- Rotating Quiz #178 - 3 Updates
- Rare Entries Contest OQ-01 Results - 7 Updates
- *Results* of Rotating Quiz 177 - 2 Updates
| swp <Stephen.W.Perry@gmail.com>: Apr 17 05:33PM -0700 welcome to rq 178. the usual rules apply. this is a fill-in-the-blank round. each blank word is worth 1 point. the word in the middle will make sense as the last and first word of a phrase, saying, movie, or popular product. for example, in blank ----- heater the missing word to complete the chain is 'space' blank space space heater I'll score this round on april 23rd after 9pm (gmt-4). The first and last letters of the answers spell out something. 1. dark ----- of london 2. broken ----- of darkness 3. jock ---- cream 4. grape ---- pop 5. wonder ----- of the year 6. bullet proof ----- defense 7. hoop ----- steak 8. best exotic marigold ----- california 9. beats ----- book 10. pirate ----- gaga 11. punch ----- driver 12. final ----- results good luck! swp |
| msb@vex.net (Mark Brader): Apr 17 09:04PM -0500 Tower, heart, itch, soda, woman, alibi, skirt, hotel, audio, radio, drunk, and... exams? ("This was harder than it looks.") -- Mark Brader | The last 10% of the performance sought contributes Toronto | one-third of the cost and two-thirds of the problems. msb@vex.net | -- Norm Augustine |
| Erland Sommarskog <esquel@sommarskog.se>: Apr 18 10:27AM +0200 > The first and last letters of the answers spell out something. Well, the first and last letters of the answers that you thought of. We'll see how well my mind-reading goes. > 1. dark ----- of london streets, prince, lord could all fit. Maybe "chocolate" too. But not "mayor", because Boris is very blond. > 2. broken ----- of darkness Since this is not confined to London, "mayor" could fit here. But "prince" sounds more poetic. > 3. jock ---- cream ice > 4. grape ---- pop fruit > 5. wonder ----- of the year girl, or for that matter, boy. > 6. bullet proof ----- defense football > 7. hoop ----- steak strip > 8. best exotic marigold ----- california from > 9. beats ----- book crazy (Well, at least "Beat Crazy" is an album from Joe Jackson.) > 10. pirate ----- gaga lady > 11. punch ----- driver bus > 12. final ----- results quiz -- Erland Sommarskog, Stockholm, esquel@sommarskog.se |
| Orlando Quattro <oquattro@magma.ca>: Apr 17 10:24AM -0400 In article <IvydnTXPyoF9DK3InZ2dnUU7-WWdnZ2d@vex.net>, msb@vex.net (Mark Brader) wrote: => Orlando Quattro: => >>> => 6. Unambiguously identify a globally recognized landmark that contains => >>> => the word "red" as part of its name. Global recognition means that a => >>> => Google search produces at least one hundred thousand hits. => >>> => => >>> => The Google search must be of the form: ("landmark name" "location") => >>> => >>> 4 Red Rocks Amphitheater (Colorado) => >>> 2 Red Square (Moscow) => >>> 2 Red Centre (Australia) => >>> 1 Red Tower (Malta) => >>> 1 Headquarters of the International Society of the Red Cross => >>> (Switzerland) => => >>> ...the Red Cross HQ, which is nevertheless a correct answer. => => Mark Brader: => >> No, it isn't. It produces *zero* hits. You searched on the words => >> individually, i.e. without quotation marks. (If there are zero hits, => >> Google does this for you automatically, but it issues a warning.) => => Dan Tilque: => > It probably produced zero hits for you because of the mistake in the => > name. It's the International *Committee*, not Society. => > => > This was my answer. When I googled it before submitting, this search got => > somewhere around 130,000 hits: => > => > "International Committee of the Red Cross Headquarters" Geneva => > => > Now, I get something like 6400 hits. => => For what it's worth, I now get about the same. => => > Why? Could be a number of things, like which server farm I got routed to... => => Yeah, these things happen. When I used questions with a google-hit => requirement I always took the entrant's word for it if they did a => correct search and got more hits than I did. => => > Another search I did before submitting was "International Red Cross => > Headquarters" Geneva. That produced 117,000 hits, both then and now. Why => > didn't that one change? Who knows. => => I get 4,050. => => > Trying other names for the building, I find that this search gives => > 980,000 hits: => > => > "headquarters of the International Red Cross" Geneva => => I also get 980,000. => => => Anyway, if it was my contest, the issue would be what the hit count => was when using the name as supplied in your entry, not what it was => when using other forms of the name. Orlando? I was startled by the unexpectedness of this as a landmark, so I took a pretty close look at it. On the next line is the precise form of the query that I supplied to Google, which includes the parentheses: ("International Committee of the Red Cross Headquarters" Switzerland) The first term is the answer exactly as submitted, and Switzerland seemed to be the most general destination. Using google.ca (the one ostensibly tailored for Canadians) the score was 1,170,000. Being deeply suspicious of Google, I reran the query several times, and the variations were all of the same order, so I decided to accept the answer. The primary reason for small variations appears to reflect changes in catalogued web sites that choose to refer to the query, which is the basis of Google's original scoring model. I have no idea why there can be variations of many orders of magnitude on occasion. It's one of the many reasons that I no longer use Google except in circumstances such as this contest. As an exercise I have just adapted my Google confusion script (designed to obscure my real queries amidst a continual stream of semi-random queries) to repeat this particular queries over an hour at random intervals of several minutes. The results were identical at approximately 1,190,000. Yes, Mark, it is much harder than it looks, and I never thought it was going to be easy in the first place. I am so glad that you ploughed this field extensively before me, enabling me to start at least somewhat warm. OQuattro -- Orlando Quattro -- oquattro at magma dot ca The Starving Artist's Garratt |
| Orlando Quattro <oquattro@magma.ca>: Apr 17 10:32AM -0400 In article <XnsA47F612F5A8BFYazorman@127.0.0.1>, Erland Sommarskog <esquel@sommarskog.se> wrote: => Mark Brader (msb@vex.net) writes: => > It wasn't a matter of "classical music" knowledge; it was a matter of => > knowledge of uses of opera music in movies. And not only in movies, => > but high-grossing ones at that. I found this one horribly tedious to => > research. => => Agreed. My first bet as "Aida" but I had to give it up, since the hits => I found at IMDB mainly were in TV things and a few were in movies with => a great revenue. I next tried Carmen and was more successful. => => The gross limit also more or less automatically disqualified older => movies for which IMDB had no data, and which one may suspect grossed => that much anyway. => => > Personally, I went with the only one I could think of, and even that one => > took me a long time to come up with. I didn't think of Red Square and => > two of the others I haven't even heard of. => => About the only one I could think of was the Red Square, but that seemed => to be too likely for a collion, so I simply googled on "red" and "landmark" => and this lead me to the Red Tower on Malta. Another well know one is the Red Fort in Delhi, India. I was pleased that entrants found possibilities previously unknown to me. => > There are definitional problems with this one too. Is a station => > "active" if it only operates for part of the year but not during => > the contest period? And how broad is the scope of "railway"? => => Yeah, I was a little anxious that Quattro would not like my answer of => Argentina, which immediately came into my mind. There is a railway and => there is a station, and there is a train stopping there every day about => nine months of the year (not in summer) on 3700 above sea level. But => it is not a train you buy a ticket with to go forth and back, but it is => a tourist train and you come back where you started. => => Overall, I was not thrilled over Quattro's question, but since Argentina => was an obvious answer to both the first and the last question, I could => not restist from entering. I know, railway people can be really boring, which is partly why I did not tighten the specification for this question. I was prepared to accept any country where there is a station at which one can alight from or board a train on some day in any year. I'll refrain from putting potential future entrants off with railway questions, but I don't promise to forego cricket, which is becoming increasingly popular in Canada. OQuattro -- Orlando Quattro -- oquattro at magma dot ca The Starving Artist's Garratt |
| Orlando Quattro <oquattro@magma.ca>: Apr 17 10:48AM -0400 In article <oquattro-73D5F0.10240917042015@unknown.hwng.net>, I <oquattro@magma.ca> wrote: => => As an exercise I have just adapted my Google confusion script (designed => to obscure my real queries amidst a continual stream of semi-random => queries) to repeat this particular queries over an hour at random => intervals of several minutes. The results were identical at => approximately 1,190,000. I decided to do a little further experimenting, and received the following results from the identical query submitted to different Google portals: Canada (google.ca) about 1,190,000 USA (google.com) about 1,190,000 UK (google.co.uk) about 1,250,000 France (google,fr) about 1,190,000 Sweden (google.se) about 1,250,000 Germany (google.de) about 1,180,000 Italy (google.it) about 1,250,000 Russia (google.ru) about 1,210,000 India (google.co.in) about 1,250,000 (formatted as 12,50,000) South Africa (google.co.za) about 1,250,000 New Zealand (google.co.nz) about 1,250,000 Australia (google.com.au) about 1,180,000 Argentina (google.com.ar) about 1,170,000 Brasil (google.com.br) about 1,180,000 I expect you could deduce something from these variations. OQuattro -- Orlando Quattro -- oquattro at magma dot ca The Starving Artist's Garratt |
| msb@vex.net (Mark Brader): Apr 17 10:22AM -0500 Orlando Quattro: > I expect you could deduce something from these variations. Well, I can deduce that Google India respects the local culture in the way it writes large numbers. (So do the others, although you naturally rendered their numbers into the way we do it. For example, the 1,180,000 from google.de would actually have been 1.180.000.) -- Mark Brader "Those who do not understand UNIX Toronto are condemned to reinvent it." msb@vex.net -- Henry Spencer My text in this article is in the public domain. |
| swp <Stephen.W.Perry@gmail.com>: Apr 17 04:50PM -0700 On Thursday, April 16, 2015 at 9:44:16 PM UTC-4, Orlando Quattro wrote: > It was interesting to see that only three of the regular orchestral > stringed instruments were chosen, and that nobody attempted to go after > some of the less obvious answers such as the harp. formal protest: you said "might be found in" and I protest your reinterpreting after the fact. I gave the example, and you took the name literally instead of focusing on what the musical group *is* informal protest: OK, what did you mean by "but NOT only in an early music ensemble." because I think that can mean the other 9 answers are wrong if taken from a certain point of view. that would change the scores dramatically. my first instinct was to pick the harp, but thought that would collide with too many others. that I managed to collide on almost all of the others is just how my luck runs in these contests. congratulations Dan, see ya in the QFTCI! swp |
| "gerson" <gerson@bigpond.net.au>: Apr 18 10:51AM +1000 "Orlando Quattro" wrote > pretty close look at it. On the next line is the precise form of the > query that I supplied to Google, which includes the parentheses: > ("International Committee of the Red Cross Headquarters" Switzerland) Well, the answer given in the answers section was the below, not the above "Headquarters of the International Society of the Red Cross" and I too think the answer should be exactly right, and not sort of like a pass mark on an exam for being close, - or was the answer not the answer in the answer section? Am I confused? Anyway, thanks for the competition, and I'll look forward to another, (although I may not be able to enter) |
| Dan Tilque <dtilque@frontier.com>: Apr 17 04:58AM -0700 gerson wrote: >> ("International Committee of the Red Cross Headquarters" Switzerland) > Well, the answer given in the answers section was the below, not the above > "Headquarters of the International Society of the Red Cross" For some reason my answer got changed in the answer section. I submitted the answer used in the query above. I didn't give the location that I used for a search, since it wasn't asked for. The national Red Cross organizations are mostly (all?) Societies, but the International org is a Committee. This may have something to do with why the answer section was wrong. Personally, I think this is one of my best outside-the-box answers I've given on a Rare Entries contest. -- Dan Tilque |
| msb@vex.net (Mark Brader): Apr 17 11:22AM -0500 Rotating Quiz #177 is over and STEPHEN PERRY wins! Congratulations! And please start RQ 178 at your earliest convenience. > In case of a tie, the first tiebreaker will be who scored on the > hardest questions. This tiebreaker was needed. Stephen scored on #2 and #12, which were only answered correctly by 3 entrants altogether, but blew #9 and #13, which 5 other entrants all got. Joe scored on #9 and #13, but missed #2 and #12. > and last name as commonly used (some are stage names). > 1. Actress, born 1951 in England. Starred for 5 seasons in a TV > role as a 19th-century doctor. Jane Seymour. (Real name at birth, Joyce Frankenburg.) Joe, Calvin, Peter, and Stephen got this. > 2. Businessman, born 1932 in New Jersey, died 2002. Founded a > fast-food chain and named it after a family member's nickname. Dave Thomas. Stephen, Marc, and Dan got this. The chain is Wendy's; his daughter's actual name is Melinda. > 3. Actress, born 1982 in New York. Oscar nominee for "Rachel > Getting Married" (2008) and winner for "Les Misérables" (2012). Anne Hathaway. Joe, Calvin, Peter, and Stephen got this. > 4. Politician, born 1928 in Oregon, died 2003. He served two > terms in the US Senate as a Democrat representing Illinois, > but his 1988 try for the presidency was short-lived. Paul Simon. Joe, Stephen, Marc, and Dan got this. > 5. Actor, born 1925 in Wales, died 1958. Nominated for 7 Oscars, > from "My Cousin Rachel" (1952) to "Equus" (1977), but never won. Richard Burton. (Real name Richard Jenkins.) Joe, Calvin, Peter, Stephen, Marc, and Dan got this. Sorry about the "1958". 58 was actually his age at death, in 1984. > 6. Director, born 1969 in England. His first feature was "Hunger" > (2008); Oscar-nominated for "12 Years a Slave" (2013). Steve McQueen. Joe, Stephen, and Marc got this. > 7. Composer, born 1854 in Germany, died 1921. Best known for the > German-language opera "Hansel and Gretel". Engelbert Humperdinck. Joe, Peter, Stephen, and Marc got this. > 8. Woman born about 1555 in England, died 1623. Little is known > about her, but her husband remains very famous today. Anne Hathaway. (Wife of William Shakespeare.) Joe, Calvin, Peter, and Stephen got this. > 9. Revolutionary, born 1890 in Ireland, died 1922 in an ambush. > A leading member of the provisional government of the time. Michael Collins. Joe, Calvin, Peter, Marc, and Dan got this. > 10. Singer-songrwriter, born 1941 in New Jersey. Winner of 12 > Grammys from "Mrs. Robinson" (1968) to "Graceland" (1987). Paul Simon. Everyone got this -- Joe, Erland, Calvin, Peter, Stephen, Marc, and Dan. > 11. Explorer and writer, born 1821 in England, died 1890. Disguised > himself as a Muslim to visit Mecca, searched for source of > the Nile. Richard Burton. Joe, Peter, Stephen, Marc, and Dan got this. > 12. Actor, born 1949 in Ontario. Best known for comedy work, > including the "SCTV Network". Dave Thomas. Stephen, Marc, and Dan got this. > 13. Astronaut, born 1930 in Italy. For a time in 1969 he was over > 2,000 miles away from the nearest other human. Michael Collins. (The Apollo 11 astronaut who stayed in orbit while the other two landed on the Moon.) Joe, Calvin, Peter, Marc, and Dan got this. > 14. Queen, born about 1508 in England, died 1537 soon after giving > birth to a future boy king. Jane Seymour. (Wife of Henry VIII, mother of Edward VI.) Joe, Calvin, Peter, and Stephen got this. > 15. Singer, born 1936 in India. Famous for 1960s/70s ballads such > as "Release Me" and "After the Lovin'". Engelbert Humperdinck. (Real name Arnold Dorsey, previous stage name Gerry Dorsey.) Joe, Erland, Peter, Stephen, and Marc got this. > 16. Actor, born 1930 in Indiana, died 1980. Played title character > "The Cincinnati Kid" (1965); Oscar-nominated for "The Sand > Pebbles" (1966). Steve McQueen. Joe, Stephen, and Marc got this. And the hidden theme should now be obvious. Fair credit: although I came up with the idea independently, after I started researching the quiz I found by this Sporcle quiz: http://www.sporcle.com/games/Phonglehorn/SameName And I used about three pairs of names that I found there and hadn't thought of before. Scores, if there are no errors: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 TOTALS Stephen Perry 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 14 "Joe" 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 14 Marc Dashevsky 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 12 Peter Smyth 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 11 Dan Tilque 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 8 "Calvin" 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 8 Erland Sommarskog 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 4 3 4 4 6 3 4 4 5 7 5 3 5 4 5 3 -- Mark Brader | "You have seen this incident, based on sworn Toronto | testimony. Can you prove that it didn't happen?" msb@vex.net | -- Ed Wood, Plan 9 from Outer Space My text in this article is in the public domain. |
| swp <Stephen.W.Perry@gmail.com>: Apr 17 10:58AM -0700 On Friday, April 17, 2015 at 12:22:27 PM UTC-4, Mark Brader wrote: > Rotating Quiz #177 is over and STEPHEN PERRY wins! Congratulations! > And please start RQ 178 at your earliest convenience. thank you. I am still searching for inspiration, you wouldn't like what I have in mind currently. > were only answered correctly by 3 entrants altogether, but blew > #9 and #13, which 5 other entrants all got. Joe scored on #9 and #13, > but missed #2 and #12. I'd protest, but it wouldn't change the results. meh. > > In each case, simply name the person described. Give the first > > and last name as commonly used (some are stage names). commonly ... where? > > 9. Revolutionary, born 1890 in Ireland, died 1922 in an ambush. > > A leading member of the provisional government of the time. > Michael Collins. Joe, Calvin, Peter, Marc, and Dan got this. mike collins is how he is commonly referred to here. > Michael Collins. (The Apollo 11 astronaut who stayed in orbit > while the other two landed on the Moon.) Joe, Calvin, Peter, Marc, > and Dan got this. I knew him as 'mike.' his name is mike collins. I'll have the next round up later today. swp |
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