Monday, November 28, 2011

rec.games.trivia - 21 new messages in 7 topics - digest

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

rec.games.trivia@googlegroups.com

Today's topics:

* Toughest Puzzle/Riddles Solutions - 1 messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/58756e6d8b9e7261?hl=en
* QFTCI11 Final Round 6: Arts & Literature - 3 messages, 3 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/f834d19694a0925a?hl=en
* Rotating Quiz #40 - 2 messages, 2 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/151bc006ce398945?hl=en
* Calvin's Quiz #180 - ANSWERS & SCORES - REPOST - 2 messages, 2 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/737f18455c546357?hl=en
* QFTCI11 Final Round 7: Geography - 7 messages, 6 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/c79040610deb944b?hl=en
* Calvin's Quiz #181 - repost - 5 messages, 5 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/4d961ec9158d8598?hl=en
* Rare Entries contest MSB73 begins - 1 messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/d540ba92c863f9b1?hl=en

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Toughest Puzzle/Riddles Solutions
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/58756e6d8b9e7261?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sat, Nov 26 2011 3:51 am
From: divya bisht


Hi

Toughest Puzzle/Riddles Solutions :

Toughest Puzzle of The Week Solution :
http://hardest-puzzle.blogspot.com/2011/11/toughest-picture-question.html

Toughest Riddle of The Week Solution
http://hardest-riddles.blogspot.com/2011/11/toughest-trick-teaser-question.html

Follow us on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Weekly-Hardest-Puzzle/277415275612476

==============================================================================
TOPIC: QFTCI11 Final Round 6: Arts & Literature
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/f834d19694a0925a?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 6:47 am
From: swp


On Thursday, November 24, 2011 8:09:38 PM UTC-5, Mark Brader wrote:
> * Final, Round 6 - Arts & Literature
>
> A. Russian Literature Recycled
>
> In all cases, give the titles in English.
>
> A1. Which verse novel by Pushkin is better known as an opera
> composed by Tchaikovsky? It has also been the basis
> of a ballet, performed by the National Ballet of Canada
> last year.

eugene onegin

> A2. Tchaikovsky found inspiration for another opera in the
> works of Pushkin, this one being based on a haunting
> tale of gambling madness. What is it?

the queen of spades

> A3. One of Stravinsky's early successes was a ballet score
> based on what magical figure from Russian folklore?

firebird

>
> B. Mystery Series with Title Themes
>
> B1. This series of hard boiled mysteries reached 21 novels
> before the author's death, each of them with a color
> in the title. The first was "The Deep Blue Good-By"
> and the last was "The Lonely Silver Rain". Name the
> author or the lead character, who describes himself as a
> "salvage consultant".

author was john macdonald

> B2. This mystery series -- set about 50 years in the future --
> includes 32 novels whose title is a single word followed
> by "in Death", as well as a few other works. The first
> was "Naked in Death" and the latest is "Treachery
> in Death". Name the author or either of the two lead
> characters: the cop or the billionaire.

author was j. d. robb

> B3. This author has two different series of mystery novels.
> Both take place in the present day. One series features
> an artificial intelligence, in other words a self-aware
> computer program, that solves crimes; there are 4 of
> these books. The other series is up to 12 books so far.
> These are humorous mysteries whose lead character is a
> female modern-day blacksmith, and all of the titles in
> this series have birds in them: the first was "Murder
> with Peacocks" and the latest is "Stork Raving Mad".
> Name the author or the lead character of either series.

author is donna andrews

>
> C. Nobel Prize Winners
>
> The Nobel Prize for Literature is awarded to writers who use
> many different languages. This triple, however, is about
> English-speaking winners. In each case, name the writer.
>
> C1. The most recent English-speaking winner of the prize
> was in 2007. She was born in Persia in 1919 and her
> books have included "The Grass Is Singing", "The Good
> Terrorist", and the "Canopus in Argos" series.

doris lessing

> C2. In 1976 the prize was won by a Canadian-born writer
> who lived 1915-2005. His works included "The Adventures
> of Augie March", "Humboldt's Gift", and "Seize the Day".

saul bellow

> C3. In 2005 the prize was won by a playwright who lived
> 1930-2008. He was born in England and his works
> included "The Birthday Party", "The Caretaker", and
> "The Homecoming".

harold pinter

>
> D. Literary Fakes
>
> D1. Which novel by Jerzy Kosinski depicted what he initially
> claimed was a literary recounting of his own childhood
> as a fugitive in Poland during the Nazi occupation?
> The book was the subject of a major controversy when it
> was published in Poland, 23 years after its American
> publication, and the Polish couple who had sheltered
> him during the war came forward to dispute his story.

the painted bird

> D2. "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey was a selection
> of Oprah's book club until she discovered that the author
> had exaggerated or in some cases fabricated the details
> of this memoir. He and his publisher were unwise enough
> to appear again on her show to be publicly chastised
> for their deception. What was the focus of Frey's story?

alcohol/drug rehab

> D3. Whose fake autobiography, written by Clifford Irving
> rather than its subject, was published by McGraw-Hill
> in 1972?

howard hughes

>
> E. Gilbert & Sullivan Subtitles
>
> Most of the Gilbert and Sullivan plays had subtitles, or alternate
> titles if you prefer, beginning with the word "or". Here are
> three of these: in each case, name the main title.
>
> E1. "Or, The Slave of Duty".

pirates of penzance (I remember telling a joke about this title, sort of, some time ago...)

> E2. "Or, The Lass that Loved a Sailor".

hms pinafore

> E3. "Or, The Town of Titipu".

the mikado

swp


== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 4:15 pm
From: Calvin <334152@gmail.com>


On Nov 25, 11:09 am, m...@vex.net (Mark Brader) wrote:
>
> * Final, Round 6 - Arts & Literature
>
> A. Russian Literature Recycled
>
> In all cases, give the titles in English.
>
>    A1. Which verse novel by Pushkin is better known as an opera
>        composed by Tchaikovsky?  It has also been the basis
>        of a ballet, performed by the National Ballet of Canada
>        last year.

Swan Lake, The Nutcracker Suite

>    A2. Tchaikovsky found inspiration for another opera in the
>        works of Pushkin, this one being based on a haunting
>        tale of gambling madness.  What is it?
>
>    A3. One of Stravinsky's early successes was a ballet score
>        based on what magical figure from Russian folklore?

Rasputin?

> B. Mystery Series with Title Themes
>
>    B1. This series of hardboiled mysteries reached 21 novels
>        before the author's death, each of them with a color
>        in the title.  The first was "The Deep Blue Good-By"
>        and the last was "The Lonely Silver Rain".  Name the
>        author or the lead character, who describes himself as a
>        "salvage consultant".
>
>    B2. This mystery series -- set about 50 years in the future --
>        includes 32 novels whose title is a single word followed
>        by "in Death", as well as a few other works.  The first
>        was "Naked in Death" and the latest is "Treachery
>        in Death".  Name the author or either of the two lead
>        characters: the cop or the billionaire.
>
>    B3. This author has two different series of mystery novels.
>        Both take place in the present day.  One series features
>        an artificial intelligence, in other words a self-aware
>        computer program, that solves crimes; there are 4 of
>        these books.  The other series is up to 12 books so far.
>        These are humorous mysteries whose lead character is a
>        female modern-day blacksmith, and all of the titles in
>        this series have birds in them: the first was "Murder
>        with Peacocks" and the latest is "Stork Raving Mad".
>        Name the author or the lead character of either series.
>
> C. Nobel Prize Winners
>
> The Nobel Prize for Literature is awarded to writers who use
> many different languages.  This triple, however, is about
> English-speaking winners.  In each case, name the writer.
>
>    C1. The most recent English-speaking winner of the prize
>        was in 2007.  She was born in Persia in 1919 and her
>        books have included "The Grass Is Singing", "The Good
>        Terrorist", and the "Canopus in Argos" series.
>
>    C2. In 1976 the prize was won by a Canadian-born writer
>        who lived 1915-2005.  His works included "The Adventures
>        of Augie March", "Humboldt's Gift", and "Seize the Day".
>
>    C3. In 2005 the prize was won by a playwright who lived
>        1930-2008.  He was born in England and his works
>        included "The Birthday Party", "The Caretaker", and
>        "The Homecoming".

Harold Pinter


> D. Literary Fakes
>
>    D1. Which novel by Jerzy Kosinski depicted what he initially
>        claimed was a literary recounting of his own childhood
>        as a fugitive in Poland during the Nazi occupation?
>        The book was the subject of a major controversy when it
>        was published in Poland, 23 years after its American
>        publication, and the Polish couple who had sheltered
>        him during the war came forward to dispute his story.
>
>    D2. "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey was a selection
>        of Oprah's book club until she discovered that the author
>        had exaggerated or in some cases fabricated the details
>        of this memoir.  He and his publisher were unwise enough
>        to appear again on her show to be publicly chastised
>        for their deception.  What was the focus of Frey's story?
>
>    D3. Whose fake autobiography, written by Clifford Irving
>        rather than its subject, was published by McGraw-Hill
>        in 1972?
>
> E. Gilbert & Sullivan Subtitles
>
> Most of the Gilbert and Sullivan plays had subtitles, or alternate
> titles if you prefer, beginning with the word "or".  Here are
> three of these: in each case, name the main title.
>
>    E1. "Or, The Slave of Duty".

The Sorcerer, Iolanthe

>    E2. "Or, The Lass that Loved a Sailor".

HMS Pinafore

>    E3. "Or, The Town of Titipu".

The Mikado

cheers,
calvin


== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 5:25 pm
From: msb@vex.net (Mark Brader)


Mark Brader:
> These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2011-04-04,
> and should be interpreted accordingly... For further information
> see my 2011-09-22 companion posting on "Questions from the
> Canadian Inquisition (QFTCI11, QFTCIMM)".

> I wrote 2 triples in this round.

Those were B and C.


> * Final, Round 6 - Arts & Literature

> A. Russian Literature Recycled

> In all cases, give the titles in English.

> A1. Which verse novel by Pushkin is better known as an opera
> composed by Tchaikovsky? It has also been the basis
> of a ballet, performed by the National Ballet of Canada
> last year.

"Eugene Onegin". 4 for Joshua and Stephen.

> A2. Tchaikovsky found inspiration for another opera in the
> works of Pushkin, this one being based on a haunting
> tale of gambling madness. What is it?

"The Queen of Spades". 4 for Stephen.

> A3. One of Stravinsky's early successes was a ballet score
> based on what magical figure from Russian folklore?

"The Firebird". 4 for Joshua and Stephen.


> B. Mystery Series with Title Themes

> B1. This series of hardboiled mysteries reached 21 novels
> before the author's death, each of them with a color
> in the title. The first was "The Deep Blue Good-By"
> and the last was "The Lonely Silver Rain". Name the
> author or the lead character, who describes himself as a
> "salvage consultant".

John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee. 4 for Joshua and Stephen.

> B2. This mystery series -- set about 50 years in the future --
> includes 32 novels whose title is a single word followed
> by "in Death", as well as a few other works. The first
> was "Naked in Death" and the latest is "Treachery
> in Death". Name the author or either of the two lead
> characters: the cop or the billionaire.

J.D. Robb (a.k.a. Nora Roberts); Eve Dallas, Roarke. 4 for Stephen.

> B3. This author has two different series of mystery novels.
> Both take place in the present day. One series features
> an artificial intelligence, in other words a self-aware
> computer program, that solves crimes; there are 4 of
> these books. The other series is up to 12 books so far.
> These are humorous mysteries whose lead character is a
> female modern-day blacksmith, and all of the titles in
> this series have birds in them: the first was "Murder
> with Peacocks" and the latest is "Stork Raving Mad".
> Name the author or the lead character of either series.

Donna Andrews; Turing Hopper, Meg Langslow. 4 for Stephen.

I put this question in because I wanted to give the Meg Langslow
series a plug. I've read the first 8 so far and I think they're
hilarious. There is now a 13th book in the series, "The Real Macaw".


> C. Nobel Prize Winners

> The Nobel Prize for Literature is awarded to writers who use
> many different languages. This triple, however, is about
> English-speaking winners. In each case, name the writer.

> C1. The most recent English-speaking winner of the prize
> was in 2007. She was born in Persia in 1919 and her
> books have included "The Grass Is Singing", "The Good
> Terrorist", and the "Canopus in Argos" series.

Doris Lessing. 4 for Joshua, Erland, and Stephen.

> C2. In 1976 the prize was won by a Canadian-born writer
> who lived 1915-2005. His works included "The Adventures
> of Augie March", "Humboldt's Gift", and "Seize the Day".

Saul Bellow. 4 for Joshua, Marc, and Stephen.

> C3. In 2005 the prize was won by a playwright who lived
> 1930-2008. He was born in England and his works
> included "The Birthday Party", "The Caretaker", and
> "The Homecoming".

Harold Pinter. 4 for everyone -- Joshua, Marc, Erland, Stephen,
and Calvin.


> D. Literary Fakes

> D1. Which novel by Jerzy Kosinski depicted what he initially
> claimed was a literary recounting of his own childhood
> as a fugitive in Poland during the Nazi occupation?
> The book was the subject of a major controversy when it
> was published in Poland, 23 years after its American
> publication, and the Polish couple who had sheltered
> him during the war came forward to dispute his story.

"The Painted Bird". 4 for Stephen.

> D2. "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey was a selection
> of Oprah's book club until she discovered that the author
> had exaggerated or in some cases fabricated the details
> of this memoir. He and his publisher were unwise enough
> to appear again on her show to be publicly chastised
> for their deception. What was the focus of Frey's story?

His battle with drug/alcohol addiction. 4 for Joshua, Marc,
and Stephen.

> D3. Whose fake autobiography, written by Clifford Irving
> rather than its subject, was published by McGraw-Hill
> in 1972?

Howard Hughes. 4 for Joshua, Marc, and Stephen.


> E. Gilbert & Sullivan Subtitles

> Most of the Gilbert and Sullivan plays had subtitles, or alternate
> titles if you prefer, beginning with the word "or". Here are
> three of these: in each case, name the main title.

> E1. "Or, The Slave of Duty".

"The Pirates of Penzance". 4 for Stephen.

> E2. "Or, The Lass that Loved a Sailor".

"H.M.S. Pinafore". 4 for Stephen and Calvin. 2 for Joshua.

> E3. "Or, The Town of Titipu".

"The Mikado". 4 for Joshua, Marc, Stephen, and Calvin.


Scores, if there are no errors:

ROUNDS-> 2 3 4 6 TOTALS
TOPICS-> Sci His Spo Lit
Joshua Kreitzer 43 46 50 38 177
Marc Dashevsky 44 16 36 20 116
Dan Blum 51 33 30 -- 114
Dan Tilque 47 36 28 -- 111
Pete Gayde 28 28 43 -- 99
Peter Smyth 43 21 23 -- 87
Stan Brown 39 38 -- -- 77
Rob Parker 56 18 -- -- 74
Jeff Turner 42 -- 28 -- 70
Stephen Perry -- -- -- 60 60
Erland Sommarskog 27 20 4 8 59
"Calvin" 31 15 -- 12 58
Joachim Parsch 32 -- 8 -- 40

--
Mark Brader | "In my youth", said the sage, as he shook his grey locks,
Toronto | "I kept all my verbs very supple
msb@vex.net | By the use of these smileys -- one shilling a box --
| Allow me to sell you a couple?" --John Dean (after Carroll)

My text in this article is in the public domain.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Rotating Quiz #40
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/151bc006ce398945?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 4:01 pm
From: Calvin <334152@gmail.com>

Sorry for the delay. I've been away for a few days and posted the
results before I left, but my posting issue seems to have recurred so
I'm back to Google Groups. The really annoying part is that it isn't
evident there is a problem until I realise that no-one is replying to
my posts.


On Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:38:07 +1000, Calvin <calvin@phlegm.com> wrote:

Part 1: What is the time?

Apologies to anyone who had trouble reading this, especially the
Cyrillic script. I should have made a PDF and uploaded that somewhere.

1 Wat is de tijd

Dutch
11/11

2 Какво е времето

Bulgarian
0/11

3 Co je to čas

Czech
2/11

4 Vad är på gång

Swedish (a loose translation apparently:-)
6/11

5 O que é o tempo

Portuguese
6/11


Part 2: Do you expect me to talk?

From the foreign language translation, supply the title of a James
Bond film.

6 L'homme avec le pistolet d'or

The Man with the Golden Gun
10/11

7 Orbis non sufficit

The World is Not Enough
8/11
Also the Bond family motto

8 Una vista a uccidere il

A View to a Kill
11/11
I thought this was the hardest one yet everyone got it

9 Der Spion der mich liebte

The Spy Who Loved Me
7/11

10 Digitus aurum

Goldfinger, of course
11/11


Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Q7 Q8 Q9 Q10 TOTAL RQ 40
- - - - - - - - - - --- ----------
1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 8 Dan Tilque
1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 Stan Brown
1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 Chris Johnson
1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 7 Marc Dashevsky
1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 Mark Brader
1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 7 Rob Parker
1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 6 Erland S
1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 6 Joachim Parsch
1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 6 Peter Smythe
1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 5 Jeffrey Turner
1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 5 Pete Gayde
- - - - - - - - - - --- ----------
11 0 2 6 6 10 8 11 7 11 72 65%


It was remiss of me now to have a tie-break question. Congratulations
Dan and Stan- whoever gets in first can set RQ41. Thanks for playing.

--
cheers,
calvin

cheers,
calvin

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 8:45 pm
From: Dan Tilque


Calvin wrote:

>
>
> It was remiss of me now to have a tie-break question. Congratulations
> Dan and Stan- whoever gets in first can set RQ41. Thanks for playing.

I just did Rotating Quiz #39, so Stan can have the privilege of doing
the next one. As far as I can tell, he's never done one, so it's time he
contributed.

--
Dan Tilque

"I can't believe this. Trapped in Ryoval's basement with a sex-starved
teenage werewolf. There was nothing about this in any of my Imperial
Academy training manuals..."
-- "Labyrinth", Lois McMaster Bujold

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Calvin's Quiz #180 - ANSWERS & SCORES - REPOST
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/737f18455c546357?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 4:55 pm
From: Calvin


On Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:58:20 +1000, Calvin <calvin@phlegm.com> wrote:

Can someone reply so I know this was posted successfully?


1 Which Australian-born Irishman is the only performer to have twice won
the Eurovision Song Contest?

Johnny Logan
3/10

2 Which country has owned Easter Island since 1888?

Chile
8/10

3 Who starred opposite Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge!?

Ewan McGregor
2/10

4 Rum, pineapple juice and coconut milk make up which cocktail?

Pina Colada
7/10

5 What was Elvis Presley's middle name?

Aron / Aaron
7/10

6 Mascarpone is a variety of which type of food?

Cheese
8/10

7 Daniel Johns was the lead singer of which Australian band?

Silverchair
0/10

8 Who played the title role in the 1974 movie Young Frankenstein?

Gene Wilder
7/10

9 What part of the body is affected by an aneurysm?

Blood vessel or similar
6/10

10 On average, who lives longer – married men or bachelors?

Married men!
7/10


Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Q7 Q8 Q9 Q10 TOTAL Quiz 180
- - - - - - - - - - --- ----------
0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 7 Bruce Bowler
1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 7 Joachim Parsch
0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 7 Russ
1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 6 Erland S
1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 6 Peter Smyth
0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 5 Marc Dashevsky
0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 5 Pete Gayde
0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 4 Dan Tilque
0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 4 David Brown
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 4 Mark Brader
- - - - - - - - - - --- ----------
3 8 2 7 7 8 0 7 6 7 55 55%


--
cheers,
calvin


== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 8:16 pm
From: swp


On Sunday, November 27, 2011 7:55:50 PM UTC-5, Calvin wrote:
> On Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:58:20 +1000, Calvin <cal...@phlegm.com> wrote:
>
> Can someone reply so I know this was posted successfully?

'reply'

swp

==============================================================================
TOPIC: QFTCI11 Final Round 7: Geography
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/c79040610deb944b?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 7 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 5:27 pm
From: msb@vex.net (Mark Brader)


These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2011-04-04,
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 2011-09-22 companion posting on "Questions from the Canadian
Inquisition (QFTCI11, QFTCIMM)".

I wrote 4 triples in this round.


* Final, Round 7 - Geography

A. Country Subdivisions

A1. In the US they have states, in Canada provinces. What is
the term for one of the corresponding units in Germany?
Answer in German.

A2. What is the name for one of the units that Switzerland is
divided into? More or less the same word is used in
English, French, and German.

A3. Russia is divided into several kinds of units, but we
want the term for the most numerous kind -- there are
more than 40 of them. For example, the Kaliningrad
exclave is one of these. The Russian word for them is
also used in English: what is it?


B. Airports

In each case we're asking for the major city served by the airport.
For example, Toronto, not Mississauga.

B1. What city is served by Toussaint Louverture International
Airport?

B2. What city is served by Jomo Kenyatta International
Airport?

B3. What city is served by an airport named for Frédéric
Chopin?


C. Trains

C1. You would find the Canadian Pacific in Canada. In what
country would you find the Indian Pacific?

C2. TGV ("tay-zhay-vay") stands for the French words "Train
à Grande Vitesse", and you would mostly find these
trains in France. The ICE ("I-C-E") is a similarly
fast train whose initials stand for the English words
"Inter-City Express". In what country would you mostly
find ICE trains?

C3. In what country would you find the Shinkansen?


D. Seas

D1. Just south of Istanbul, forming part of the water
boundary between the European and Asiatic parts of Turkey,
is what sea about the size of Connecticut or Lebanon?

D2. What large sea is a part of the Indian Ocean lying west
of India and is about the same size as India?

D3. This triangular sea forms a bay on the north side of the
Black Sea. It is bounded on the west and south by
Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula, and on the east
by Russia, with the city of Rostov-on-Don at its head.
It's about the size of Switzerland, or somewhat larger
than Maryland. Name it.


E. US Mountains

For each question we will name a range or area of mountains that
is located entirely in one US state, or nearly so, and you must
name that state.

E1. The Catskills.
E2. The Poconos.
E3. The Green Mountains.

--
Mark Brader, Toronto "As always, breakfast recapitulated
msb@vex.net phylogeny." -- Spider Robinson

My text in this article is in the public domain.


== 2 of 7 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 5:44 pm
From: Joshua Kreitzer


On Nov 27, 7:27 pm, m...@vex.net (Mark Brader) wrote:
>
> * Final, Round 7 - Geography
>
> A. Country Subdivisions
>
>    A1. In the US they have states, in Canada provinces.  What is
>        the term for one of the corresponding units in Germany?
>        Answer in German.

Land

>    A2. What is the name for one of the units that Switzerland is
>        divided into?  More or less the same word is used in
>        English, French, and German.

canton

>    A3. Russia is divided into several kinds of units, but we
>        want the term for the most numerous kind -- there are
>        more than 40 of them.  For example, the Kaliningrad
>        exclave is one of these.  The Russian word for them is
>        also used in English: what is it?

oblast

> B. Airports
>
> In each case we're asking for the major city served by the airport.
> For example, Toronto, not Mississauga.
>
>    B1. What city is served by Toussaint Louverture International
>        Airport?

Port-au-Prince

>    B2. What city is served by Jomo Kenyatta International
>        Airport?

Nairobi

>    B3. What city is served by an airport named for Frédéric
>        Chopin?

Warsaw

> C. Trains
>
>    C1. You would find the Canadian Pacific in Canada.  In what
>        country would you find the Indian Pacific?

India
(I'm not under any illusions that this is the correct answer, but I
don't have any better answer)

>    C3. In what country would you find the Shinkansen?

Japan

> D. Seas
>
>    D1. Just south of Istanbul, forming part of the water
>        boundary between the European and Asiatic parts of Turkey,
>        is what sea about the size of Connecticut or Lebanon?

Sea of Marmara

>    D2. What large sea is a part of the Indian Ocean lying west
>        of India and is about the same size as India?

Arabian Sea

> E. US Mountains
>
> For each question we will name a range or area of mountains that
> is located entirely in one US state, or nearly so, and you must
> name that state.
>
>    E1. The Catskills.

New York

>    E2. The Poconos.

Pennsylvania

>    E3. The Green Mountains.

Vermont

--
Joshua Kreitzer
gromit82@hotmail.com

== 3 of 7 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 7:46 pm
From: Calvin


On Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:27:30 +1000, Mark Brader <msb@vex.net> wrote:


> * Final, Round 7 - Geography
>
> A. Country Subdivisions
>
> A1. In the US they have states, in Canada provinces. What is
> the term for one of the corresponding units in Germany?
> Answer in German.

Paletinate or something like that

> A2. What is the name for one of the units that Switzerland is
> divided into? More or less the same word is used in
> English, French, and German.

Cantons

> A3. Russia is divided into several kinds of units, but we
> want the term for the most numerous kind -- there are
> more than 40 of them. For example, the Kaliningrad
> exclave is one of these. The Russian word for them is
> also used in English: what is it?

Gulag :-)

>
> B. Airports
>
> In each case we're asking for the major city served by the airport.
> For example, Toronto, not Mississauga.
>
> B1. What city is served by Toussaint Louverture International
> Airport?

Marseilles, Lyon

> B2. What city is served by Jomo Kenyatta International
> Airport?

Nairobi, Mombassa

> B3. What city is served by an airport named for Frédéric
> Chopin?

Warsaw, Krakow

> C. Trains
>
> C1. You would find the Canadian Pacific in Canada. In what
> country would you find the Indian Pacific?

Australia

> C2. TGV ("tay-zhay-vay") stands for the French words "Train
> à Grande Vitesse", and you would mostly find these
> trains in France. The ICE ("I-C-E") is a similarly
> fast train whose initials stand for the English words
> "Inter-City Express". In what country would you mostly
> find ICE trains?

China, Germany

> C3. In what country would you find the Shinkansen?

Thailand, S Korea

>
> D. Seas
>
> D1. Just south of Istanbul, forming part of the water
> boundary between the European and Asiatic parts of Turkey,
> is what sea about the size of Connecticut or Lebanon?

Marmara

> D2. What large sea is a part of the Indian Ocean lying west
> of India and is about the same size as India?

Arabian

> D3. This triangular sea forms a bay on the north side of the
> Black Sea. It is bounded on the west and south by
> Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula, and on the east
> by Russia, with the city of Rostov-on-Don at its head.
> It's about the size of Switzerland, or somewhat larger
> than Maryland. Name it.

Azov


> E. US Mountains
>
> For each question we will name a range or area of mountains that
> is located entirely in one US state, or nearly so, and you must
> name that state.
>
> E1. The Catskills.

Virginia, West Virginia

> E2. The Poconos.

Missouri, Iowa

> E3. The Green Mountains.

Vermont?

--
cheers,
calvin


== 4 of 7 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 8:19 pm
From: msb@vex.net (Mark Brader)


Joshua Kreitzer:
> (I'm not under any illusions that this is the correct answer, but...)

Giggle!
--
Mark Brader | "No, I'm disagreeing with you. That doesn't mean I'm not
msb@vex.net | listening to you or understanding what you're saying:
Toronto | I'm doing all three at the same time." -- Aaron Sorkin


== 5 of 7 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 8:40 pm
From: swp


On Sunday, November 27, 2011 8:27:30 PM UTC-5, Mark Brader wrote:
> * Final, Round 7 - Geography
>
> A. Country Subdivisions
>
> A1. In the US they have states, in Canada provinces. What is
> the term for one of the corresponding units in Germany?
> Answer in German.

lander (where's the umlaut on this new computer?) or bundesland

> A2. What is the name for one of the units that Switzerland is
> divided into? More or less the same word is used in
> English, French, and German.

cantons

> A3. Russia is divided into several kinds of units, but we
> want the term for the most numerous kind -- there are
> more than 40 of them. For example, the Kaliningrad
> exclave is one of these. The Russian word for them is
> also used in English: what is it?

federal subjects ; or did you want just 'oblasts' (provinces)? (krais, okrugs, etc. are also types of federal subject for example)

>
> B. Airports
>
> In each case we're asking for the major city served by the airport.
> For example, Toronto, not Mississauga.
>
> B1. What city is served by Toussaint Louverture International
> Airport?

port au prince

> B2. What city is served by Jomo Kenyatta International
> Airport?

nairobi

> B3. What city is served by an airport named for Frédéric
> Chopin?

warsaw

>
> C. Trains
>
> C1. You would find the Canadian Pacific in Canada. In what
> country would you find the Indian Pacific?

australia

> C2. TGV ("tay-zhay-vay") stands for the French words "Train
> à Grande Vitesse", and you would mostly find these
> trains in France. The ICE ("I-C-E") is a similarly
> fast train whose initials stand for the English words
> "Inter-City Express". In what country would you mostly
> find ICE trains?

germany

> C3. In what country would you find the Shinkansen?

japan

>
> D. Seas
>
> D1. Just south of Istanbul, forming part of the water
> boundary between the European and Asiatic parts of Turkey,
> is what sea about the size of Connecticut or Lebanon?

marmara denizi

> D2. What large sea is a part of the Indian Ocean lying west
> of India and is about the same size as India?

arabian sea

> D3. This triangular sea forms a bay on the north side of the
> Black Sea. It is bounded on the west and south by
> Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula, and on the east
> by Russia, with the city of Rostov-on-Don at its head.
> It's about the size of Switzerland, or somewhat larger
> than Maryland. Name it.

sea of azov

>
> E. US Mountains
>
> For each question we will name a range or area of mountains that
> is located entirely in one US state, or nearly so, and you must
> name that state.
>
> E1. The Catskills.

new york

> E2. The Poconos.

pennsylvania

> E3. The Green Mountains.

vermont

swp


== 6 of 7 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 9:09 pm
From: Dan Tilque


Mark Brader wrote:
>
>
> * Final, Round 7 - Geography
>
> A. Country Subdivisions
>
> A1. In the US they have states, in Canada provinces. What is
> the term for one of the corresponding units in Germany?
> Answer in German.

Land

>
> A2. What is the name for one of the units that Switzerland is
> divided into? More or less the same word is used in
> English, French, and German.

canton

>
> A3. Russia is divided into several kinds of units, but we
> want the term for the most numerous kind -- there are
> more than 40 of them. For example, the Kaliningrad
> exclave is one of these. The Russian word for them is
> also used in English: what is it?

oblast

>
>
> B. Airports
>
> In each case we're asking for the major city served by the airport.
> For example, Toronto, not Mississauga.
>
> B1. What city is served by Toussaint Louverture International
> Airport?

Marseilles

>
> B2. What city is served by Jomo Kenyatta International
> Airport?

Nairobi

>
> B3. What city is served by an airport named for Frédéric
> Chopin?

Hamburg

>
>
> C. Trains
>
> C1. You would find the Canadian Pacific in Canada. In what
> country would you find the Indian Pacific?

Malaysia

>
> C2. TGV ("tay-zhay-vay") stands for the French words "Train
> à Grande Vitesse", and you would mostly find these
> trains in France. The ICE ("I-C-E") is a similarly
> fast train whose initials stand for the English words
> "Inter-City Express". In what country would you mostly
> find ICE trains?

UK

>
> C3. In what country would you find the Shinkansen?

Japan

>
>
> D. Seas
>
> D1. Just south of Istanbul, forming part of the water
> boundary between the European and Asiatic parts of Turkey,
> is what sea about the size of Connecticut or Lebanon?

Sea of Marmara

>
> D2. What large sea is a part of the Indian Ocean lying west
> of India and is about the same size as India?

Arabian Sea

>
> D3. This triangular sea forms a bay on the north side of the
> Black Sea. It is bounded on the west and south by
> Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula, and on the east
> by Russia, with the city of Rostov-on-Don at its head.
> It's about the size of Switzerland, or somewhat larger
> than Maryland. Name it.

Sea of Azov

>
>
> E. US Mountains
>
> For each question we will name a range or area of mountains that
> is located entirely in one US state, or nearly so, and you must
> name that state.
>
> E1. The Catskills.

New York

> E2. The Poconos.

Pennsylvania

> E3. The Green Mountains.

Vermont

--
Dan Tilque

"I can't believe this. Trapped in Ryoval's basement with a sex-starved
teenage werewolf. There was nothing about this in any of my Imperial
Academy training manuals..."
-- "Labyrinth", Lois McMaster Bujold


== 7 of 7 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 10:08 pm
From: Marc Dashevsky


In article <gMednQfeGI8ffk_TnZ2dnUVZ_h2dnZ2d@vex.net>, msb@vex.net says...
> * Final, Round 7 - Geography
>
> A. Country Subdivisions
>
> A1. In the US they have states, in Canada provinces. What is
> the term for one of the corresponding units in Germany?
> Answer in German.
>
> A2. What is the name for one of the units that Switzerland is
> divided into? More or less the same word is used in
> English, French, and German.
canton

> A3. Russia is divided into several kinds of units, but we
> want the term for the most numerous kind -- there are
> more than 40 of them. For example, the Kaliningrad
> exclave is one of these. The Russian word for them is
> also used in English: what is it?
oblast

> B. Airports
>
> In each case we're asking for the major city served by the airport.
> For example, Toronto, not Mississauga.
>
> B1. What city is served by Toussaint Louverture International
> Airport?
>
> B2. What city is served by Jomo Kenyatta International
> Airport?
Nairobi

> B3. What city is served by an airport named for Frédéric
> Chopin?
Warsaw

> C. Trains
>
> C1. You would find the Canadian Pacific in Canada. In what
> country would you find the Indian Pacific?
>
> C2. TGV ("tay-zhay-vay") stands for the French words "Train
> à Grande Vitesse", and you would mostly find these
> trains in France. The ICE ("I-C-E") is a similarly
> fast train whose initials stand for the English words
> "Inter-City Express". In what country would you mostly
> find ICE trains?
>
> C3. In what country would you find the Shinkansen?
Japan

> D. Seas
>
> D1. Just south of Istanbul, forming part of the water
> boundary between the European and Asiatic parts of Turkey,
> is what sea about the size of Connecticut or Lebanon?
>
> D2. What large sea is a part of the Indian Ocean lying west
> of India and is about the same size as India?
Arabian Sea

> D3. This triangular sea forms a bay on the north side of the
> Black Sea. It is bounded on the west and south by
> Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula, and on the east
> by Russia, with the city of Rostov-on-Don at its head.
> It's about the size of Switzerland, or somewhat larger
> than Maryland. Name it.
Sea of Azov

> E. US Mountains
>
> For each question we will name a range or area of mountains that
> is located entirely in one US state, or nearly so, and you must
> name that state.
>
> E1. The Catskills.
New York

> E2. The Poconos.
Pennsylvania

> E3. The Green Mountains.
Vermont, hence the name of the state

--
Go to http://MarcDashevsky.com to send me e-mail.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Calvin's Quiz #181 - repost
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/4d961ec9158d8598?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 5 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 9:37 pm
From: Calvin


On Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:15:39 +1000, Calvin <calvin@phlegm.com> wrote:

>
> 1 Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood founded which British rock band in 1970?
> 2 Which American pioneered the use of opinion polls in the 1930s?
> 3 Who is currently King of Spain?
> 4 Which sport is played professionally by the Los Angeles Kings?
> 5 Does the herb fennel taste similar to aniseed, cinnamon or mint?
> 6 Which was the first city to host the modern Summer Olympic games twice?
> 7 What country has its map on its flag?
> 8 Which Italian directed the 1960 film La Dolce Vita?
> 9 Which American rocker had a 1972 hit with School's Out?
> 10 In which city did Jim Morrison die?
>


--
cheers,
calvin


== 2 of 5 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 10:07 pm
From: John Masters


On 2011-11-28 05:37:18 +0000, Calvin said:

> On Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:15:39 +1000, Calvin <calvin@phlegm.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> 1 Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood founded which British rock band in 1970?

ELO

>> 2 Which American pioneered the use of opinion polls in the 1930s?
>> 3 Who is currently King of Spain?

Juan Carlos

>> 4 Which sport is played professionally by the Los Angeles Kings?

Basketball

>> 5 Does the herb fennel taste similar to aniseed, cinnamon or mint?

Aniseed

>> 6 Which was the first city to host the modern Summer Olympic games twice?

Berlin

>> 7 What country has its map on its flag?
>> 8 Which Italian directed the 1960 film La Dolce Vita?

Fellini

>> 9 Which American rocker had a 1972 hit with School's Out?

Alice Cooper

>> 10 In which city did Jim Morrison die?

Paris

== 3 of 5 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 10:19 pm
From: Marc Dashevsky


In article <op.v5m5wgwsyr33d7@04233-26jz62s.staff.ad.bond.edu.au>, calvin@phlegm.com says...
> 1 Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood founded which British rock band in 1970?
ELO

> 2 Which American pioneered the use of opinion polls in the 1930s?
Gallop

> 3 Who is currently King of Spain?
El Rey España

> 4 Which sport is played professionally by the Los Angeles Kings?
hockey

> 5 Does the herb fennel taste similar to aniseed, cinnamon or mint?
aniseed

> 6 Which was the first city to host the modern Summer Olympic games twice?
Los Angeles

> 7 What country has its map on its flag?
I once knew this

> 8 Which Italian directed the 1960 film La Dolce Vita?
Fellini

> 9 Which American rocker had a 1972 hit with School's Out?
Alice Cooper

> 10 In which city did Jim Morrison die?
Paris

--
Go to http://MarcDashevsky.com to send me e-mail.


== 4 of 5 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 10:46 pm
From: msb@vex.net (Mark Brader)


"Calvin":
> > 1 Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood founded which British rock band in 1970?
> > 2 Which American pioneered the use of opinion polls in the 1930s?

Gallup.

> > 3 Who is currently King of Spain?

Juan Carlos?

> > 4 Which sport is played professionally by the Los Angeles Kings?

Hockey. Which means ice hockey.

> > 5 Does the herb fennel taste similar to aniseed, cinnamon or mint?

Aniseed?

> > 6 Which was the first city to host the modern Summer Olympic games twice?

Paris, I think.

> > 7 What country has its map on its flag?

Cyprus.

> > 8 Which Italian directed the 1960 film La Dolce Vita?

Fellini.

> > 9 Which American rocker had a 1972 hit with School's Out?
> > 10 In which city did Jim Morrison die?

Geez, *three* music questions? I'll guess Los Angeles for this one.
--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "A good programmer is someone who looks both ways
msb@vex.net | before crossing a one-way street." -- Doug Linder

My text in this article is in the public domain.


== 5 of 5 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 11:01 pm
From: Dan Tilque


Calvin wrote:
> On Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:15:39 +1000, Calvin <calvin@phlegm.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> 1 Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood founded which British rock band in 1970?
>> 2 Which American pioneered the use of opinion polls in the 1930s?

George Gallup

>> 3 Who is currently King of Spain?

Juan Carlos

>> 4 Which sport is played professionally by the Los Angeles Kings?

hockey

>> 5 Does the herb fennel taste similar to aniseed, cinnamon or mint?

mint

>> 6 Which was the first city to host the modern Summer Olympic games
>> twice?

Los Angeles

>> 7 What country has its map on its flag?

Cyprus

>> 8 Which Italian directed the 1960 film La Dolce Vita?

Fellini

>> 9 Which American rocker had a 1972 hit with School's Out?
>> 10 In which city did Jim Morrison die?

Seattle

--
Dan Tilque

"I can't believe this. Trapped in Ryoval's basement with a sex-starved
teenage werewolf. There was nothing about this in any of my Imperial
Academy training manuals..."
-- "Labyrinth", Lois McMaster Bujold

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Rare Entries contest MSB73 begins
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trivia/t/d540ba92c863f9b1?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 27 2011 10:43 pm
From: msb@vex.net (Mark Brader)


This is another Rare Entries contest in the MSB series. Once again
I'll note that this series will only continue as long as the level
of participation is sufficient, so you are asked to 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, December 17, 2011
(by Toronto time, zone -5). See below the questions for a detailed
explanation, which is unchanged from last time.

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

0. Name a person who is now (see rule 4.4) alive and has been
Prime Minister of Canada.

1. Name a person or organization that has won more than one
Nobel Prize, either outright or shared.

2. Name a prime number that has been used as a contest number
in the MSB series of Rare Entries contests.

3. Name a title of a work of fiction, that is also a direct
(and apparently deliberate) quotation from a previously
existing work of fiction. For purposes of this question,
holy books of religions do not count as works of fiction.

4. Name a country (see rule 4.1.1) then existing, whose
government at some time since 1888 ordered or allowed the
killing of at least 25,000 of its own civilian residents
as part of a deliberate program of genocide, political
suppression, or the like.

5. Give the Italian name of a city in Italy that has a
different name (not a nickname) in English. It is all right
if the Italian name is used in English as well. For example,
if I had said "French name" and "in Belgium", you might
answer with "Bruxelles", whose name in English is Brussels.

6. Name a state or province (see rule 4.1.1) now existing, whose
name has the superficial meaning that it is the "new" version
of another, more populous place now existing. For example,
if I had asked about cities instead of states or provinces,
"New London" (Connecticut, USA) would be a correct answer.

7. A passenger elevator in good working order will sometimes
arrive at a floor, stop, and leave again in the same
direction, with the doors opening and closing but with
no one getting on or off. Give a reason (not a method)
why a person might cause this to happen. Reasons that are
sufficiently similar will be treated as identical.

8. In general terms (see rule 2.2), name a means for a regular
traffic of people and/or vehicles to cross between two
specific points on opposite sides of a river. (Answers like
"road", that do not relate to how the river is crossed,
are not acceptable. Answers like "swimming", that could
allow a crossing between any points, are not acceptable.)

9. In many sports the players move about on surfaces divided
into sections by a standard pattern of straight or curved
lines. Name such a sport where (in typical games at the
highest level of play) these standard lines are not all
marked in the same color. Note: Lines marking the outer
boundary of the playing area, or provided incidentally
for purposes unrelated to the sport, do not count.
Sports involving vehicles do not count.

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

* 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, Toronto | "If any form of pleasure is exhibited, report
msb@vex.net | to me and it will be prohibited." --DUCK SOUP

My text in this article is in the public domain.


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