Thursday, April 30, 2015

The Frontstretch Newsletter: NASCAR Teams Test at the Brickyard, GoDaddy Announces Departure

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Apr. 30, 2015
Volume IX, Edition LXV

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What to Watch: Thursday


- Today is the beginning of the race weekend in Talladega.  ARCA Racing Series haulers began pulling into the infield at 7 a.m. this morning.  Later today, Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series haulers will park as well.  XFINITY teams have six hours to work on their cars and go through inspection as well.

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Thursday's TV Schedule can be found in Couch Potato Tuesday here.


Top News
by the Frontstretch Staff
Thirteen Teams Take Part in Test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
 
On Wednesday, NASCAR held an open test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sprint Cup teams to check out the new rules package on the 2.5 mile oval.  13 teams from as many different organizations took to the track to gather some data.  Read more
 
GoDaddy Leaving Danica Patrick, NASCAR After 2015

GoDaddy announced on Wednesday that they have decided to leave NASCAR at the end of the 2015 season.  As a result, Danica Patrick is left without a primary sponsor for her car going into 2016, despite running much better so far this season.  Read more

Brett Moffitt Returns to the No. 34 at Kansas

With David Ragan's move to Michael Waltrip Racing for the balance of the sesason after Talladega, Front Row Motorsports has made another move to bolster their lineup.  Brett Moffitt, who previously drove for the team earlier this season, will return to the No. 34 starting at Kansas.  Read more

Ty Dillon to Race No. 33 Cup Entry at Michigan in June

On Tuesday, Richard Childress Racing announced that XFINITY Series regular Ty Dillon will drive the No. 33 Chevrolet in conjunction with Circle Sport at Michigan in June.  Sponsorship will be provided by Nexium, a heartburn medication.  Read more

Jeff Gordon to Drive Indy 500 Pace Car

During a break in Wednesday's open test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, track officials announced that Jeff Gordon will serve as the honorary pace car driver for the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race next month.  Read more

Have news for The Frontstretch?  Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.

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FRONTSTRETCH JOB: WEBMASTER
Frontstretch.com is looking for a talented and motivated individual to fulfill the role of the site's webmaster. The ideal candidate must be highly proficient in WordPress, as the site recently converted from Textpattern to WordPress as its content management system. The webmaster will assist with leftover conversion tasks, work with the management team to implement site enhancements and help troubleshoot problems as they arise. The candidate must also have a working knowledge of search engine optimization strategies to help improve search rankings for the site. Motorsports knowledge is preferred but not required. The candidate should have on average at least 1-2 hours per week to devote to Fronstretch initiatives. If you are interested, please contact our Business Manager, Tony Lumbis at Tony.Lumbis@gmail.com.

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Today's Featured Commentary
Thoughts on Kurt Busch's Win, IRP and Terminology Differences
Potts' Shots
by John Potts

Nice to see Kurt Busch make it to victory lane at Talladega last weekend. To be honest, I haven't been a big fan of his, but I feel like he got a rotten deal over that experience with the ex-girlfriend. I think NASCAR was correct in making him eligible for the Chase, since they suspended him before any charges were ever filed.

And yes, I'm still waiting for them to take action against Travis Kvapil for his incident in which he pleaded guilty to domestic violence a few years back. I guess it'll never happen because NASCAR is apparently refusing to believe the incident ever happened.

Kurt has been strong from the moment he stepped back into that 41 car, and his success seems to justify Gene Haas' judgement in putting him there in the first place and bankrolling the team on his own since there wasn't a sponsor available.
Nothing succeeds like success, and I can't understand why somebody hasn't jumped at the chance to put their name on that car, because it's been up front continually and getting lots of TV exposure.

Now, the talk of maybe making his little brother eligible for the Chase is another matter.

I'm told NASCAR feels like it's their fault he's out with serious injuries, since there wasn't a SAFER barrier where he hit that wall at Daytona. OK, understand that. However, as another writer pointed out this week, there's a big difference between missing a few weeks and missing half the season.
--
My comments about the oval track at what is now Lucas Oil Raceway Park brought something else to mind this week. Something I've had on file since I copied it a couple of months back.

I don't ordinarily take very seriously much of what Michael Waltrip says, but I saved his response to a question from Jeff Gluck of USA Today because it had to do with one of my favorite places.

The question was, "If someone paid you $5 million to design a new racetrack and gave you an unlimited budget, what kind of track would you build?"

Michael responded, "I would probably build somewhere between a half-mile and three-quarter-mile track. It would be sort of like (then) Indianapolis Raceway Park. When I was a kid, that was my favorite track. And I loved that race — the Kroger 200. To go there and win it (in 1989) — for the masses, it's way down the list of crap I actually accomplished. But for me, it's way up there. Because I'm like, 'That's probably the greatest short track race in America.' I like that track because the banking encourages folks to run out next to the wall, but then there's a flat where you can cut to the bottom. So I'd want a version of that. It's pretty distinct — the difference between the banking and the flat — and there are ways to cut across it."

That night in 1989, he was on his game, and ran the top as well as it could be run.

And I agree, Michael, it was probably the best short track race on the schedule. A vote of the writers covering the entire series bore that out a couple of times.
--
Watching the Formula 1 race from Bahrain last week, I got a kick out of a radio transmission from one of those elite drivers. They're required to do their radio communication in English, and at one point this driver's crew wanted to know if he had any problems.

His response was a classic, "I seem to have a non-compliant car."

That's a perfect example of the difference between Formula 1 and NASCAR. One of the good ol' boys would have responded, "Yeah, this SOB ain't handlin'."

It made me remember an interview with Jim Clark at Indianapolis on a practice day at Indianapolis back in the 60s. The track announcer wanted to know how his Lotus was working, and he replied, "Well, we're having a problem with understeer, or as they like to say here in the States, it's pushing."

For those who haven't heard it, as Neil Bonnett once explained, "pushing" or "tight" is when you can see the wall before you hit it.

Actually, I was kind of surprised that Clark didn't say, "…here in the colonies."
On a similar note, I heard an explanation on a television program last week as to why we here in the colonies race counter-clockwise on ovals.

I can't speak for the accuracy of it, but these people said it was because one of the men who introduced horse racing to this country (a Kentuckian, by the way) was so anti-English that he refused to do it the way they did over there.

Figures.

John Potts is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.  He can be reached via e-mail at john.potts@frontstretch.com.

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The Critic's Annex: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
by Phil Allaway

Welcome back to the Annex.  This week, we have a slightly happier situation to talk about as opposed to last week with the death of Steve Byrnes, something that no one wanted to happen.  Instead, we have some Verizon IndyCar Series action from Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.

Pre-race coverage was fairly straight forward.  Viewers got to see a number of interviews from a number of the potential favorites.  There was no real standout feature of the day, though.  There was a conversation with Scott Dixon where the primary focus was the fact that he stinks at the beginning of the season.  Prior to Long Beach, that was holding for 2015 as well.  Ultimately, it really wasn't all that memorable.

Barber Park brought on NBC Sports Network's first booth change of the season.  Both Leigh Diffey and Townsend Bell were back from Long Beach, but they were joined by Steve Matchett, normally of the the Formula 1 telecasts.  Matchett is normally the technical guy, but he doesn't seem to have anywhere near as much technical knowledge about IndyCar as he does about Formula 1.  Unfortunately, that removes the greatest advantage of having Matchett in the booth.

That doesn't mean its a bad thing to have Matchett out there.  It just tempers what he can do.  He is familiar with a number of the drivers since a number of them have either raced in Formula 1 or in one of the immediate feeder series.  Also, as a former pit crew member with Benetton, he can tell what's going on during the stops better than anyone.

During the race, there was quite a bit of good racing for position, especially in the second half of the event.  Usually, Barber Park races for the Verizon IndyCar Series are somewhat processional.  NBC Sports Network is generally pretty good on the INDYCAR broadcasts at finding the battles and showing them to viewers and Sunday was no exception.  The battles make the race more exciting to watch. 

I did take note that the booth does not seem to have much of an opinion of Francesco Dracone, the driver who has replaced Justin Wilson in the No. 19 for Dale Coyne Racing this year.  Early on, they reported on a spin that Dracone had in turn 5.  Audio from Dracone's radio indicated that his crew noted that it was a "good catch."  Apparently, he did the same thing in the morning warm-up.

Later in the race, the booth (especially Bell) got on Dracone for holding the pack up and not moving over to let them pass.  They seemed to be operating under the opinion that Dracone was a lap down and being a bad backmarker, much like Olivier Grouillard did when he was driving for Tyrrell back around 1992.

I made a note of this on Twitter during the race that the booth was screwing up. Yes, Dracone isn't the fastest guy of the grid (he's pretty much the slowest), but those were actually battles for position.  Dracone had every right to do what he did on Sunday.  Later on, the booth actually had to correct themselves and note that Dracone was on the lead lap and that he had the right to race drivers like James Hinchcliffe straight-up.

Post-race coverage was quite expansive, even though the race took nearly two hours to run.  Viewers got eight varied driver interviews that explained most of the race's primaruy stories from the point of view of the drivers, in addition to checks of the results, points, and some analysis.

Overall, I enjoyed watching Sunday's Verizon IndyCar Series race on BNBC Sports Network.  Especially towards the end of the event, the action was really exciting and the booth made the event that much better.  Aside from the instance I mentioned above with Dracone, everyone did a great job.  On that note, I'm not sure how long Dracone's going to be in the No. 19.  It's not on the level of when Dale Coyne Racing fielded Milka Duno for her final year in the series and spent the entire year trying not to mention her.  They at least have a driver profile of Dracone on the team's website.  Regardless, it's still going to be a tough year for the rook.

I hope you enjoyed this look at NBC Sports Network's telecast of the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.  Next week, I'll be back with a look at the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown.  Until then, enjoy this weekend's action from Talladega, Spa and Monterey.


Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.  He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.

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Frontstretch Line of the Week

From The Frontstretch Five: Things That Make You Go… Huh?

"
One rule that does help the single-car teams, though not the multi-car organizations among the underfunded, is the testing rule that allows an organization to send just one car and driver to NASCAR's open tests. For the multi-car teams, that means each driver is limited in the tests he can attend, while a single-car operation can send their driver to multiple sessions, which allows them to draw more information." - Amy Henderson, on how the smaller teams can actually benefit from the rule changes for 2015...that is if they make the effort to go.

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TODAY AT FRONTSTRETCH:

by Beth Lunkenheimer

by P. Huston Ladner

by Toni Montgomery

by Joseph Wolkin

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q: Past races at Talladega have plagued by disappointed fans throwing beers (or, at Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s suggestion, toilet paper) onto the track in disgust after races that ended inappropriately.  However, there has also been an occasion that the Spring race at Talladega has been put under caution early on due to such ridiculous behavior.  Name the year that this happened.

Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!

Wednesday's Answer:

Q:  In the 2002 Aaron's 499, Kenny Wallace finished 21st in a DEI-built Aaron's Chevrolet owned by Michael Waltrip.  However, Wallace didn't really finish there.  Was happened to cause Wallace to be sent back?

A: Kenny Wallace actually came over the line in fifth.  However, coming to the white flag, Wallace went below the yellow line while passing Sterling Marlin and Jeff Burton.  That's not allowed.  Since the infraction occurred so close to the end of the race, NASCAR moved Wallace to the end of the lead lap.  The infraction can be seen here.

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COMING TOMORROW
In The Frontstretch Newsletter:
We'll have a recap of Thursday's breaking news for you.

On Frontstretch.com:
We'll have some burning questions to consider heading into Talladega.
 -----------------------------
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here! 
©2015 Frontstretch.com

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Digest for rec.games.trivia@googlegroups.com - 15 updates in 4 topics

msb@vex.net (Mark Brader): Apr 29 11:22PM -0500

Mark Brader:
 
> My thanks to Stephen Perry for running RQ 178 and for writing a
> contest that allowed me to win. The winner of RQ 179, in turn,
> will be the first choice to set RQ 180...
 
And by a margin of 1 point, that winner is... Dan Blum! Hearty
congratulations, sir!
 
 
> 1. Name the title character in a famous play who declares:
> "Then must you speak of one that loved not wisely but too well."
 
Othello. 1 for Marc, David, Dan Blum, Joe, Stephen, and Dan Tilque.
 
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stanislavski_as_Othello_1896.jpg
 
 
> 2. Give the title used in English for the 2004 German movie starring
> Bruno Ganz as Adolf Hitler, and Alexandra Maria Lara as the
> secretary who witnesses the final days of his life.
 
"Downfall". 1 for Dan Blum, Peter, Stephen, and Calvin. Giggle
points for "Sorry".
 
The original German title was "Der Untergang". See:
http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjE3NTcyNzA5N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjEwMzc4NA@@._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg
 
 
> what type of ship is the USS Caine? (In the novel it had been
> converted from another type; just give what it was converted
> into.)
 
Minesweeper. 1 for Dan Blum, Joe, Stephen, and Dan Tilque.
 
In the story the Caine has never actually done any minesweeping, so
I can't show a picture of it doing that. Instead, for fun, here's
one showing the principal characters in a key scene of the movie:
http://www.vincehuston.org/usna/caine_mutiny.jpg
 
 
> 4. Name the 1996 movie whose story involves a portable meteorological
> research device with the appropriate name of Dorothy.
 
"Twister". 1 for Marc, Dan Blum, Joe, Erland, Stephen,
and Dan Tilque.
 
A similar device in real life was named TOTO, the TOtable Tornado
Observatory -- both names, of course, referring to "The Wonderful
Wizard of Oz" (L. Frank Baum) and movie version "The Wizard of Oz".
See: http://movie-inventions.wikia.com/wiki/File:Dorothy_I_01.jpg
And: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NOAA-TOTO.jpg
 
 
> 5. What is the musical term for a transitional passage linking
> two sections of a composition, such as the verse and refrain
> (chorus)?
 
Bridge. 1 for Marc, David, Dan Blum, Peter, Joe, Erland, Stephen,
and Dan Tilque.
 
See: http://www.musicarrangerspage.com/251/what-is-a-bridge-interlude/
 
 
> 6. In Ireland, formally speaking, the Taoiseach is nominated by
> the legislature and officially appointed by the person in what
> position?
 
President. (The Taoiseach is the prime minister.) 1 for Dan Blum,
Peter, Stephen, Calvin, and Dan Tilque.
 
See: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/en/constitution/index.html#part3
Specifically, article 13.
 
 
> 7. Name the type of warship that in the 19th century became the
> effective successor to the old "ship of the line".
 
Battleship. 1 for Marc, David, Dan Blum, Peter, Joe, Stephen,
Calvin, and Dan Tilque.
 
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Maine_Battleship_BB10_LOC_22465.jpg
 
 
> Canada was designated as a new "kingdom" then it might not go
> over well with those hot-headed, anti-monarchistic Americans.
> What term was therefore substituted?
 
Dominion. 1 for Marc, Dan Blum, Peter, Joe, Erland, Stephen,
and Dan Tilque.
 
See: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-1.html
Specifically, the preamble and section 3.
 
Despite the clear wording in s.3 that the name of the country is
just "Canada", for many decades the phrase "the Dominion of Canada"
was commonly used in formal contexts as if it was the country's full
name and the bare "Canada" was just a short form.
 
 
> 9. Speaking of Canada, in 1896 there was a rich strike of placer
> gold in what was then the North-West Territories. A 100-mile-long
> river gave its name to the resulting mining district; what name?
 
Klondike. 1 for Marc, Dan Blum, Joe, Stephen, and Dan Tilque.
 
The original strike was on a tributary of the Klondike River then
called Rabbit Creek and soon renamed Bonanza Creek. Soon there
were even richer strikes on a tributary that, in a case of optimism
that proved to be justified, was named Eldorado Creek. When one of
the prospectors on Eldorado Creek saw what his partner had found,
his first remark was: "What in hell do you think you've sent up --
the Bank of England?"
 
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Klondike_Gold_Rush_map.png
 
 
> is a small city whose ancient part is now a UNESCO World Heritage
> Site thanks to its well-preserved medieval fortifications. Name
> the city.
 
Carcassonne. 1 for David, Dan Blum, Joe, and Erland.
 
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Carcasonneouterwall.jpg
 
 
> prohibition; in English, it generally indicates something
> that is socially or culturally Not Done rather than something
> prohibited by law or religion. Give its usual form in English.
 
Taboo. 1 for everyone -- Marc, David, Dan Blum, Peter, Joe, Erland,
Stephen, Calvin, and Dan Tilque.
 
See: http://alafoto.com/wp-content/uploads/Spencer_Tunick_photo_55.jpg
 
 
> 12. This form of liquor is flavored with juniper berries and,
> ultimately, named accordingly.
 
Gin. 1 for everyone.
 
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DecaturGins.jpg
 
 
> 13. About 40,000 species are known to exist in the biological
> order Araneae. What is the common name for one of these
> creatures?
 
Spider. 1 for Marc, David, Joe, and Stephen.
 
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Banana_Spider.jpg
 
 
> its English one. Only about 25 of these species have sufficient
> venom to kill a human being. What is the common name of a
> member of this order?
 
Scorpion. 1 for Marc, David, Dan Blum, Joe, and Erland.
 
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Scorpion_01.JPG
 
 
> 15. In American and Canadian football, a play from scrimmage begins
> with the center executing what? (Give the noun.)
 
Snap (the originally intended answer) or hike (also correct).
1 for Marc, Dan Blum, Peter, Stephen, Calvin, and Dan Tilque.
 
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2005PoinsettaBowl-Navy-Snap.jpg
 
 
> 16. Answers #1-15 have a common theme. What is it?
 
Games. To be precise, each word is also a name of either a board game
or a card game (some of those being solitaire games). 1 for Marc,
David, Dan Blum, Peter, Joe, Stephen, and Dan Tilque.
 
See:
[1] http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/819dgLLVR7L._SL1500_.jpg
[2] http://i.imgur.com/Z45fT.jpg
[3] http://i.ytimg.com/vi/GhW0d58cwZg/maxresdefault.jpg
[4] http://www.museumofplay.org/online-collections/images/Z000/Z00061/Z0006106.jpg
[5] http://imagecache5d.allposters.com/watermarker/60-6006-1GGB100Z.jpg
[6] http://www.pagat.com/climbing/president.html
[7] http://happywithgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/battleship-game-box.jpg
[8] http://www.chuck-a-con.net/RIODominionhighRes1.gif
[9] http://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/portland-press-herald_3768162.jpg
[10] http://www.theboardgamefamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/CarcRiverLayout.jpg
[11] http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71V2gxKszwL._SL1500_.jpg
[12] http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8177/8022548462_ea1db93a03_b.jpg
[13] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Spider_Solitaire_7.png
[14] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Scorpion_Solitaire.jpg
[15] http://www.pagat.com/war/snap.html
or http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1025461_md.jpg
 
Some of the names additionally belong to other, unrelated games than
the ones shown, and some of the games also have other names.
 
Credit where due: although this quiz was conceived independently, when
resarching possible questions I came across this Sporcle quiz on the
same theme:
 
http://www.sporcle.com/games/DesertSpartan/what-pictionary-has-no-other-use
 
And I may have taken one or two answers from its list.
 
 
> answered at the point where you first got the right idea of what
> the theme was? Just give the list of numbers, e.g. 1,3,6,15,10.
> (If you forgot to take notes, don't answer this.)
 
One entrant claimed to have gotten the theme before getting *any*
answers, which seems a bit hard to believe. Another entrant claimed
to have gotten it only after getting 13 answers, but the third of
these was #16, which seems a bit contradictory.
 
Of those who actually seem to have have understood the question, the
numbers of answers listed were 1, 2, 4, 6, and 11, and the specific
answers most often cited were bridge (4 times), Othello (3 times),
and "Twister" (3 times).
 
 
> the second tiebreaker is who scored on the hardest questions;
> the third tiebreaker is correct spelling and capitalization;
> and the fourth tiebreaker is who posted first.
 
 
Scores, if there are no errors:
 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 TOTALS
 
Dan Blum 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 15
Stephen Perry 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 14
"Joe" 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 13
Marc Dashevsky 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 12
Dan Tilque 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 12
David B. 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 9
Peter Smyth 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 9
Erland Sommarskog 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 7
"Calvin" 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 6
 
6 4 4 6 8 5 8 7 5 4 9 9 4 5 6 7
 
Over to you, Dan!
--
Mark Brader | "It doesn't have to actually *be* special, but you have
Toronto | to make people think it is, and sometimes the easiest way
msb@vex.net | to do that is to make it special." -- Peter Reiher
 
My text in this article is in the public domain.
Erland Sommarskog <esquel@sommarskog.se>: Apr 30 10:54AM

>> is a small city whose ancient part is now a UNESCO World Heritage
>> Site thanks to its well-preserved medieval fortifications. Name
>> the city.

To be precise, the medieval parts of it are not very well-preseved. They
were quite much in ruins by 1840 when Viollet le Duc started his renovation
project. So you could say that it is a well-preserved 1840s fortification
modelled from a medieval original.
 
 
 
--
Erland Sommarskog, Stockholm, esquel@sommarskog.se
tool@panix.com (Dan Blum): Apr 29 01:51PM


> * Game 6, Round 4 - Entertainment - HBO TV Series
 
> 2. Officers Rust Cohle and Martin Hart.
 
True Detective
 
> 3. Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, Chalky White (historical drama).
 
Boardwalk Empire
 
> 4. Omar Little, Detective William "Bunk" Moreland (crime drama).
 
The Wire
 
> 5. Al Swearengen, Doc Cochran (historical drama).
 
Deadwood
 
> 7. Jeremy Piven, Adrian Grenier.
 
Entourage
 
 
> * Game 6, Round 6 - Leisure - Chess
 
> 1. The queen is the strongest of the pieces. Which is the
> second-strongest?
 
rook
 
> 2. It is common in the first dozen moves for the king and rook to
> cross each other on the first rank in order to protect the king.
> What is this move called?
 
castling
 
> 3. The game can be drawn in a few ways. What circumstance applies
> if a player's only possible move would expose the king to check?
 
stalemate; zugzwang
 
> 6. The Polish-born Argentinian Miguel Najdorf played 45 opponents
> simultaneously in S?o Paulo in 1947, with the result of 39 wins,
> 4 draws, and 2 losses. What made this even more impressive?
 
he was blindfolded
 
> 7. Who did Bobby Fischer defeat in the 1972 World Championship
> match in Reykjavik?
 
Spassky
 
> 10. Anzr gur bccbarag gung orng Tneel Xnfcnebi 3?-2? va n
> jryy-choyvpvmrq 1997 erzngpu.
 
Deep Blue
 
--
_______________________________________________________________________
Dan Blum tool@panix.com
"I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't just made it up."
Marc Dashevsky <usenet@MarcDashevsky.com>: Apr 29 09:11AM -0500

In article <vLadnQnHeMwsCN3InZ2dnUU7-K-dnZ2d@vex.net>, msb@vex.net says...
> names and sometimes the genre, and in each case you name the show.
 
> For questions #1-6, the names we give you are characters on the show:
 
> 1. Lieutenants Richard Winters and Lewis Nixon.
Band of Brothers
 
> 2. Officers Rust Cohle and Martin Hart.
True Detective
 
> 3. Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, Chalky White (historical drama).
Boardwalk Empire
 
> 4. Omar Little, Detective William "Bunk" Moreland (crime drama).
The Wire
 
> 5. Al Swearengen, Doc Cochran (historical drama).
Deadwood
 
> 6. Nate Fisher, Brenda Chenowith (family drama).
Six Feet Under
 
> For #7-10, we give you two cast members:
 
> 7. Jeremy Piven, Adrian Grenier.
Entourage
 
 
> * Game 6, Round 6 - Leisure - Chess
 
> 1. The queen is the strongest of the pieces. Which is the
> second-strongest?
rook
 
> 2. It is common in the first dozen moves for the king and rook to
> cross each other on the first rank in order to protect the king.
> What is this move called?
castling
 
> 3. The game can be drawn in a few ways. What circumstance applies
> if a player's only possible move would expose the king to check?
stalemate
 
> 4. What is the most popular opening move for White? Answer in
> either descriptive or algebraic notation.
e4
 
> 5. What name is given to an opening in which a player sacrifices
> material early in order to gain a positional advantage?
gambit
 
> 6. The Polish-born Argentinian Miguel Najdorf played 45 opponents
> simultaneously in São Paulo in 1947, with the result of 39 wins,
> 4 draws, and 2 losses. What made this even more impressive?
he was blindfolded
 
> 7. Who did Bobby Fischer defeat in the 1972 World Championship
> match in Reykjavik?
Boris Spassky
 
 
> 9. P-QB4 or c5 is the most popular and aggressive response to
> White's opening P-K4 or e4. What is this defence? Hint:
> some may find the sound of the name threatening.
Sicilian
 
> 10. Name the opponent that beat Garry Kasparov 3?-2? in a
> well-publicized 1997 rematch.
Deep Blue (and now I remember the answer to #8)
 
 
--
Replace "usenet" with "marc" in the e-mail address.
"Peter Smyth" <psmyth@ukf.net>: Apr 29 05:11PM

Mark Brader wrote:

> names and sometimes the genre, and in each case you name the show.
 
> For questions #1-6, the names we give you are characters on the show:
 
> 1. Lieutenants Richard Winters and Lewis Nixon.
Band of Brothers
> 2. Officers Rust Cohle and Martin Hart.
True Detective
> 3. Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, Chalky White (historical drama).
Boardwalk Empire
> 4. Omar Little, Detective William "Bunk" Moreland (crime drama).
The Wire
> 5. Al Swearengen, Doc Cochran (historical drama).
Deadwood
> 6. Nate Fisher, Brenda Chenowith (family drama).
Six Feet Under
 
> For #7-10, we give you two cast members:
 
> 7. Jeremy Piven, Adrian Grenier.
> 8. Stephen Moyer, Anna Paquin.
True Blood
> 9. Jermaine Clement, Bret McKenzie (comedy).
Curb Your Enthusiasm
> 10. Matt Lucas, David Walliams (comedy).
Little Britain USA
 
> * Game 6, Round 6 - Leisure - Chess
 
> 1. The queen is the strongest of the pieces. Which is the
> second-strongest?
Define strongest. I assume rook is the answer you are looking for.
> 2. It is common in the first dozen moves for the king and rook to
> cross each other on the first rank in order to protect the king.
> What is this move called?
Castling
> 3. The game can be drawn in a few ways. What circumstance applies
> if a player's only possible move would expose the king to check?
Stalemate
> 4. What is the most popular opening move for White? Answer in
> either descriptive or algebraic notation.
1.e4
> 5. What name is given to an opening in which a player sacrifices
> material early in order to gain a positional advantage?
Gambit
> 6. The Polish-born Argentinian Miguel Najdorf played 45 opponents
> simultaneously in São Paulo in 1947, with the result of 39 wins,
> 4 draws, and 2 losses. What made this even more impressive?
He played blindfold.
> 7. Who did Bobby Fischer defeat in the 1972 World Championship
> match in Reykjavik?
Boris Spassky
> 8. Which former world chess champion entered the Russian
> presidential race in 2007?
Gary Kasparov
 
> 9. P-QB4 or c5 is the most popular and aggressive response to
> White's opening P-K4 or e4. What is this defence? Hint:
> some may find the sound of the name threatening.
Sicilian Defence
> 10. Name the opponent that beat Garry Kasparov 3½-2½ in a
> well-publicized 1997 rematch.
Deep Blue
 
Peter Smyth
Erland Sommarskog <esquel@sommarskog.se>: Apr 29 09:55PM +0200

> * Game 6, Round 6 - Leisure - Chess
 
> 1. The queen is the strongest of the pieces. Which is the
> second-strongest?
 
Rook

> 2. It is common in the first dozen moves for the king and rook to
> cross each other on the first rank in order to protect the king.
> What is this move called?
 
"rockad" in Swedish. No idea about the English name, sorry.

> 3. The game can be drawn in a few ways. What circumstance applies
> if a player's only possible move would expose the king to check?
 
"patt" is the Swedish word. Could it be "pate" in English?

> 4. What is the most popular opening move for White? Answer in
> either descriptive or algebraic notation.
 
e2-e4

> 5. What name is given to an opening in which a player sacrifices
> material early in order to gain a positional advantage?
 
Gambit

> 6. The Polish-born Argentinian Miguel Najdorf played 45 opponents
> simultaneously in São Paulo in 1947, with the result of 39 wins,
> 4 draws, and 2 losses. What made this even more impressive?
 
He was blind/blindfolded

> 7. Who did Bobby Fischer defeat in the 1972 World Championship
> match in Reykjavik?
 
Boris Spaskij

> 8. Which former world chess champion entered the Russian
> presidential race in 2007?
 
Kasparov

> 9. C-DO4 be p5 vf gur zbfg cbchyne naq ntterffvir erfcbafr gb
> Juvgr'f bcravat C-X4 be r4. Jung vf guvf qrsrapr? Uvag:
> fbzr znl svaq gur fbhaq bs gur anzr guerngravat.
 
Sicilian defense

> 10. Anzr gur bccbarag gung orng Tneel Xnfcnebi 3½-2½ va n
> jryy-choyvpvmrq 1997 erzngpu.

Deep Thought
 
 
 
--
Erland Sommarskog, Stockholm, esquel@sommarskog.se
"Björn Lundin" <b.f.lundin@gmail.com>: Apr 29 11:27PM +0200

On 2015-04-29 10:26, Mark Brader wrote:
 
> * Game 6, Round 6 - Leisure - Chess
 
> 1. The queen is the strongest of the pieces. Which is the
> second-strongest?
 
Tower
 
 
> 2. It is common in the first dozen moves for the king and rook to
> cross each other on the first rank in order to protect the king.
> What is this move called?
 
rocade
 
 
 
> 3. The game can be drawn in a few ways. What circumstance applies
> if a player's only possible move would expose the king to check?
 
Stale mate
 
 
> 4. What is the most popular opening move for White? Answer in
> either descriptive or algebraic notation.
 
Moving the pawn in front of the king 2 steps forward
 
 
> 6. The Polish-born Argentinian Miguel Najdorf played 45 opponents
> simultaneously in São Paulo in 1947, with the result of 39 wins,
> 4 draws, and 2 losses. What made this even more impressive?
 
He was blind ?
 
 
 
 
> 8. Which former world chess champion entered the Russian
> presidential race in 2007?
 
Kasparov
 
 
 
> 9. C-DO4 be p5 vf gur zbfg cbchyne naq ntterffvir erfcbafr gb
> Juvgr'f bcravat C-X4 be r4. Jung vf guvf qrsrapr? Uvag:
> fbzr znl svaq gur fbhaq bs gur anzr guerngravat.
 
Left horse put in front of left bishop (and its pawn)
 
 
> 10. Anzr gur bccbarag gung orng Tneel Xnfcnebi 3½-2½ va n
> jryy-choyvpvmrq 1997 erzngpu.
 
Deep Blue
 
 
 
--
--
Björn
Calvin <334152@gmail.com>: Apr 29 03:55PM -0700

On Wednesday, April 29, 2015 at 6:26:26 PM UTC+10, Mark Brader wrote:
 
> names and sometimes the genre, and in each case you name the show.
 
> For questions #1-6, the names we give you are characters on the show:
 
> 1. Lieutenants Richard Winters and Lewis Nixon.
 
Homeland, House of Cards
 
> 2. Officers Rust Cohle and Martin Hart.
 
Homeland, House of Cards
 
> 3. Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, Chalky White (historical drama).
 
Boardwalk Empire
 
> 4. Omar Little, Detective William "Bunk" Moreland (crime drama).
 
Homeland
 
> 5. Al Swearengen, Doc Cochran (historical drama).
 
Deadwood
 
> 6. Nate Fisher, Brenda Chenowith (family drama).
 
> For #7-10, we give you two cast members:
 
> 7. Jeremy Piven, Adrian Grenier.
 
Homeland, House of Cards
 
> 8. Stephen Moyer, Anna Paquin.
 
Homeland, House of Cards
 
> 9. Jermaine Clement, Bret McKenzie (comedy).
> 10. Matt Lucas, David Walliams (comedy).
 
Little Britain
 
 
 
> * Game 6, Round 6 - Leisure - Chess
 
> 1. The queen is the strongest of the pieces. Which is the
> second-strongest?
 
Rook
 
> 2. It is common in the first dozen moves for the king and rook to
> cross each other on the first rank in order to protect the king.
> What is this move called?
 
Castling
 
> 3. The game can be drawn in a few ways. What circumstance applies
> if a player's only possible move would expose the king to check?
 
Stalemate
 
> 4. What is the most popular opening move for White? Answer in
> either descriptive or algebraic notation.
 
P-K4
 
> 5. What name is given to an opening in which a player sacrifices
> material early in order to gain a positional advantage?
 
Gambit
 
> 6. The Polish-born Argentinian Miguel Najdorf played 45 opponents
> simultaneously in São Paulo in 1947, with the result of 39 wins,
> 4 draws, and 2 losses. What made this even more impressive?
 
He was blindfolded
 
> 7. Who did Bobby Fischer defeat in the 1972 World Championship
> match in Reykjavik?
 
Spassky
 
> 8. Which former world chess champion entered the Russian
> presidential race in 2007?
 
Kasparov
 
 
> 9. C-DO4 be p5 vf gur zbfg cbchyne naq ntterffvir erfcbafr gb
> Juvgr'f bcravat C-X4 be r4. Jung vf guvf qrsrapr? Uvag:
> fbzr znl svaq gur fbhaq bs gur anzr guerngravat.
 
Sicilian
 
> 10. Anzr gur bccbarag gung orng Tneel Xnfcnebi 3½-2½ va n
> jryy-choyvpvmrq 1997 erzngpu.
 
Deep Blue
 
cheers,
calvin
Joshua Kreitzer <gromit82@hotmail.com>: Apr 30 12:36AM

msb@vex.net (Mark Brader) wrote in news:vLadnQnHeMwsCN3InZ2dnUU7-K-
> names and sometimes the genre, and in each case you name the show.
 
> For questions #1-6, the names we give you are characters on the show:
 
> 3. Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, Chalky White (historical drama).
 
"Boardwalk Empire"
 
> 4. Omar Little, Detective William "Bunk" Moreland (crime drama).
 
"The Wire"
 
> 5. Al Swearengen, Doc Cochran (historical drama).
 
"Deadwood"
 
> 6. Nate Fisher, Brenda Chenowith (family drama).
 
"Six Feet Under"

> For #7-10, we give you two cast members:
 
> 8. Stephen Moyer, Anna Paquin.
 
"True Blood"
 
> 9. Jermaine Clement, Bret McKenzie (comedy).
 
"Flight of the Conchords"

> * Game 6, Round 6 - Leisure - Chess
 
> 1. The queen is the strongest of the pieces. Which is the
> second-strongest?
 
rook
 
> 2. It is common in the first dozen moves for the king and rook to
> cross each other on the first rank in order to protect the king.
> What is this move called?
 
castling

> 4. What is the most popular opening move for White? Answer in
> either descriptive or algebraic notation.
 
d4; e4

> 5. What name is given to an opening in which a player sacrifices
> material early in order to gain a positional advantage?
 
gambit; sacrifice
 
> 6. The Polish-born Argentinian Miguel Najdorf played 45 opponents
> simultaneously in São Paulo in 1947, with the result of 39 wins,
> 4 draws, and 2 losses. What made this even more impressive?
 
he was blindfolded

> 7. Who did Bobby Fischer defeat in the 1972 World Championship
> match in Reykjavik?
 
Spassky
 
> 8. Which former world chess champion entered the Russian
> presidential race in 2007?
 
Garry Kasparov

> 10. Anzr gur bccbarag gung orng Tneel Xnfcnebi 3½-2½ va n
> jryy-choyvpvmrq 1997 erzngpu.
 
Karpov
 
--
Joshua Kreitzer
gromit82@hotmail.com
msb@vex.net (Mark Brader): Apr 29 11:23PM -0500

Erland Sommarskog:
> He was blind/blindfolded
 
I will score this as two answers: he was blind, he was blindfolded.
--
Mark Brader | "If communication becomes impossible, it is expected that
Toronto | both parties will... notify the other that communication
msb@vex.net | has become impossible..." --memo to university staff
Dan Tilque <dtilque@frontier.com>: Apr 29 11:50AM -0700

Mark Brader wrote:
 
> The HBO network has been responsible for some of the best
> television of the past decade and a half. We'll give you two
> names and sometimes the genre, and in each case you name the show.
 
Pass
 
 
> * Game 6, Round 6 - Leisure - Chess
 
> 1. The queen is the strongest of the pieces. Which is the
> second-strongest?
 
rook
 
 
> 2. It is common in the first dozen moves for the king and rook to
> cross each other on the first rank in order to protect the king.
> What is this move called?
 
castling
 
 
> 3. The game can be drawn in a few ways. What circumstance applies
> if a player's only possible move would expose the king to check?
 
stalemate
 
 
> 4. What is the most popular opening move for White? Answer in
> either descriptive or algebraic notation.
 
p - K4
 
 
> 5. What name is given to an opening in which a player sacrifices
> material early in order to gain a positional advantage?
 
gambit
 
 
> 6. The Polish-born Argentinian Miguel Najdorf played 45 opponents
> simultaneously in São Paulo in 1947, with the result of 39 wins,
> 4 draws, and 2 losses. What made this even more impressive?
 
he was blind
 
 
> 7. Who did Bobby Fischer defeat in the 1972 World Championship
> match in Reykjavik?
 
Spassky
 
> fbzr znl svaq gur fbhaq bs gur anzr guerngravat.
 
> 10. Anzr gur bccbarag gung orng Tneel Xnfcnebi 3½-2½ va n
> jryy-choyvpvmrq 1997 erzngpu.
 
Deep Blue
 
--
Dan Tilque
Erland Sommarskog <esquel@sommarskog.se>: Apr 30 10:48AM

> Erland Sommarskog:
>> He was blind/blindfolded
 
> I will score this as two answers: he was blind, he was blindfolded.
 
Fair enough.
 
I should just have answered "He did not see the chess pieces", without
going into the specifics. :-)
 
 
 
--
Erland Sommarskog, Stockholm, esquel@sommarskog.se
Jason Kreitzer <krei513@aol.com>: Apr 29 05:58PM -0700

On Tuesday, April 28, 2015 at 3:05:26 AM UTC-4, Mark Brader wrote:
> smooch on Toronto-born rapper Drake at the Coachella Music
> Festival? Video captured his disgust, but he claims he simply
> didn't like the taste of her lipstick. Oh sure.
Madonna
 
> 4. Ceremonies were held in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and
> Turkey to mark the 100th anniversary of what bloody World War I
> campaign?
Gallipoli?
> 5. Name the music legend who plans to roll out his own brand of
> marijuana in Washington and Colorado, where its recreational
> use is legal.
Willie Nelson
 
> 8. Name the American former Olympian and reality TV personality who
> said in a televised interview, "Yes, for all intents and purposes
> I am a woman."
Bruce Jenner
> 9. What Himalayan country was hit with a massive 7.8 magnitude
> earthquake on Saturday, leaving a death toll that has risen to
> more than 3,200?
Nepal
Dan Tilque <dtilque@frontier.com>: Apr 29 11:05AM -0700

Mark Brader wrote:
> grocery stores was a way of focusing attention away from Kathleen
> Wynne's plan to sell assets to fund infrastructure projects.
> The province plans to sell 60% of what utility?
 
Ontario Hydro
 
> arrival of the SpaceX supply ship at the International Space
> Station this week. What present did she receive from her
> government?
 
espresso maker
 
> and this without any guarantee of Canadian jobs?
 
> 3. Name the former Egyptian president who was sentenced to 20 years
> in prison on charges linked to the killing of protesters in 2012.
 
Morsi
 
 
> 4. Ceremonies were held in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and
> Turkey to mark the 100th anniversary of what bloody World War I
> campaign?
 
Gallipoli
 
 
> 5. Name the music legend who plans to roll out his own brand of
> marijuana in Washington and Colorado, where its recreational
> use is legal.
 
John Denver
 
 
> 6. Sears Canada Inc. announced it is partnering with *what hockey
> legend* to launch a new line of casual menswear in the fall?
 
Gretzky
 
> well-being through measures such as life expectancy, per capita
> incomes, and perceptions of corruption), Canada ranks 5th in
> happiness among more than 150 nations. Name *any* of the top 4.
 
Sweden
 
 
> 8. Name the American former Olympian and reality TV personality who
> said in a televised interview, "Yes, for all intents and purposes
> I am a woman."
 
Bruce Jenner
 
 
> 9. What Himalayan country was hit with a massive 7.8 magnitude
> earthquake on Saturday, leaving a death toll that has risen to
> more than 3,200?
 
Nepal
 
 
--
Dan Tilque
Calvin <334152@gmail.com>: Apr 29 03:46PM -0700

On Monday, April 27, 2015 at 10:53:49 PM UTC+10, Mark Brader wrote:
 
> "Calvin":
> > Protest! It's also known as a gig...
 
> 4 for Calvin also.
 
Thank you sir.
 
cheers,
calvin
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Wednesday, April 29, 2015

The Frontstretch Newsletter: David Ragan Will Go to MWR at Kansas

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Apr. 29, 2015
Volume IX, Edition LXIV

~~~~~~~~~~
What to Watch: Wednesday

- WIth the Goodyear tire test complete, NASCAR is holding an open test at Indianapolis today with one car from each organization.  Scheduled to test are Brad Keselowski (Team Penske), Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing), Sam Hornish, Jr. (Richard Petty Motorsports), Casey Mears (Germain Racing), Clint Bowyer (Michael Waltrip Racing), Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (Roush Fenway Racing), Carl Edwards (Joe Gibbs Racing), Ryan Blaney (Wood Brothers Racing), JJ Yeley (BK Racing), Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports), Paul Menard (Richard Childress Racing), Kyle Larson (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates) and Martin Truex, Jr. (Furniture Row Racing).  We'll have some news on the test session in tomorrow's Newsletter.

- Today also would have Dale Earnhardt's 64th birthday.  To commemorate Earnhardt's life, the annual Dale Earnhardt Day is being held at the Dale Earnhardt, Inc. headquarters.

~~~~~~~~~~
Wednesday's TV Schedule can be found in Couch Potato Tuesday here.

Top News
by the Frontstretch Staff

It's Official: David Ragan to Michael Waltrip Racing for Remainder of 2015

After a week of rumors, Michael Waltrip Racing made it official on Tuesday.  The team has signed David Ragan to drive the No. 55 Aaron's Dream Machine starting at Kansas.  He will be in the car for the rest of the season from that point.  Waltrip himself is scheduled to drive this weekend in Talladega.  Read more

Fraternal Order of Eagles Expands Partnership with HScott Motorsports

HScott Motorsports announced on Tuesday that the Fraternal Order of Eagles (F.O.E.) will expand their partnership with the team to include two races' worth of primary sponsorship at Kansas and Kentucky.  In addition, the F.O.E. will serve as a co-primary sponsor in three races to be named later.  Read more

Jeffrey Earnhardt Returns With Viva Motorsports at Talladega

Viva Motorsports announced on Tuesday that Jeffrey Earnhardt will return to the No. 55 Chevrolet for this weekend's Winn-Dixie 300 for the XFINITY Series at Talladega.  Read more

Have news for The Frontstretch?  Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH JOB: WEBMASTER
Frontstretch.com is looking for a talented and motivated individual to fulfill the role of the site's webmaster. The ideal candidate must be highly proficient in WordPress, as the site recently converted from Textpattern to WordPress as the content management system. The webmaster will assist with leftover conversion tasks, work with the management team to implement site enhancements and help troubleshoot problems as they arise. The candidate must also have a working knowledge of search engine optimization strategies to help improve search rankings for the site. Motorsports knowledge is preferred, but not required. The candidate should have on average at least 1-2 hours per week to devote to Frontstretch initiatives. If you are interested, please contact our Business Manager, Tony Lumbis at Tony.Lumbis@gmail.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
What's New?
Professor of Speed

by Dr. Mark Howell

I can't help but feel a bit confused….

For all the pundits, fans, drivers, and NASCAR honchos who say, week-in-and-week-out, that racing in the Sprint Cup Series is better than ever, I can't help but think they must be watching something I'm not.

Kurt Busch led 291 of the scheduled 400 laps last weekend to win at Richmond. Joey Logano led 94 laps. No one outside the top-five led any laps at all.

Last year, eventual Cup champion Kevin Harvick led about 20% of all laps run during the season. Drivers like Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Brad Keselowski enjoyed multiple victories.

Thus far in 2015: Harvick, Johnson, and Keselowski have already punched their tickets into the Chase. Busch and Logano also joined the short list given their wins at Richmond and Daytona, respectively.

The argument in favor of better racing in 2015 is parity across teams. More cars are running well and have a shot at winning on any given week. Finishing orders are splattered with new names, new sponsors, and evidence of new opportunities thanks to the new rules package.

Really? From where I sit, I see the same few names atop standings almost every Monday morning. Most races of late have been nothing short of blow-outs where one driver simply dominates the field. Sure, a driver like Kevin Harvick can have a bad weekend and wind up thirtieth or so, but then he bounces back the next Sunday to snag a second place finish and the natural order of NASCAR returns to its rightful position.

Drivers like Busch, Harvick, Johnson, Gordon, and Logano seem to have more "good" races than "bad", however we might define such adjectives. Whenever the topic of their success comes up in conversation, there's often the disclaimer that drivers like Harvick and Johnson, for example, have more talent, or that they work harder than their peers.

In a word: no way. I can speak from personal experience – everyone in the Sprint Cup Series, from the race shop to pit road, works hard and tries harder.

Of course drivers like Harvick and Johnson tend to run well because they have talent – they wouldn't be in the Cup Series with championship trophies at home if they didn't possess some amount of skill. These men and their race teams also have nearly unlimited resources at their disposal. Big sponsors love big winners, so it's little wonder the No. 4 and No. 48 operations have the cash they need to generate excellence.

What gets me is the way drivers like Harvick and Johnson (and, more recently, Kurt Busch) thoroughly dominate races. These guys don't just lead a little; they lead a lot. Their margins of victory may be small, but they're still races for second place.

As Bobby Allison famously said to a reporter many years ago: "Second place is first loser."

So when folks – especially those in the media – say that today's NASCAR is more competitive and favorable to close racing, I have to stop and wrap my head around their statements. "Remember the old days," the pundits often say, "when only two or three drivers had any real shot at winning a race."

Okay. I'll flash back to those "old days" and the dominance of names like Petty, Allison, Pearson, Baker, and Yarborough. Those were the days when you'd see maybe four cars (or fewer) on the lead lap with ten to go.

Now flash forward to NASCAR circa 2015. We may see races with 25 or 30 cars on the lead lap with ten to go, but the number of legitimate potential winners can be culled to only three of four. The dominant driver who doesn't win is still likely to snag a top-five or top-ten finish.

Not too different than what we used to see back in the "old days" of NASCAR.

NASCAR has always prided itself on its emphasis on parity. Strict rules and strict inspections make for close racing. With all things being as equal as possible, the focus shifts to the abilities of a driver and the talent of a team. The car/driver/team trinity has always been the centerpiece of NASCAR's mission statement and, in theory, it sounds like a noble way to structure a professional sport.

Even Communism sounds good on paper. Things get shaky when you put the theory into practice.

Maybe that's because drivers, crew chiefs, and pit crew personnel are people with complex lives, complex emotions, and complex responsibilities. Success in a sport rides on so much more than merely executing the basics of what you are supposed to do.

There's more to NASCAR success than mashing the gas pedal and turning left.

It's the unforeseen variables that wreak havoc on a race team mired deep in the points. We lament the difficulties of a Tony Stewart or a Clint Bowyer or a Dale Earnhardt, Jr., but we need to consider that they (and their crews) are doing the best jobs they can at any given time. Good performances are there from time-to-time; they just aren't there each and every weekend.

And even the more dominant teams struggle periodically as the variables of life move about and alter our overall focus on what needs to be done and when. Fate can play just as big a role in the outcome of a race as a last lap pass. We're seeing such fateful occurrences as teams toy with the new pit road surveillance measures brought on by NASCAR.

Notice how teams seem to be cutting time on pit stops by neglecting to tighten lug nuts. How might the outcome of a race be affected by a loose lug nut, an additional stop to fix the noticeable vibration, and how that extra stop shuffles the running order?

Maybe the only sure thing about today's NASCAR is that there's no sure thing, except who's likely to finish in the top-five. Just like back in the "old days"….

Dr. Mark Howell is a contributor for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at mark.howell@frontstretch.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY AT FRONTSTRETCH:

by Greg Davis

by Amy Henderson

as told to Amy Henderson

compiled by Michael Mehedin

by Toni Montgomery
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q: In the 2002 Aaron's 499, Kenny Wallace finished 21st in a DEI-built Aaron's Chevrolet owned by Michael Waltrip.  However, Wallace didn't really finish there.  Was happened to cause Wallace to be sent back?

Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!

Tuesday's Answer:

Q:  The 1995 Winston Select 500 is one of the fastest races run at Talladega.  Only two caution resulted in an average speed of nearly 179 mph.  As such, the race became seriously spread out.  Jeff Gordon lost the leaders when he pitted alone with 19 laps to go.  How did he get back up to Mark Martin and eventually challenge him for the win?

A:  Gordon lucked out by pitting at the same time as Sterling Marlin, who was 43 laps down due to earlier engine issues.  Those issues had been fixed by that point.  Marlin pushed Gordon and Morgan Shepherd up to Martin and Dale Earnhardt in the last couple of laps of the race from multiple seconds behind.  (Note: Shepherd lost the lead draft despite pitting at the same time as Martin and Earnhardt due to not having first and third gear in his transmission.  As a result, it took a long time for Shepherd to get back up to speed.)  The final 18 laps and change, starting with Gordon's stop can be seen here.
~~~~~~~~~~
COMING TOMORROW
In The Frontstretch Newsletter:
We'll have any news that breaks in the world of NASCAR.  In addition, John Potts returns with another interesting commentary

On Frontstretch.com:
Toni Montgomery is back with another look at the NHRA in Nitro Shots.
-----------------------------
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here! 
©2015 Frontstretch.com

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Digest for rec.games.trivia@googlegroups.com - 12 updates in 5 topics

Dan Tilque <dtilque@frontier.com>: Apr 29 03:28AM -0700

Mark Brader wrote:
 
> * Arts and Literature *
 
> 1. Name the title character in a famous play who declares:
> "Then must you speak of one that loved not wisely but too well."
 
Othello
 
> what type of ship is the USS Caine? (In the novel it had been
> converted from another type; just give what it was converted
> into.)
 
minesweeper
 
 
> 4. Name the 1996 movie whose story involves a portable meteorological
> research device with the appropriate name of Dorothy.
 
Twister
 
 
> 5. What is the musical term for a transitional passage linking
> two sections of a composition, such as the verse and refrain
> (chorus)?
 
bridge
 
 
> 6. In Ireland, formally speaking, the Taoiseach is nominated by
> the legislature and officially appointed by the person in what
> position?
 
President
 
 
> 7. Name the type of warship that in the 19th century became the
> effective successor to the old "ship of the line".
 
battleship
 
> Canada was designated as a new "kingdom" then it might not go
> over well with those hot-headed, anti-monarchistic Americans.
> What term was therefore substituted?
 
dominion
 
 
> 9. Speaking of Canada, in 1896 there was a rich strike of placer
> gold in what was then the North-West Territories. A 100-mile-long
> river gave its name to the resulting mining district; what name?
 
Klondike
 
> is a small city whose ancient part is now a UNESCO World Heritage
> Site thanks to its well-preserved medieval fortifications. Name
> the city.
 
Poitiers
 
> prohibition; in English, it generally indicates something
> that is socially or culturally Not Done rather than something
> prohibited by law or religion. Give its usual form in English.
 
taboo
 
 
> 12. This form of liquor is flavored with juniper berries and,
> ultimately, named accordingly.
 
gin
 
> its English one. Only about 25 of these species have sufficient
> venom to kill a human being. What is the common name of a
> member of this order?
 
spider
 
 
> 15. In American and Canadian football, a play from scrimmage begins
> with the center executing what? (Give the noun.)
 
snap
 
 
> * Theme *
 
> 16. Answers #1-15 have a common theme. What is it?
 
games
 
> answered at the point where you first got the right idea of what
> the theme was? Just give the list of numbers, e.g. 1,3,6,15,10.
> (If you forgot to take notes, don't answer this.)
 
3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 14 15 4
 
 
 
--
Dan Tilque
msb@vex.net (Mark Brader): Apr 29 03:26AM -0500

These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2015-02-23,
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.
 
All questions were written by members of MI5, and are used here by
permission, but have been reformatted and may have been retyped
and/or edited by me. For further information see my 2015-02-23
companion posting on "Questions from the Canadian Inquisition
(QFTCI*)".
 
 
* Game 6, Round 4 - Entertainment - HBO TV Series
 
The HBO network has been responsible for some of the best
television of the past decade and a half. We'll give you two
names and sometimes the genre, and in each case you name the show.
 
For questions #1-6, the names we give you are characters on the show:
 
1. Lieutenants Richard Winters and Lewis Nixon.
2. Officers Rust Cohle and Martin Hart.
3. Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, Chalky White (historical drama).
4. Omar Little, Detective William "Bunk" Moreland (crime drama).
5. Al Swearengen, Doc Cochran (historical drama).
6. Nate Fisher, Brenda Chenowith (family drama).
 
For #7-10, we give you two cast members:
 
7. Jeremy Piven, Adrian Grenier.
8. Stephen Moyer, Anna Paquin.
9. Jermaine Clement, Bret McKenzie (comedy).
10. Matt Lucas, David Walliams (comedy).
 
 
* Game 6, Round 6 - Leisure - Chess
 
1. The queen is the strongest of the pieces. Which is the
second-strongest?
 
2. It is common in the first dozen moves for the king and rook to
cross each other on the first rank in order to protect the king.
What is this move called?
 
3. The game can be drawn in a few ways. What circumstance applies
if a player's only possible move would expose the king to check?
 
4. What is the most popular opening move for White? Answer in
either descriptive or algebraic notation.
 
5. What name is given to an opening in which a player sacrifices
material early in order to gain a positional advantage?
 
6. The Polish-born Argentinian Miguel Najdorf played 45 opponents
simultaneously in São Paulo in 1947, with the result of 39 wins,
4 draws, and 2 losses. What made this even more impressive?
 
7. Who did Bobby Fischer defeat in the 1972 World Championship
match in Reykjavik?
 
8. Which former world chess champion entered the Russian
presidential race in 2007?
 
Please decode the rot13 for the last two questions only after you
have finished with #1-8.
 
9. C-DO4 be p5 vf gur zbfg cbchyne naq ntterffvir erfcbafr gb
Juvgr'f bcravat C-X4 be r4. Jung vf guvf qrsrapr? Uvag:
fbzr znl svaq gur fbhaq bs gur anzr guerngravat.
 
10. Anzr gur bccbarag gung orng Tneel Xnfcnebi 3½-2½ va n
jryy-choyvpvmrq 1997 erzngpu.
 
 
--
Mark Brader | "On our campus the UNIX system has proved to be not
Toronto | only an effective software tool, but an agent of
msb@vex.net | technical and social change within the University."
| -- John Lions, 1979
My text in this article is in the public domain.
"Rob Parker" <robpparker@NOSPAM.optusnet.com.au.FOR.ME>: Apr 28 10:53PM +1000

> prisoners. It acts as a paralytic that keeps the mind awake,
> so death comes from waking asphyxiation. Socrates is probably
> the most famous victim of the poison. Name the *plant*.
 
hemlock
 
> one post-mortem sign, that of asphyxia, as it causes arrhythmic
> heart function leading to suffocation. In pop culture, there
> is a connection between this plant and lycanthropy.
 
wolf's bane
 
> and died 3 weeks later. It is believed that he was poisoned
> by an agent of Russia's Federal Protective Service who put this
> radioactive element in his teacup.
 
polonium
 
> the body. However, laxative preparations of calomel could
> still be purchased in the 20th century. What is the toxic
> element in calomel?
 
mercury
 
> It's a rapid killer; depending on the dose, death occurs within
> 1 to 15 minutes. In its gaseous form, this was an agent used
> in Nazi gas chambers in WW2.
 
cyanide
 
> powder". Englishwoman Mary Ann Cottone reputedly poisoned as
> many as 21 people between 1865 and 1872 with it. It was also
> used by Mortimer Brewster's spinster aunts in a Broadway play.
 
arsenic
 
> 7. To achieve a dead-white complexion, Elizabeth I and the ladies
> of her court used ceruse as a face mask known as the "Mask of
> Youth". What was the toxic ingredient in this cosmetic?
 
lead (?)
 
> 10. *What commonly eaten tropical root* contains cyanide in high
> enough concentrations to lead to death if it is improperly
> prepared, and indeed frequently does kill the women preparing it?
 
cassava
 
 
> 1. First things first. What is the literal meaning of "Islam"?
> We are looking for the most widely accepted word in English,
> not a synonym.
 
god (?)
 
> 3. A pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the five pillars of Islam.
> What is the Arabic word for this activity?
 
hajj
 
> 5. This word in Arabic means "leader". Depending on the branch
> of the faith, it can be applied to the supreme temporal head
> of the faith or simply to the leader of Friday prayers.
 
imam
 
> 6. What do we call the well-known figure known in the Koran as Isa?
 
jesus
 
> 9. Which puritan Muslims continue to dominate Saudi Arabia?
 
sunni
 
 
Rob
msb@vex.net (Mark Brader): Apr 29 03:22AM -0500

Mark Brader:
> These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2015-02-23,
> and should be interpreted accordingly... I will reveal the correct
> answers in about 3 days.
 
Sorry, I lost count of days there.
 
> prisoners. It acts as a paralytic that keeps the mind awake,
> so death comes from waking asphyxiation. Socrates is probably
> the most famous victim of the poison. Name the *plant*.
 
Hemlock. 4 for Peter, Jason, Joshua, Dan Blum, Stephen, Björn,
Calvin, Pete, Marc, Dan Tilque, Bruce, and Rob.
 
> one post-mortem sign, that of asphyxia, as it causes arrhythmic
> heart function leading to suffocation. In pop culture, there
> is a connection between this plant and lycanthropy.
 
Aconite or wolfsbane. 4 for Joshua, Dan Blum, Stephen, Pete,
Bruce, and Rob.
 
> and died 3 weeks later. It is believed that he was poisoned
> by an agent of Russia's Federal Protective Service who put this
> radioactive element in his teacup.
 
Polonium (210). 4 for Peter, Dan Blum, Erland, Stephen, Calvin,
Marc, Dan Tilque, Bruce, and Rob.
 
> the body. However, laxative preparations of calomel could
> still be purchased in the 20th century. What is the toxic
> element in calomel?
 
Mercury. I scored "mercury chloride" (which describes the *compound*
containing the toxic element) as almost correct. 4 for Peter,
Dan Blum, Stephen, Calvin, Marc, Dan Tilque, and Rob. 3 for Bruce.
 
> It's a rapid killer; depending on the dose, death occurs within
> 1 to 15 minutes. In its gaseous form, this was an agent used
> in Nazi gas chambers in WW2.
 
Cyanide. I scored "hydrogen cyanide" (which is the gaseous form)
as almost correct. 4 for Peter, Dan Blum, Stephen, Marc, Dan Tilque,
Bruce, and Rob. 3 for Erland. 2 for Calvin.
 
> powder". Englishwoman Mary Ann Cottone reputedly poisoned as
> many as 21 people between 1865 and 1872 with it. It was also
> used by Mortimer Brewster's spinster aunts in a Broadway play.
 
Arsenic. 4 for Peter, Jason, Joshua, Dan Blum, Erland, Stephen,
Björn, Pete, Marc, Dan Tilque, Bruce, and Rob.
 
> 7. To achieve a dead-white complexion, Elizabeth I and the ladies
> of her court used ceruse as a face mask known as the "Mask of
> Youth". What was the toxic ingredient in this cosmetic?
 
(White) lead. 4 for Peter, Joshua, Dan Blum, Stephen, Marc,
Dan Tilque, Bruce, and Rob.
 
> in a Japanese delicacy that can only be cooked and prepared by
> specially trained and licensed chefs. What is the *Japanese
> name* for the puffer fish?
 
Fugu. 4 for Joshua, Dan Blum, Stephen, Marc, and Bruce.
 
> delay that varies from a few hours to a full day. In "Breaking
> Bad", Walt poisons Lydia by putting this poison in the sugar
> substitute she stirs into her chamomile tea.
 
Ricin. 4 for Peter, Joshua, Stephen, Marc, Dan Tilque, and Bruce.
 
> 10. *What commonly eaten tropical root* contains cyanide in high
> enough concentrations to lead to death if it is improperly
> prepared, and indeed frequently does kill the women preparing it?
 
Cassava, manioc, or tapioca root. 4 for Joshua (the hard way),
Stephen, and Rob. 3 for Bruce.
 
 
 
> 1. First things first. What is the literal meaning of "Islam"?
> We are looking for the most widely accepted word in English,
> not a synonym.
 
Submission. And despite the question wording, "surrender" was also
accepted on a protest, so I'm taking that too. 4 for Jason, Joshua,
Marc, and Dan Tilque.
 
> 2. Which synonym for Muslim, common in medieval literature and
> still seen attached to cricket and rugby teams, originally
> referred to desert-dwellers?
 
Saracen. 4 for Peter, Calvin, and Pete.
 
> 3. A pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the five pillars of Islam.
> What is the Arabic word for this activity?
 
Hajj. 4 for Peter, Jason, Joshua, Dan Blum, Erland, Stephen, Calvin,
Pete, Marc, Dan Tilque, Bruce, and Rob.
 
> 4. Once in Jannah, or paradise, true believers will have their
> needs seen to by squads of black-eyed nymphs of perfect beauty.
> What are these creatures called?
 
Houris. 4 for Joshua, Marc, and Dan Tilque.
 
> 5. This word in Arabic means "leader". Depending on the branch
> of the faith, it can be applied to the supreme temporal head
> of the faith or simply to the leader of Friday prayers.
 
Imam. 4 for Peter, Joshua, Erland, Björn, Pete, Marc, and Rob.
 
> 6. What do we call the well-known figure known in the Koran as Isa?
 
Jesus. 4 for Peter, Joshua, Dan Blum, Erland, Stephen, Pete, Marc,
Dan Tilque, Bruce, and Rob. 3 for Calvin.
 
> 7. In many English-language newspapers in the Islamic world,
> the name of Mohammed is inevitably followed by the letters PBUH.
> What do they stand for?
 
Peace be upon him. Not "praise" and not "unto". 4 for Peter,
Joshua, and Stephen.
 
> 8. Allah created three orders of sentient beings: humans, angels,
> and which supernatural entities said to be made of "smokeless
> fire"?
 
Jinns or genies. 4 for Joshua, Dan Blum, Stephen, Marc,
and Dan Tilque.
 
> 9. Which puritan Muslims continue to dominate Saudi Arabia?
 
Wahhabis. 4 for Peter, Joshua, Dan Blum, Erland, Stephen, Marc,
and Dan Tilque. 3 for Calvin.
 
> 10. These medieval Shiite extremists were terrorists of an earlier
> age. It is said that they undertook their missions while high
> on drugs. Who were they?
 
Assassins. 4 for Joshua, Dan Blum, Erland, Björn, Marc,
and Dan Tilque.
 
 
Scores, if there are no errors:
 
GAME 6 ROUNDS-> 2 3 TOTALS
TOPICS-> Sci His
Joshua Kreitzer 28 36 64
Marc Dashevsky 32 32 64
Stephen Perry 40 20 60
Dan Tilque 28 28 56
Peter Smyth 28 24 52
Dan Blum 32 20 52
Bruce Bowler 38 8 46
Rob Parker 32 12 44
Erland Sommarskog 11 20 31
Pete Gayde 12 16 28
"Calvin" 14 14 28
Jason Kreitzer 8 8 16
Björn Lundin 8 8 16
 
--
Mark Brader | "The conversation never became heated, which would
Toronto | have been difficult in any argument where there
msb@vex.net | is a built-in cooling-down period between any
| remark and its answer." --Hal Clement, STAR LIGHT
 
My text in this article is in the public domain.
bbowler <bbowler@bigelow.org>: Apr 28 01:52PM

On Tue, 28 Apr 2015 02:05:25 -0500, Mark Brader wrote:
 
 
> 5. Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti eagerly anticipated the
> arrival of the SpaceX supply ship at the International Space Station
> this week. What present did she receive from her government?
 
A cappuccino machine
 
 
> 4. Ceremonies were held in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and
> Turkey to mark the 100th anniversary of what bloody World War I
> campaign?
 
Gallipoli
 
> 5. Name the music legend who plans to roll out his own brand of
> marijuana in Washington and Colorado, where its recreational use is
> legal.
 
Willy Nelson?
 
> 6. Sears Canada Inc. announced it is partnering with *what hockey
> legend* to launch a new line of casual menswear in the fall?
 
Gretsky?
 
> well-being through measures such as life expectancy, per capita
> incomes, and perceptions of corruption), Canada ranks 5th in
> happiness among more than 150 nations. Name *any* of the top 4.
 
Iceland
 
> 8. Name the American former Olympian and reality TV personality who
> said in a televised interview, "Yes, for all intents and purposes I
> am a woman."
 
Bruce Jenner
 
> 9. What Himalayan country was hit with a massive 7.8 magnitude
> earthquake on Saturday, leaving a death toll that has risen to more
> than 3,200?
 
Nepal
 
tool@panix.com (Dan Blum): Apr 28 02:06PM


> 1. Baseball is back in town! What team did the Toronto Blue
> Jays play (and lose to) in their home opener? Both city and
> team name required.
 
New York Mets; New York Yankees
 
> in the NHL draft lottery for the fourth time since 2010.
> Name the city and team which Connor McDavid will probably be
> calling home.
 
Sabres; Blue Jackets
 
> 4. It was announced this week that, in 2019, production of the
> Toyota Corolla will be moved from Cambridge, Ontario.
> Which country will be the new home of the Corolla?
 
Mexico; USA
 
> game loss than attempting a Guinness World record? Name the
> 11,000-pound tasty treat which University of Wisconsin students
> constructed in hopes of getting into the record books.
 
pretzel; doughnut
 
> 3-day visit to Canada. Name this world leader who returned
> home with the "Parrot Lady" statue, which mysteriously turned
> up in Canada after being stolen from his own country.
 
Cameron; Hollande
 
> 10. The glow of <answer 9>'s visit couldn't deflect the criticism
> of Stephen Harper's plan to send 200 non-combat Canadian Armed
> Forces personnel... to which country?
 
Iraq; Afghanistan
 
> Export Development Canada to loan $526,000,000 to *what
> automaker*, which has no manufacturing presence in Canada,
> and this without any guarantee of Canadian jobs?
 
Ford; GM
 
> 3. Name the former Egyptian president who was sentenced to 20 years
> in prison on charges linked to the killing of protesters in 2012.
 
Morsi
 
> 4. Ceremonies were held in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and
> Turkey to mark the 100th anniversary of what bloody World War I
> campaign?
 
Gallipoli
 
> 5. Name the music legend who plans to roll out his own brand of
> marijuana in Washington and Colorado, where its recreational
> use is legal.
 
Willie Nelson
 
> 6. Sears Canada Inc. announced it is partnering with *what hockey
> legend* to launch a new line of casual menswear in the fall?
 
Gretzky
 
> well-being through measures such as life expectancy, per capita
> incomes, and perceptions of corruption), Canada ranks 5th in
> happiness among more than 150 nations. Name *any* of the top 4.
 
Sweden
 
> 8. Name the American former Olympian and reality TV personality who
> said in a televised interview, "Yes, for all intents and purposes
> I am a woman."
 
Jenner
 
> 9. What Himalayan country was hit with a massive 7.8 magnitude
> earthquake on Saturday, leaving a death toll that has risen to
> more than 3,200?
 
Nepal
 
> 10. The Toronto Raptors were ousted in a 4-0 sweep in the first
> round of the NBA playoffs. What team routed the Raptors?
> Both city and team name are required.
 
Los Angeles Lakers
 
--
_______________________________________________________________________
Dan Blum tool@panix.com
"I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't just made it up."
Marc Dashevsky <usenet@MarcDashevsky.com>: Apr 28 09:40AM -0500

In article <fZOdnepYSeuorKLInZ2dnUU7-U2dnZ2d@vex.net>, msb@vex.net says...
> 3-day visit to Canada. Name this world leader who returned
> home with the "Parrot Lady" statue, which mysteriously turned
> up in Canada after being stolen from his own country.
Abe
 
> and this without any guarantee of Canadian jobs?
 
> 3. Name the former Egyptian president who was sentenced to 20 years
> in prison on charges linked to the killing of protesters in 2012.
Morsi
 
> 4. Ceremonies were held in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and
> Turkey to mark the 100th anniversary of what bloody World War I
> campaign?
Gallipoli
 
> 5. Name the music legend who plans to roll out his own brand of
> marijuana in Washington and Colorado, where its recreational
> use is legal.
Willie Nelson
 
> well-being through measures such as life expectancy, per capita
> incomes, and perceptions of corruption), Canada ranks 5th in
> happiness among more than 150 nations. Name *any* of the top 4.
Denmark
 
> 8. Name the American former Olympian and reality TV personality who
> said in a televised interview, "Yes, for all intents and purposes
> I am a woman."
Bruce Jenner
 
> 9. What Himalayan country was hit with a massive 7.8 magnitude
> earthquake on Saturday, leaving a death toll that has risen to
> more than 3,200?
Nepal
 
 
--
Replace "usenet" with "marc" in the e-mail address.
"Peter Smyth" <psmyth@ukf.net>: Apr 28 05:20PM

Mark Brader wrote:
 
 
> 1. Baseball is back in town! What team did the Toronto Blue
> Jays play (and lose to) in their home opener? Both city and
> team name required.
New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox
> arrival of the SpaceX supply ship at the International Space
> Station this week. What present did she receive from her
> government?
Pizza
> game loss than attempting a Guinness World record? Name the
> 11,000-pound tasty treat which University of Wisconsin students
> constructed in hopes of getting into the record books.
Pizza
> brain aneurysm at age 48. He is best known to fans of the CBC
> "Anne of Green Gables" shows as Gilbert Blythe, Anne's boyfriend
> and eventual husband. Name the actor.
Ford
> and this without any guarantee of Canadian jobs?
 
> 3. Name the former Egyptian president who was sentenced to 20 years
> in prison on charges linked to the killing of protesters in 2012.
Assad
> 4. Ceremonies were held in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and
> Turkey to mark the 100th anniversary of what bloody World War I
> campaign?
Gallipoli
> use is legal.
 
> 6. Sears Canada Inc. announced it is partnering with *what hockey
> legend* to launch a new line of casual menswear in the fall?
Gretzky, Howe
> well-being through measures such as life expectancy, per capita
> incomes, and perceptions of corruption), Canada ranks 5th in
> happiness among more than 150 nations. Name any of the top 4.
New Zealand, Norway
> 8. Name the American former Olympian and reality TV personality who
> said in a televised interview, "Yes, for all intents and purposes
> I am a woman."
Bruce Jenner
> 9. What Himalayan country was hit with a massive 7.8 magnitude
> earthquake on Saturday, leaving a death toll that has risen to
> more than 3,200?
Nepal
> 10. The Toronto Raptors were ousted in a 4-0 sweep in the first
> round of the NBA playoffs. What team routed the Raptors?
> Both city and team name are required.
Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls
 
Peter Smyth
Erland Sommarskog <esquel@sommarskog.se>: Apr 28 09:21PM +0200

> in the NHL draft lottery for the fourth time since 2010.
> Name the city and team which Connor McDavid will probably be
> calling home.
 
Buffalo

> 3-day visit to Canada. Name this world leader who returned
> home with the "Parrot Lady" statue, which mysteriously turned
> up in Canada after being stolen from his own country.
 
Modi

> 10. The glow of <answer 9>'s visit couldn't deflect the criticism
> of Stephen Harper's plan to send 200 non-combat Canadian Armed
> Forces personnel... to which country?
 
Mali


> * Game 2 (2015-04-27), Round 1 - Current Events
 
> 3. Name the former Egyptian president who was sentenced to 20 years
> in prison on charges linked to the killing of protesters in 2012.
 
Mursi
 
> 4. Ceremonies were held in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and
> Turkey to mark the 100th anniversary of what bloody World War I
> campaign?
 
Genocide of Armenians

> well-being through measures such as life expectancy, per capita
> incomes, and perceptions of corruption), Canada ranks 5th in
> happiness among more than 150 nations. Name *any* of the top 4.
 
Denmark
 
(I recall that a couple of years ago that Colombia ranked #3. I don't
know if they still are in the top, but given the troublesome situation,
that surprised me a lot.)

> 8. Name the American former Olympian and reality TV personality who
> said in a televised interview, "Yes, for all intents and purposes
> I am a woman."
 
Bruce Jenner

> 9. What Himalayan country was hit with a massive 7.8 magnitude
> earthquake on Saturday, leaving a death toll that has risen to
> more than 3,200?
 
Nepal
 
 
 
 
--
Erland Sommarskog, Stockholm, esquel@sommarskog.se
Joshua Kreitzer <gromit82@hotmail.com>: Apr 29 02:09AM

msb@vex.net (Mark Brader) wrote in news:fZOdnepYSeuorKLInZ2dnUU7-
 
> 1. Baseball is back in town! What team did the Toronto Blue
> Jays play (and lose to) in their home opener? Both city and
> team name required.
 
New York Yankees; Cleveland Indians
 
> 4. It was announced this week that, in 2019, production of the
> Toyota Corolla will be moved from Cambridge, Ontario.
> Which country will be the new home of the Corolla?
 
Mexico

> arrival of the SpaceX supply ship at the International Space
> Station this week. What present did she receive from her
> government?
 
Nutella

> smooch on Toronto-born rapper Drake at the Coachella Music
> Festival? Video captured his disgust, but he claims he simply
> didn't like the taste of her lipstick. Oh sure.
 
Madonna

> 10. The glow of <answer 9>'s visit couldn't deflect the criticism
> of Stephen Harper's plan to send 200 non-combat Canadian Armed
> Forces personnel... to which country?
 
Iraq

> * Game 2 (2015-04-27), Round 1 - Current Events
 
> 3. Name the former Egyptian president who was sentenced to 20 years
> in prison on charges linked to the killing of protesters in 2012.
 
Morsi
 
> 4. Ceremonies were held in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and
> Turkey to mark the 100th anniversary of what bloody World War I
> campaign?
 
Gallipoli

> 5. Name the music legend who plans to roll out his own brand of
> marijuana in Washington and Colorado, where its recreational
> use is legal.
 
Willie Nelson

> well-being through measures such as life expectancy, per capita
> incomes, and perceptions of corruption), Canada ranks 5th in
> happiness among more than 150 nations. Name *any* of the top 4.
 
Switzerland; Luxembourg

> 8. Name the American former Olympian and reality TV personality who
> said in a televised interview, "Yes, for all intents and purposes
> I am a woman."
 
Bruce Jenner
 
> 9. What Himalayan country was hit with a massive 7.8 magnitude
> earthquake on Saturday, leaving a death toll that has risen to
> more than 3,200?
 
Nepal
 
--
Joshua Kreitzer
gromit82@hotmail.com
swp <Stephen.W.Perry@gmail.com>: Apr 28 07:14PM -0700

On Tuesday, April 28, 2015 at 3:05:26 AM UTC-4, Mark Brader wrote:
> finished before the Pan Am Games take over the city. So we're
> now two games into the season, and I'm ready to start posting
> current-events rounds from it.
 
huzzah!
 
 
> 1. Baseball is back in town! What team did the Toronto Blue
> Jays play (and lose to) in their home opener? Both city and
> team name required.
 
tampa bay rays
 
> in the NHL draft lottery for the fourth time since 2010.
> Name the city and team which Connor McDavid will probably be
> calling home.
 
edmonton oilers
 
> grocery stores was a way of focusing attention away from Kathleen
> Wynne's plan to sell assets to fund infrastructure projects.
> The province plans to sell 60% of what utility?
 
hydro one
 
> 4. It was announced this week that, in 2019, production of the
> Toyota Corolla will be moved from Cambridge, Ontario.
> Which country will be the new home of the Corolla?
 
mexico (thanks nafta!)
 
> arrival of the SpaceX supply ship at the International Space
> Station this week. What present did she receive from her
> government?
 
a star trek uniform
 
> game loss than attempting a Guinness World record? Name the
> 11,000-pound tasty treat which University of Wisconsin students
> constructed in hopes of getting into the record books.
 
rice krispy treat (the twinkie quote from ghost busters applies here.)
 
> smooch on Toronto-born rapper Drake at the Coachella Music
> Festival? Video captured his disgust, but he claims he simply
> didn't like the taste of her lipstick. Oh sure.
 
madonna
 
> brain aneurysm at age 48. He is best known to fans of the CBC
> "Anne of Green Gables" shows as Gilbert Blythe, Anne's boyfriend
> and eventual husband. Name the actor.
 
crombie?
 
> 3-day visit to Canada. Name this world leader who returned
> home with the "Parrot Lady" statue, which mysteriously turned
> up in Canada after being stolen from his own country.
 
modi
 
> 10. The glow of <answer 9>'s visit couldn't deflect the criticism
> of Stephen Harper's plan to send 200 non-combat Canadian Armed
> Forces personnel... to which country?
 
ukraine
 
 
> * Game 2 (2015-04-27), Round 1 - Current Events
 
> 1. Toronto has a new police chief. Name him.
 
mark brader ("there's a new sheriff in town..")
 
> Export Development Canada to loan $526,000,000 to *what
> automaker*, which has no manufacturing presence in Canada,
> and this without any guarantee of Canadian jobs?
 
volkswagon
 
> 3. Name the former Egyptian president who was sentenced to 20 years
> in prison on charges linked to the killing of protesters in 2012.
 
morsi
 
> 4. Ceremonies were held in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and
> Turkey to mark the 100th anniversary of what bloody World War I
> campaign?
 
gallipoli
 
> 5. Name the music legend who plans to roll out his own brand of
> marijuana in Washington and Colorado, where its recreational
> use is legal.
 
willie nelson
 
> 6. Sears Canada Inc. announced it is partnering with *what hockey
> legend* to launch a new line of casual menswear in the fall?
 
wayne gretzky
 
> well-being through measures such as life expectancy, per capita
> incomes, and perceptions of corruption), Canada ranks 5th in
> happiness among more than 150 nations. Name *any* of the top 4.
 
switzerland ; denmark (norway is probably up there too)
 
> 8. Name the American former Olympian and reality TV personality who
> said in a televised interview, "Yes, for all intents and purposes
> I am a woman."
 
bruce jenner
 
> 9. What Himalayan country was hit with a massive 7.8 magnitude
> earthquake on Saturday, leaving a death toll that has risen to
> more than 3,200?
 
nepal
 
> 10. The Toronto Raptors were ousted in a 4-0 sweep in the first
> round of the NBA playoffs. What team routed the Raptors?
> Both city and team name are required.
 
washington wizards
 
 
swp
"Rob Parker" <robpparker@NOSPAM.optusnet.com.au.FOR.ME>: Apr 28 11:06PM +1000

> 1 Which novel begins with the line "All children, except one, grow up"?
 
Peter Pan
 
> 3 What official post did the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII,
> hold during WWII?
> 4 Which operatic heroine works in a cigarette factory?
 
Carmen
 
> 5 The Mozambique Channel separates which two land masses?
 
Africa and Madagascar
 
> 6 Who portrayed Jim Morrison in the 1991 film The Doors?
 
Val Kilmer
 
> 7 Which motor racing circuit lies 16 km northeast of Milan?
 
Imola (?)
 
> 8 Who was lead singer of The Commodores from 1968 to 1982?
 
Lionel Ritchie
 
> 9 Who co-wrote the Band Aid single Do They Know Its Christmas with Bob
> Geldof in 1984?
 
singer from Ultravox ... Midge Ure
 
> 10 What is the capital city of Vietnam?
 
Hanoi
 
 
Rob
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