia, Italy, surrounded by Switzerland; Belgian enclaves
surrounded by the Netherlands), and don't touch any other
countries, so they don't affect coloring.

(2) The disconnected pieces are islands and don't touch any other
country (e.g. Hawaii, USA; Martinique, France; Canary Is., Spain).

(3) The disconnected pieces are on physically separate continents,
which can be colored independently. If there were two such
cases involving the same continents, that wouldn't work, but
there's only the one: French Guiana, France.

(4) The disconnected piece shares a coastline with the main piece
of the country (e.g. Kaliningrad oblast, Russia; Alaska, USA;
Cabinda, Angola; European Turkey; Ceuta, Spain). The coastline
doesn't touch any other country, so we can imagine a strip of
coast connecting the main and disconnected pieces being
transferred to the country that they're both part of -- or if
simpler, imagine a section of water between the two pieces
being treated as national territory.

Such a change eliminates the disconnected piece and makes the map
conform to the four-color theorem, and any coloring that would
work if was done happened will also work on the real-world map.
Of course this only works if these hypothetical transfers do not
intersect, but in fact none of them do.

(5) Azerbaijan doesn't meet any of these descriptions. But imagine
Russia, Turkey, and Georgia united into a single country,
and Armenia and Azerbaijan united into a single country.
This eliminates the disconnection and creates a 4-colorable world.

Now restore the actual borders. Russia and Turkey can keep the
same color, since they don't touch each other; and Georgia can
become the same color as Iran, which it doesn't touch. So now the
complete set of four other countries that touch Armenia and/or
Azerbaijan is using just two colors, so Armenia and Azerbaijan
can have the other two. QED.
--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "What Europe needs is a fresh, unused mind."
msb@vex.net | -- Foreign Correspondent

My text in this article is in the public domain.

== 11 of 13 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 6:17 pm
From: "Rob Parker"

> * Game 6, Round 9 - No Common Border
>
> 1. Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru.

Brazil & Ecuador

> 2. Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam.

Thailand & Vietnam

> 3. Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria.

Saudia Arabia & Syria

> 4. Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay.

Paraguay & Uruguay

> 5. Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden.

Norway & Russia; Sweden & Russia

> 6. Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland.

Czech Republic & Switzerland

> 7. Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont.

New York & Vermont; New York & New Hampshire

> 8. Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe.

Botswana & Mozambique; South Africa & Mozambique

> 9. Central African Republic, Chad, Libya, Sudan.

Libya & Sudan

> 10. Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota.

Iowa & Minnesota; Iowa & North Dakota

> * Game 6, Round 10 - Challenge Round from All Directions
>
> A2. We are currently approaching a "solar maximum", when the
> intensity of sunspots and solar magnetic activity will be
> highest, and in consequence, so will the Northern Lights.
> To the nearest whole year and within 1 year, how long does
> it take on average from one solar maximum to the next?

11 years

Magic Johnson ;-)

Patriarch

1600; 1750

Gene Autrey

Roy Rogers
(I was going to give him as the answer to D1, but I KNOW his horse was
Trigger)

> E1. The central railway station in Toronto is called Union
> Station. You may have heard of it. But that name also
> occurs in many other cities in North America. What does
> it mean?

Union of two or more rail lines

> F1. The category title refers to a slogan used for Visa
> credit cards. In Canada, what was Visa called before
> it was called Visa?

Bankcard

Barclay-card

Rob

== 12 of 13 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 6:28 pm
From: swp

On Wednesday, September 7, 2011 7:52:40 PM UTC-4, Mark Brader wrote:
> * Game 6, Round 9 - No Common Border
>
> 1. Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru.

brazil, ecuador

> 2. Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam.

vietnam, thailand

> 3. Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria.

syria, saudi arabia

> 4. Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay.

paraguay, uruguay

> 5. Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden.

sweden, russia

> 6. Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland.

czech republic, switzerland

> 7. Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont.

new hampshire, new york

> 8. Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe.

botswana, mozambique

> 9. Central African Republic, Chad, Libya, Sudan.

libya, central african republic

> 10. Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota.

iowa, north dakota

> * Game 6, Round 10 - Challenge Round from All Directions
>
> This is the Challenge Round from All Directions. The categories
> are: Northern Lights, Southern Cooking, Eastern Orthodox, Western
> Music, Central Station, and Everywhere You Want to Be.
>
> A. Northern Lights
>
> A1. The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, currently appear
> at latitudes farther south in Canada than in Scandinavia.
> Why?

light pollution in scandinavia

12 (I thought it ranged from 9-14 years though, not a constant)

> B. Southern Cooking
>
> B1. These questions are about chefs from New Orleans, and as
> usual we need their surnames. This chef is known for
> Cajun cooking; his restaurant takes its name from his late
> wife and his own first name, and his brand of seasonings
> is his "Magic Seasoning Blends". What's his name?

paul prudhomme?

emeril lagasse

patriarch

1050

> D. Western Music
>
> D1. During the last century, several people became famous for
> their movie roles as "singing cowboys". But one of them
> was *The* Singing Cowboy. He was a top box-office draw
> despite appearing mostly in B-movies, he wrote the song
> "Back in the Saddle Again" (which became his signature
> piece), and in later life he owned the Los Angeles Angels
> baseball team. Who was he?

gene autry

roy rogers (and yet they didn't mention the fast food chain)

> E. Central Station
>
> E1. The central railway station in Toronto is called Union
> Station. You may have heard of it. But that name also
> occurs in many other cities in North America. What does
> it mean?

where two or more railroads meet at a common point

> E2. What's the official name of Toronto's central bus station
> for Greyhound and other long-distance bus companies?

coach terminal??

> F. Everywhere You Want to Be
>
> F1. The category title refers to a slogan used for Visa
> credit cards. In Canada, what was Visa called before
> it was called Visa?

chargex

barclaycard

swp

== 13 of 13 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 7:05 pm
From: Jeffrey Turner

On 9/7/2011 7:52 PM, Mark Brader wrote:
>
>
> * Game 6, Round 9 - No Common Border
>
> For each question in this round we'll give you a list of four
> countries or US states. Only two in each list *are not* adjacent --
> that is, they *do not* have a common border -- and you must name
> those two. For example, if we'd included Canadian provinces as
> well, we might have said "New York, Ontario, Quebec, and Vermont".
> New York is adjacent to Ontario, Quebec, and Vermont; Quebec is
> adjacent to New York, Ontario, and Vermont; but Ontario and Vermont
> have no common border, so the answer would be Ontario and Vermont.
>
> All borders in the round are land borders.
>
> 1. Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru.

Brazil, Ecuador

> 2. Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam.

Vietnam, Thailand

> 3. Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria.

Saudi Arabia, Syria

> 4. Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay.

Paraguay, Argentina

> 5. Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden.

Norway, Russia

> 6. Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland.

Switzerland, Czech Republic

> 7. Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont.

New Hampshire, New York

> 8. Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe.

Botswana, Zimbabwe

> 9. Central African Republic, Chad, Libya, Sudan.

Libya, Central African Republic

> 10. Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota.

North Dakota, Iowa

Because the North Magnetic Pole is in/nearer to Canada, so the lines of
the Earth's magnetic field are lower further south there.

22 years.

Paul

> C. Eastern Orthodox
>
> C1. In the Eastern Orthodox or simply Orthodox Church, there
> is no person whose position directly compares to the
> Pope in Roman Catholicism. But there is one position
> that stands out as the leader for practical purposes
> if not on matters of faith. This position is currently
> held by Bartholomew I; what is his title?
>
> C2. Various dates are given for the schism between the
> Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, but one of
> the definitive events took place when Pope Leo IX
> and<answer C1> Cerularius excommunicated each other.
> Within 50 years, in what year did they do that?

400

Gene Autry

Roy Rogers

Where various train lines meet.

> E2. What's the official name of Toronto's central bus station
> for Greyhound and other long-distance bus companies?
>
> F. Everywhere You Want to Be
>
> F1. The category title refers to a slogan used for Visa
> credit cards. In Canada, what was Visa called before
> it was called Visa?
>
> F2. Same question for either the US or the UK. Give the name
> that was previously used for the Visa card in either
> country. Hint: each name is derived from the bank that
> first issued the card there.

Bank Americard

--Jeff

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Calvin's Quiz #163
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/1a890d6a373758e3?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 4 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 2:25 am
From: "David"

1 Which UK bank sponsors the English Premier League?

Barclays

3 Which Gilbert & Sullivan musical is set in a village in Cornwall?

The Pirates of Penzance

4 Which car manufacturer makes the Odyssey model?

Honda

5 Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli was better known as which
religious leader?

The Pope

6 Which computer company has the one-word slogan "Think"?

IBM

7 Comprising about 80% of production, what are the 2 main varieties of
Dutch cheese?

Edam and Gouda

8 What is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea?

Sicily

9 What is St Christopher the patron saint of?

Travellers

10 What is the medical name for the windpipe?

Trachea

== 2 of 4 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 11:22 am
From: "Peter Smyth"

"Calvin" wrote in message
news:op.v1gnn7ityr33d7@04233-jyhzp1s.staff.ad.bond.edu.au...
>
>
>
>1 Which UK bank sponsors the English Premier League?
Barclays
>2 Which renaissance figure was depicted in the novel & film 'The Agony and
>the Ecstasy'?
Leonardo da Vinci
>3 Which Gilbert & Sullivan musical is set in a village in Cornwall?
Pirates of Penzance (bit bigger than a village though)
>4 Which car manufacturer makes the Odyssey model?
>5 Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli was better known as which
>religious leader?
Pope Pius XII :-)
>6 Which computer company has the one-word slogan "Think"?
IBM
>7 Comprising about 80% of production, what are the 2 main varieties of
>Dutch cheese?
Edam & Gouda
>8 What is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea?
Sicily
>9 What is St Christopher the patron saint of?
>10 What is the medical name for the windpipe?
trachea

Peter Smyth

== 3 of 4 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 5:58 pm
From: "Rob Parker"

> 1 Which UK bank sponsors the English Premier League?

Barclays (?)

> 2 Which renaissance figure was depicted in the novel & film 'The Agony and
> the Ecstasy'?

Michaelangelo

> 3 Which Gilbert & Sullivan musical is set in a village in Cornwall?

Pirates of Penzance

> 4 Which car manufacturer makes the Odyssey model?

Honda

> 5 Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli was better known as which
> religious leader?

Pope John Paul I

> 6 Which computer company has the one-word slogan "Think"?

IBM (?)

> 7 Comprising about 80% of production, what are the 2 main varieties of
> Dutch cheese?

Edam & Gouda

> 8 What is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea?

Sicily

> 9 What is St Christopher the patron saint of?

Travellers

> 10 What is the medical name for the windpipe?

Trachea

Rob

== 4 of 4 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 7:20 pm
From: Jeffrey Turner

On 9/7/2011 7:03 PM, Calvin wrote:
>
>
> 1 Which UK bank sponsors the English Premier League?
> 2 Which renaissance figure was depicted in the novel & film 'The Agony
> and the Ecstasy'?
Thomas More
> 3 Which Gilbert & Sullivan musical is set in a village in Cornwall?
HMS Pinafore
> 4 Which car manufacturer makes the Odyssey model?
Honda
> 5 Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli was better known as which
> religious leader?
> 6 Which computer company has the one-word slogan "Think"?
IBM
> 7 Comprising about 80% of production, what are the 2 main varieties of
> Dutch cheese?
Edam,
> 8 What is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea?
Sicily
> 9 What is St Christopher the patron saint of?
Travelers
> 10 What is the medical name for the windpipe?
Trachea

--Jeff

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Rare Entries Contest MSB72: 2nd reminder
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/e1c0881c0d67dba9?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 8 2011 4:54 am
From: msb@vex.net (Mark Brader)

This is a second reminder of the current Rare Entries contest. If the
level of participation is not satisfactory, it will be the last in
the MSB series. Please consider entering even if you don't think
you have good answers for all the questions.

As always, reply ONLY BY EMAIL to msb@vex.net; do not post to
any newsgroup. Entries must reach here by Saturday, September
17, 2011 (by Toronto time, zone -4). I intend to post one more
reminder before then (that's one more than I originally said, but
I accidentally made the contest period longer than I intended to).
Everything below this point is the same as in the original contest
announcement. See below the questions for a detailed explanation,
which is unchanged from last time.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

0. Name something or someone that Google has commemorated
with a "Google Doodle" or "Google Holiday Logo" in 2011.
(See rule 4.4.)

1. Name a moon (natural satellite) of Mars.

2. Name a language whose English name obviously refers to
a specific country now existing, and which is the primary
language used in a different country. *NOTE*: For this and
the following question, the usual rule 4.1.1 does *not* apply,
so that "country" is not limited to independent countries
but may be used with any sensible meaning. (However, the
two countries must not share any part of their territory.)

3. Give a name (formal or informal, but not a nickname or
abbreviation) that is regularly used in English to identify
a present-day country whose largest city (metropolitan area)
is London. Again, rule 4.1.1 does not apply.

For example, if I had said "New York" instead of "London",
correct answers would include "United States" and "America",
but not "Stateside" or "USA".

4. Name a word that is a preposition and is 2 letters long.
Both letters must occur in the English alphabet.

5. Name a unit of pressure. You must be able, if asked, to cite
3 unrelated web pages where this unit of pressure is actually
used (rather than defined -- for example, they might be giving
a measurement, estimate, specification, or forecast).

6. Name a person who was President of the US and made at least
some attempt to run for an additional term of office that
would not have been allowed if the 22nd Amendment had been
part of the Constitution from the outset. In effect this
means he was president for 6 years or more and made at least
some attempt to run for an additional 4-year term.

7. Name a country existing in 1926, that in 1906 either did not
exist or was smaller in area (not counting dependencies).
That is, between those two years it was either created,
re-created, or enlarged. This time rule 4.1.1 *does* apply,
both in regard to what is a country and to whether two
countries existing at different times are the same country.

8. Name a medium in which a version of "The Hitchhiker's Guide
to the Galaxy" (written originally by Douglas Adams) has been
produced and commercially distributed.

9. In some sports completing a specific task scores, all at once,
a certain number of points that is given specifically in the
rules of the sport. Give such a number that occurs in the
scoring of some sport. *NOTE*: You must also name the sport,
but it will *not* be taken as part of the answer.

For example, if darts was considered a sport, then you might
answer "25 (darts)", in reference to the score for hitting
the outer ring of the bullseye; but this would be counted
equivalently to a correct answer of 25 in conjunction with
any other sport. But even if duplicate bridge was considered
a sport, the 22 matchpoints that you might score (in North
American scoring) by beating the pairs at 22 other tables
would still not make "22 (duplicate bridge)" a correct answer,
because the 22 is merely a count of pairs beaten, and not a
number specified in the rules.

For purposes of this question "sport" does not include
competitions based only on mental skill and/or dexterity with
the hands and arms, such as card games, pool games, or darts.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

* 1. The Game

As usual, for each of the questions above, your objective is to give
an answer that (1) is correct, and (2) will be duplicated by as FEW
other people as possible. Feel free to use any reference material
you like to RESEARCH your answers; but when you have found enough
possible answers for your liking, you are expected to choose on your
own which one to submit, WITHOUT mechanical or computer assistance:
this is meant to be a game of wits.

* 2. Scoring

The scores on the different questions are MULTIPLIED to produce a
final score for each entrant. Low score wins; a perfect score is 1.

If your answer on a category is correct, then your score is the number
of people who gave that answer, or an answer I consider equivalent.

A wrong answer, or a skipped question, gets a high score as a penalty.
This is the median of:
- the number of entrants
- the square root of that number, rounded up to an integer
- double the highest score that anyone would have on this
question if all answers were deemed correct

* 2.1 Scoring Example

Say I ask for a color on the current Canadian flag. There are
26 entrants -- 20 say "red", 4 say "blue", and 1 each say "gules",
"white", and "blue square". After looking up gules I decide it's
the same color as red and should be treated as a duplicate answer;
then the 21 people who said either "red" or "gules" get 21 points
each. The person who said "white" gets a perfect score of 1 point.

"Blue square" is not a color and blue is not a color on the flag;
the 5 people who gave either of these answers each get the same
penalty score, which is the median of:
- number of entrants = 27
- sqrt(27) = 5.196+, rounded up = 6
- double the highest score = 21 x 2 = 42
or in this case, 27.

* 2.2 More Specific Variants

On some questions it's possible that one entrant will give an answer
that's a more specific variant of an answer given by someone else.
In that case the more specific variant will usually be scored as if
the two answers are different, but the other, less specific variant
will be scored as if they are the same.

In the above example, if I had decided (wrongly) to score gules as
a more specific variant of red, then "red" would still score 21,
but "gules" would now score 1.

If a wrong answer is clearly associated with a specific right
answer, I will score the right answer as if the wrong answer was a
more specific variant of it. In the above example, if there were
3 additional entrants who said "white square", then "white square"
would be scored as wrong, but the score for "white" would be 4, not 1.

"More specific" scoring will NOT apply if the question asks for an
answer "in general terms"; a more specific answer will then at best be
treated the same as the more general one, and may be considered wrong.

* 3. Entries

Entries must be emailed to the address given above. Please do not
quote the questions back to me, and do send only plain text in ASCII
or ISO 8859-1: no HTML, attachments, Micros--t character sets, etc.,
and no Unicode, please. (Entrants who fail to comply will be publicly
chastised in the results posting.)

Your message should preferably consist of just your 10 answers,
numbered from 0 to 9, along with any explanations required. Your
name should be in it somewhere -- a From: line or signature is fine.
(If I don't see both a first and a last name, or an explicit request
for a particular form of your name to be used, then your email address
will be posted in the results).

You can expect an acknowledgement when I read your entry. If this
bounces, it won't be sent again.

* 3.1 Where Leeway is Allowed

In general there is no penalty for errors of spelling, capitalization,
English usage, or other such matters of form, nor for accidentally
sending email in an unfinished state, so long as it's clear enough
what you intended. Sometimes a specific question may imply stricter
rules, though. And if you give an answer that properly refers to a
different thing related to the one you intended, I will normally take
it as written.

Once you intentionally submit an answer, no changes will be allowed,
unless I decide there was a problem with the question. Similarly,
alternate answers within an entry will not be accepted. Only the
first answer that you intentionally submit counts.

* 3.2 Clarifications

Questions are not intended to be hard to understand, but I may fail
in this intent. (For one thing, in many cases clarity could only be
provided by an example which would suggest one or another specific
answer, and I mustn't do that.)

In order to be fair to all entrants, I must insist that requests for
clarification must be emailed to me, NOT POSTED in any newsgroup.
But if you do ask for clarification, I'll probably say that the
question is clear enough as posted. If I do decide to clarify or
change a question, all entrants will be informed.

* 3.3 Supporting Information

It is your option whether or not to provide supporting information
to justify your answers. If you don't, I'll email you to ask for
it if I need to. If you supply it in the form of a URL, if at all
possible it should be a "deep link" to the specific relevant page.
There is no need to supply URLs for obvious, well-known reference
web sites, and there is no point in supplying URLs for pages that
don't actually support your answer.

If you provide any explanatory remarks along with your answers, you
are responsible for making it sufficiently clear that they are not
part of the answers. The particular format doesn't matter as long
as you're clear. In the scoring example above, "white square" was
wrong; "white (in the central square)" would have been taken as a
correct answer with an explanation.

* 4. Interpretation of questions

These are general rules that apply unless a question specifically
states otherwise.

* 4.1 Geography
* 4.1.1 Countries

"Country" means an independent country. Whether or not a place is
considered an independent country is determined by how it is listed
in reference sources.

For purposes of these contests, the Earth is considered to be divid-
ed into disjoint areas each of which is either (1) a country, (2) a
dependency, or (3) without national government. Their boundaries
are interpreted on a de facto basis. Any place with representatives
in a country's legislature is considered a part of that country rather
than a dependency of it.

The European Union is considered as an association of countries, not
a country itself.

Claims that are not enforced, or not generally recognized, don't count.
Places currently fighting a war of secession don't count. Embassies
don't count as special; they may have extraterritorial rights, but
they're still part of the host country (and city).

Countries existing at different historical times are normally
considered the same country if they have the same capital city.

* 4.1.2 States or provinces

Many countries or dependencies are divided into subsidiary political
entities, typically with their own subsidiary governments. At the
first level of division, these entities are most commonly called
states or provinces, but various other names are used; sometimes
varying even within the same country (e.g. to indicate unequal
political status).

Any reference to "states or provinces" in a question refers to
these entities at the first level of division, no matter what they
are called.

* 4.1.3 Distances

Distances between places on the Earth are measured along a great
circle path, and distance involving cities are based on the city
center (downtown).

* 4.2 Entertainment

A "movie" does not include any form of TV broadcast or video release;
it must have been shown in cinemas. "Oscar" and "Academy Award" are
AMPAS trademarks and refer to the awards given by that organization.
"Fiction" includes dramatizations of true stories.

* 4.3 Words and Numbers
* 4.3.1 Different Answers

Some questions specifically ask for a *word*, rather than the thing
that it names; this means that different words with the same meaning
will in general be treated as distinct answers. However, if two or
more inflectional variants, spelling variants, or other closely
related forms are correct answers, they will be treated as equivalent.

Similarly, if the question specifically asks for a name, different
things referred to by the same name will be treated as the same.

* 4.3.2 Permitted Words

The word that you give must be listed (or implied by a listing,
as with inflected forms) in a suitable dictionary. Generally
this means a printed dictionary published recently enough
to show reasonably current usage, or its online equivalent.
Other reasonably authoritative sources may be accepted on a
case-by-case basis. Words listed as obsolete or archaic usage
don't count, and sources that would list those words without
distinguishing them are not acceptable as dictionaries.

* 4.3.3 Permitted Numbers

Where the distinction is important, "number" refers to a specific
mathematical value, whereas "numeral" means a way of writing it.
Thus "4", "IV", and "four" are three different numerals representing
the same number. "Digit" means one of the characters "0", "1", "2",
etc. (These definitions represent one of several conflicting common
usages.)

* 4.3.4 "Contained in"

If a question asks for a word or numeral "contained" or "included"
in a phrase, title, or the like, this does not include substrings or
alternate meanings of words, unless explictly specified. For example,
if "Canada in 1967" is the title of a book, it contains the numeral
1967 and the preposition "in"; but it does not contain the word "an",
the adjective "in", or the numeral 96.

* 4.4 Tense and Time

When a question is worded in the present tense, the correctness of
your answer is determined by the facts at the moment you submit it.
(In a case where, in my judgement, people might reasonably be unaware
of the facts having changed, an out-of-date answer may be accepted as
correct.) Questions worded in the present perfect tense include the
present unless something states or implies otherwise. (For example,
Canada is a country that "has existed", as well as one that "exists".)
Different verbs in a sentence bear their usual tense relationship to
each other.

You are not allowed to change the facts yourself in order to make an
answer correct. For example, if a question asks for material on the
WWW, what you cite must already have existed before the contest was
first posted.

* 5. Judging

As moderator, I will be the sole judge of what answers are correct,
and whether two answers with similar meaning (like red and gules)
are considered the same, different, or more/less specific variants.

I will do my best to be fair on all such issues, but sometimes it is
necessary to be arbitrary. Those who disagree with my rulings are
welcome to complain (or to start a competing contest, or whatever).

I may rescore the contest if I agree that I made a serious error and
it affects the high finishers.

* 6. Results

Results will normally be posted within a few days of the contest
closing. They may be delayed if I'm unexpectedly busy or for
technical reasons. If I feel I need help evaluating one or more
answers, I may make a consultative posting in the newsgroups before
scoring the contest.

In the results posting, all entrants will be listed in order of score,
but high (bad) scores may be omitted. The top few entrants' full
answer slates will be posted. A table of answers and their scores
will be given for each question.

* 7. Fun

This contest is for fun. Please do have fun, and good luck to all.
--
Mark Brader | "If you're incompetent, you can't know you're incompetent...
Toronto | the skills you need to produce a right answer are exactly
msb@vex.net | the skills you need to recognize what a right answer is."
--David Dunning
My text in this article is in the public domain.

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Curiosity in the world

Thursday, September 08, 2011

rec.games.trivia - 25 new messages in 4 topics - digest

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