• Erland's Occasional Quiz

    From Erland Sommarskog@21:1/5 to All on Mon Jan 3 20:48:22 2022
    It's time for one of my occasional quizzes again. This time it is
    just a plain quiz of 12 unrelated questions, worth one point each.

    As always answer to the newsgroup, and answer only from your own
    knowledge.

    In case of a tie, I will make a subjective evaluation of the incorrect
    answers to determine the winner. (Where no answer may rank better
    than a really bad answer!)

    I plan to score this on Saturday 8th.

    Have fun!

    1. According to a census, this island had a population of 7.7 million
    in 1831. However, the current population is about 10 % less,
    6.9 million. Which is the island?

    2. The denizens of which national capital are known as Porteños?

    3. Judit Polgár belongs to the top élite in which field?

    4. The World Championship for Juniors in which sport was slated
    to run for the better part of this week, but was cancelled last
    week after a few games due to several cases of covid-19?

    5. Which family situation do President of the European Commission
    Ursula von der Leyen and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have
    in common? (At least according to the official information!)

    6. "The Mystery of the Spiteful Letters", "The Castle of Adventures"
    and "Five Go Off in a Caravan" are all titles from which author
    of children's books?

    7. The Hindenburg disaster became the end of what era?

    8. In 1960, which country was the first where a woman reached the
    office of Prime Minster through elections?

    9. If you are making a choice between Lapsang Souchong, Formosa Oolong
    and Darjeeling, what are you contemplating to buy?

    10. Which 1988 action movie takes place in the Nakatomi Plaza tower?

    11. Richard Neville was a key figure during a troubled time in
    British history. He is often referred to by which moniker?

    12. When someone says that this year's model is A(H3N2), what are they
    talking about?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Mark Brader@21:1/5 to All on Mon Jan 3 14:31:26 2022
    Erland Sommarskog:
    1. According to a census, this island had a population of 7.7 million
    in 1831. However, the current population is about 10 % less,
    6.9 million. Which is the island?

    Well, it's clearly not Manhattan, which was my instantaneous thought.
    I'll guess Hong Kong -- hoping that that's the name of the island as
    well as the city that's mostly or entirely on it.

    2. The denizens of which national capital are known as Porteños?

    Buenos Aires?

    3. Judit Polgár belongs to the top élite in which field?

    Chess.

    4. The World Championship for Juniors in which sport was slated
    to run for the better part of this week, but was cancelled last
    week after a few games due to several cases of covid-19?

    Hockey.

    5. Which family situation do President of the European Commission
    Ursula von der Leyen and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have
    in common? (At least according to the official information!)

    Recent marriage to someone who was already the other parent of their child?

    6. "The Mystery of the Spiteful Letters", "The Castle of Adventures"
    and "Five Go Off in a Caravan" are all titles from which author
    of children's books?

    The Famous Five?

    7. The Hindenburg disaster became the end of what era?

    The era of commercial airship travel.

    8. In 1960, which country was the first where a woman reached the
    office of Prime Minster through elections?

    India?

    9. If you are making a choice between Lapsang Souchong, Formosa Oolong
    and Darjeeling, what are you contemplating to buy?

    Tea.

    10. Which 1988 action movie takes place in the Nakatomi Plaza tower?

    "Die Hard".

    11. Richard Neville was a key figure during a troubled time in
    British history. He is often referred to by which moniker?

    Hmm. "Neville" makes me think of Neville Chamberlain and, of course,
    the eastern terminus of the #501 Queen streetcar. But I think this
    person was earlier, something to do with royal intrigue maybe. I have
    no guess.

    12. When someone says that this year's model is A(H3N2), what are they
    talking about?

    Influenza vaccines, I suppose.
    --
    Mark Brader | At midnight in Toronto a great many
    Toronto | strange things do not happen.
    msb@vex.net | -- "Globe and Mail" editorial, 1964

    My text in this article is in the public domain.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Joshua Kreitzer@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Mon Jan 3 17:30:51 2022
    On Monday, January 3, 2022 at 1:48:22 PM UTC-6, Erland Sommarskog wrote:

    1. According to a census, this island had a population of 7.7 million
    in 1831. However, the current population is about 10 % less,
    6.9 million. Which is the island?

    Ireland

    2. The denizens of which national capital are known as Porteños?

    Buenos Aires

    3. Judit Polgár belongs to the top élite in which field?

    chess

    8. In 1960, which country was the first where a woman reached the
    office of Prime Minster through elections?

    Sri Lanka

    9. If you are making a choice between Lapsang Souchong, Formosa Oolong
    and Darjeeling, what are you contemplating to buy?

    tea

    10. Which 1988 action movie takes place in the Nakatomi Plaza tower?

    "Die Hard"

    12. When someone says that this year's model is A(H3N2), what are they talking about?

    flu virus (?)

    --
    Joshua Kreitzer
    gromit82@hotmail.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Dan Tilque@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Tue Jan 4 16:40:14 2022
    On 1/3/22 11:48 AM, Erland Sommarskog wrote:

    Have fun!

    1. According to a census, this island had a population of 7.7 million
    in 1831. However, the current population is about 10 % less,
    6.9 million. Which is the island?

    Ireland


    2. The denizens of which national capital are known as Porteños?

    3. Judit Polgár belongs to the top élite in which field?

    4. The World Championship for Juniors in which sport was slated
    to run for the better part of this week, but was cancelled last
    week after a few games due to several cases of covid-19?

    hockey


    5. Which family situation do President of the European Commission
    Ursula von der Leyen and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have
    in common? (At least according to the official information!)

    6. "The Mystery of the Spiteful Letters", "The Castle of Adventures"
    and "Five Go Off in a Caravan" are all titles from which author
    of children's books?

    7. The Hindenburg disaster became the end of what era?

    8. In 1960, which country was the first where a woman reached the
    office of Prime Minster through elections?

    Sri Lanka (Ceylon at the time)


    9. If you are making a choice between Lapsang Souchong, Formosa Oolong
    and Darjeeling, what are you contemplating to buy?

    tea


    10. Which 1988 action movie takes place in the Nakatomi Plaza tower?

    11. Richard Neville was a key figure during a troubled time in
    British history. He is often referred to by which moniker?

    12. When someone says that this year's model is A(H3N2), what are they
    talking about?

    flu


    --
    Dan Tilque

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Pete Gayde@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Wed Jan 5 00:22:09 2022
    Erland Sommarskog wrote:
    It's time for one of my occasional quizzes again. This time it is
    just a plain quiz of 12 unrelated questions, worth one point each.

    As always answer to the newsgroup, and answer only from your own
    knowledge.

    In case of a tie, I will make a subjective evaluation of the incorrect answers to determine the winner. (Where no answer may rank better
    than a really bad answer!)

    I plan to score this on Saturday 8th.

    Have fun!

    1. According to a census, this island had a population of 7.7 million
    in 1831. However, the current population is about 10 % less,
    6.9 million. Which is the island?

    2. The denizens of which national capital are known as Porteños?

    Lisbon


    3. Judit Polgár belongs to the top élite in which field?

    4. The World Championship for Juniors in which sport was slated
    to run for the better part of this week, but was cancelled last
    week after a few games due to several cases of covid-19?

    Ice Hockey


    5. Which family situation do President of the European Commission
    Ursula von der Leyen and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have
    in common? (At least according to the official information!)

    6. "The Mystery of the Spiteful Letters", "The Castle of Adventures"
    and "Five Go Off in a Caravan" are all titles from which author
    of children's books?

    7. The Hindenburg disaster became the end of what era?

    Zeppelin era


    8. In 1960, which country was the first where a woman reached the
    office of Prime Minster through elections?

    Iceland


    9. If you are making a choice between Lapsang Souchong, Formosa Oolong
    and Darjeeling, what are you contemplating to buy?

    Tea


    10. Which 1988 action movie takes place in the Nakatomi Plaza tower?

    Die Hard


    11. Richard Neville was a key figure during a troubled time in
    British history. He is often referred to by which moniker?

    12. When someone says that this year's model is A(H3N2), what are they
    talking about?

    Flu



    Pete Gayde

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Dan Blum@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Wed Jan 5 23:18:22 2022
    Erland Sommarskog <esquel@sommarskog.se> wrote:

    1. According to a census, this island had a population of 7.7 million
    in 1831. However, the current population is about 10 % less,
    6.9 million. Which is the island?

    Ireland

    2. The denizens of which national capital are known as Porte?os?

    Lisbon

    3. Judit Polg?r belongs to the top ?lite in which field?

    Chess

    6. "The Mystery of the Spiteful Letters", "The Castle of Adventures"
    and "Five Go Off in a Caravan" are all titles from which author
    of children's books?

    Enid Blyton

    7. The Hindenburg disaster became the end of what era?

    airship era

    8. In 1960, which country was the first where a woman reached the
    office of Prime Minster through elections?

    Denmark

    9. If you are making a choice between Lapsang Souchong, Formosa Oolong
    and Darjeeling, what are you contemplating to buy?

    tea

    10. Which 1988 action movie takes place in the Nakatomi Plaza tower?

    Die Hard

    11. Richard Neville was a key figure during a troubled time in
    British history. He is often referred to by which moniker?

    Kingmaker

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

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From swp@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Thu Jan 6 16:03:53 2022
    On Monday, January 3, 2022 at 2:48:22 PM UTC-5, Erland Sommarskog wrote:
    It's time for one of my occasional quizzes again. This time it is
    just a plain quiz of 12 unrelated questions, worth one point each.

    As always answer to the newsgroup, and answer only from your own
    knowledge.

    In case of a tie, I will make a subjective evaluation of the incorrect answers to determine the winner. (Where no answer may rank better
    than a really bad answer!)

    I plan to score this on Saturday 8th.

    Have fun!

    1. According to a census, this island had a population of 7.7 million
    in 1831. However, the current population is about 10 % less,
    6.9 million. Which is the island?

    singapore

    2. The denizens of which national capital are known as Porteños?

    argentina

    3. Judit Polgár belongs to the top élite in which field?

    chess

    4. The World Championship for Juniors in which sport was slated
    to run for the better part of this week, but was cancelled last
    week after a few games due to several cases of covid-19?

    world junior ice hockey chapionships

    5. Which family situation do President of the European Commission
    Ursula von der Leyen and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have
    in common? (At least according to the official information!)

    ex-lovers? those spicy late night trade negotiations can be very sexually charged

    6. "The Mystery of the Spiteful Letters", "The Castle of Adventures"
    and "Five Go Off in a Caravan" are all titles from which author
    of children's books?

    enid blyton

    7. The Hindenburg disaster became the end of what era?

    airship era

    8. In 1960, which country was the first where a woman reached the
    office of Prime Minster through elections?

    sri lanka (sirimavo bandaranaike)

    9. If you are making a choice between Lapsang Souchong, Formosa Oolong
    and Darjeeling, what are you contemplating to buy?

    tea

    10. Which 1988 action movie takes place in the Nakatomi Plaza tower?

    die hard

    11. Richard Neville was a key figure during a troubled time in
    British history. He is often referred to by which moniker?

    warwick the king maker

    12. When someone says that this year's model is A(H3N2), what are they talking about?

    bird flu

    swp, who is double vaccinated, had the delta variant, got a booster shot 5 weeks ago and still managed to get covid again

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Erland Sommarskog@21:1/5 to All on Sat Jan 8 20:47:51 2022
    This quiz is over, and the winner is STEPHEN W. PERRY who for the
    next 24 hours can enjoy the unanimous devotion of this newsgroup!

    And we all hope that you recover from covid soon. I hope that given
    your shots and previous attack your symptoms are mild!

    Here is the score table:

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total -----------------------------------------------------
    Stephen P - - 1 1 - 1 1 1 1 1 1 - 8
    Dan B 1 - 1 - - 1 1 - 1 1 1 - 7
    Joshua K 1 1 1 - - - - 1 1 1 - 1 7
    Mark B - 1 1 1 - - 1 - 1 1 - - 6
    Pete G - - - 1 - - 1 - 1 1 - 1 5
    Dan T 1 - - 1 - - - 1 1 - - 1 5

    And here are the correct answers.

    1. According to a census, this island had a population of 7.7 million
    in 1831. However, the current population is about 10 % less,
    6.9 million. Which is the island?

    Ireland. 1831, that was before the starvation disaster in the 1842.

    2. The denizens of which national capital are known as Porteños?

    Buenos Aires. Which is in Argentina, but I asked for the city,
    Two entrants had Lisbon. Had that been the case, the word would
    have been spelled "Portenhos". (When I google that word, I end
    up in Buenos Aires again.)

    3. Judit Polgár belongs to the top élite in which field?

    Chess.

    4. The World Championship for Juniors in which sport was slated
    to run for the better part of this week, but was cancelled last
    week after a few games due to several cases of covid-19?

    Ice hockey. Hockey was sufficient. They would not play a world championship
    in field hockey this time of year, would they?

    5. Which family situation do President of the European Commission
    Ursula von der Leyen and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have
    in common? (At least according to the official information!)

    Both have seven children. Ursula von der Leyen's children all have
    the same father, her husband. This in difference to Boris Johnson
    who has children with three different women, including his current
    wife, whom he married while in office, and who has given birth twice
    since. Rumours do not exclude that there might be more, whence the
    parenetical remark.

    6. "The Mystery of the Spiteful Letters", "The Castle of Adventures"
    and "Five Go Off in a Caravan" are all titles from which author
    of children's books?

    Enid Blyton. All these titles are from 1946.

    7. The Hindenburg disaster became the end of what era?

    The era of commercial airship travel. All allusions to airship or
    Zeppelin were OK.

    8. In 1960, which country was the first where a woman reached the
    office of Prime Minster through elections?

    Sri Lanka. (Sirimavo Bandaranaike). I'm impressed that so many entrants
    got his one. Certainly not the first-hand guess. I'm even more impressed
    by Stephen of remembering her name!

    9. If you are making a choice between Lapsang Souchong, Formosa Oolong
    and Darjeeling, what are you contemplating to buy?

    Tea

    10. Which 1988 action movie takes place in the Nakatomi Plaza tower?

    Die Hard

    11. Richard Neville was a key figure during a troubled time in
    British history. He is often referred to by which moniker?

    Kingmaker

    While himself being a descendant of John of Gaunt, and thus belonging
    to the house of Lancaster, the 16th Earl of Warwick (as he might
    be more known as) was a close ally of Richard of York, and was
    instrumetnal of Edward IV's ascension to the throne.

    Later, Warwick got more and more displeased with Edward, and first
    tried to replace him with his brother, but this failed. Instead he
    allied with the Lancaster leader, Queen Margret, and brought back
    Henry VI. But Edward came back, and in the decisive battle between
    the two, Warwick lost his life.

    12. When someone says that this year's model is A(H3N2), what are they
    talking about?

    Seasonal flu. Any mention of flu was OK, as long it was not overly
    specific in the wrong direction. I did not approve "bird flu", since
    those are different strains. (The one in the question is the one behind
    the Hongkong flu in 1968.) Nor did I approve of "Influenza vaccine",
    since the latter combination really is the identification of the virus. Hopefully, the vaccine model of the year targets the same strain that
    causes the flu, but they do not always bet on the right horse.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Mark Brader@21:1/5 to All on Sat Jan 8 15:53:16 2022
    Erland Sommarskog:
    12. When someone says that this year's model is A(H3N2), what are they
    talking about?

    Seasonal flu. Any mention of flu was OK, as long it was not overly
    specific in the wrong direction. I did not approve "bird flu", since
    those are different strains. (The one in the question is the one behind
    the Hongkong flu in 1968.) Nor did I approve of "Influenza vaccine",
    since the latter combination really is the identification of the virus.

    You said "model", implying that you were talking about something
    that is designed, therefore not the disease strain itself.

    I have seen flu strain identifiers like "H3N2", but not like "A(H3N2)".
    I guessed that the "A" part referred to the vaccine in relation to the
    flu strain.

    Hopefully, the vaccine model of the year targets the same strain that
    causes the flu, but they do not always bet on the right horse.

    True, but I think irrelevant to the question wording.
    --
    Mark Brader, Toronto "If disapproval we will drawback."
    msb@vex.net --seen on a box of cookies

    My text in this article is in the public domain.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Dan Tilque@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Sat Jan 8 22:14:31 2022
    On 1/8/22 11:47 AM, Erland Sommarskog wrote:


    4. The World Championship for Juniors in which sport was slated
    to run for the better part of this week, but was cancelled last
    week after a few games due to several cases of covid-19?

    Ice hockey. Hockey was sufficient. They would not play a world championship in field hockey this time of year, would they?

    The 2021 Women's FIH Hockey Junior World Cup was scheduled for Dec 5-12,
    2021, in South Africa but postponed for the same reason. So Field Hockey
    as an answer was only off by about a month.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Women%27s_FIH_Hockey_Junior_World_Cup

    --
    Dan Tilque

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Erland Sommarskog@21:1/5 to Dan Tilque on Sun Jan 9 12:30:42 2022
    Dan Tilque (dtilque@frontier.com) writes:
    The 2021 Women's FIH Hockey Junior World Cup was scheduled for Dec 5-12, 2021, in South Africa but postponed for the same reason. So Field Hockey
    as an answer was only off by about a month.


    Not exactly, as that tournament was postponed before it started, as I understand it. The junior ice hockey tournament for men played about two
    games per team before they gave up. By then two games had ended 1-0 because
    the losing teams had corona cases.

    IIHF had also scheduled to hold Junior World Championships for women,
    which would have taken place in two towns here in Sweden now in January. However, this tournament was called off before Christmas, resulting in
    some spiteful comments like "so are more infectious than the boys?" I have
    not heard any further comments after the fiasco with the men's tournament.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Erland Sommarskog@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Sun Jan 9 19:14:27 2022
    Erland Sommarskog (esquel@sommarskog.se) writes:
    Ice hockey. Hockey was sufficient. They would not play a world
    championship in field hockey this time of year, would they?


    In addition to Dan's note: I should know better. Many years ago,
    I was travelling in Argentina in January, and I picked up a local
    news paper. Looking at the results column in sport pages, I happened
    to notice a headline reading HOCKEY. They had the result from the
    semifinals in a Panamerican Cup or similar. I thought "why not",
    but I found it odd that USA and Canada played against each other already
    in the semifinals.

    Later, when seeing some girls play field hockey in a park in Tucumán,
    that the cup might not have been about ice hockey... (Where I come from,
    field hockey is something very exotic.)

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Erland Sommarskog@21:1/5 to All on Sun Mar 5 18:35:50 2023
    It's time for one of my occasional quizzes again. This time it is just
    a random set of questions - but no sports questions! I hope this to be
    a fairly simple one (but I've been wrong before on that point :-)

    As always, post your answers to the newsgroup. Use your own knowledge only.
    Do not consult sources, wives, husbands or cats.

    I plan to score this quiz on Friday 10th. In case of a tie, I will
    primarily make a subjective judgement of the incorrect answers to name
    a winner.

    Have fun

    1. Chaco is a geographic natural region that spans over several countries.
    Name any of them.

    2. Which controversial organisation was founded by Hassan al-Banna in 1928?

    3. "Rosebud" is an important word in which classic movie?

    4. Who is Olaf Scholtz?

    5. Rurik is a mythic legendary figure who was the ancestor of the
    rulers in several state formations. Name any of these.

    6. This creature starts its life in the middle of the deep ocean, but
    finds it ways to the continental shores where it travels upstream into
    fresh-water lakes and lives for many years, before eventually returning
    to the middle of the ocean to reproduce and die. What creature is this?

    7. In the field of energy production, what does SMR stand for?

    8. Armenian is most closely related to which of the following languages:
    Georgian, Hebrew, Hungarian, Kurdish or Turkish?

    9. In the novel "The Nine Tailors" by Dorothy Sayers, Lord Peter Whimsey
    concludes that he was himself involved in killing the victim. How?

    10. Reportedly, there are visitors to New Zealand who think they see a
    kiwi when they see this bird:
    http://privat.sommarskog.se/NZ2018/00-Intro/Stor-0310_IMG_0424-en.html
    And while this bird also has a four-letter name, it is not a kiwi. Give
    the name, or if you don't know, explain why this cannot be a kiwi.

    11. This week, on Wednesday 8th, sees the global celebration of what?

    12. The 2nd of this month a great musician passed away at the age of 90.
    In the 1960s, this sax player was an integral member in Miles Davis
    Quintet. In the 70s and 80s he was the co-leader of one of the most
    renowned acts in fusion music. After that he continued as a solo
    artist and also as a leader for a quartet that bore his own name. Who
    am I talking about?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Dan Blum@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Sun Mar 5 21:48:22 2023
    Erland Sommarskog <esquel@sommarskog.se> wrote:

    1. Chaco is a geographic natural region that spans over several countries.
    Name any of them.

    Bolivia

    3. "Rosebud" is an important word in which classic movie?

    Citizen Kane

    5. Rurik is a mythic legendary figure who was the ancestor of the
    rulers in several state formations. Name any of these.

    Sweden

    8. Armenian is most closely related to which of the following languages:
    Georgian, Hebrew, Hungarian, Kurdish or Turkish?

    Turkish

    9. In the novel "The Nine Tailors" by Dorothy Sayers, Lord Peter Whimsey
    concludes that he was himself involved in killing the victim. How?

    he was one of the change-ringers and the victim was killed by the bell sounds

    10. Reportedly, there are visitors to New Zealand who think they see a
    kiwi when they see this bird:
    http://privat.sommarskog.se/NZ2018/00-Intro/Stor-0310_IMG_0424-en.html
    And while this bird also has a four-letter name, it is not a kiwi. Give
    the name, or if you don't know, explain why this cannot be a kiwi.

    weka
    (which it says on the page)

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

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Joshua Kreitzer@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Sun Mar 5 13:21:02 2023
    On Sunday, March 5, 2023 at 11:35:52 AM UTC-6, Erland Sommarskog wrote:

    1. Chaco is a geographic natural region that spans over several countries. Name any of them.

    Bolivia

    2. Which controversial organisation was founded by Hassan al-Banna in 1928?

    Muslim Brotherhood

    3. "Rosebud" is an important word in which classic movie?

    "Citizen Kane"

    5. Rurik is a mythic legendary figure who was the ancestor of the
    rulers in several state formations. Name any of these.

    Russia

    8. Armenian is most closely related to which of the following languages: Georgian, Hebrew, Hungarian, Kurdish or Turkish?

    Georgian

    10. Reportedly, there are visitors to New Zealand who think they see a
    kiwi when they see this bird: http://privat.sommarskog.se/NZ2018/00-Intro/Stor-0310_IMG_0424-en.html
    And while this bird also has a four-letter name, it is not a kiwi. Give
    the name, or if you don't know, explain why this cannot be a kiwi.

    The linked page specifically gives the bird's name, so I will have to disqualify myself from this question. (As should everyone else unless they don't follow the link.)

    --
    Joshua Kreitzer
    gromit82@hotmail.com

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  • From Erland Sommarskog@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Sun Mar 5 23:25:28 2023
    Erland Sommarskog (esquel@sommarskog.se) writes:
    10. Reportedly, there are visitors to New Zealand who think they see a
    kiwi when they see this bird:
    http://privat.sommarskog.se/NZ2018/00-Intro/Stor-0310_IMG_0424-en.html
    And while this bird also has a four-letter name, it is not a kiwi.
    Give the name, or if you don't know, explain why this cannot be a
    kiwi.

    Oops! I goofed on this one. Instead of giving the link to the image
    directly, I gave the link to the page where it appears on, which gives
    you the name of the bird *and* why it cannot be a kiwi.

    I guess this quiz only has eleven questions then. Sorry about that.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Mark Brader@21:1/5 to All on Sun Mar 5 22:26:18 2023
    Erland Sommarskog:
    1. Chaco is a geographic natural region that spans over several countries.
    Name any of them.

    Bolivia.

    2. Which controversial organisation was founded by Hassan al-Banna in 1928?

    Arab League? (Second guess would be OPEC.)

    3. "Rosebud" is an important word in which classic movie?

    "Citizen Kane".

    4. Who is Olaf Scholtz?

    Defense minister of Germany.

    5. Rurik is a mythic legendary figure who was the ancestor of the
    rulers in several state formations. Name any of these.

    Sweden?

    8. Armenian is most closely related to which of the following languages:
    Georgian, Hebrew, Hungarian, Kurdish or Turkish?

    Georgian has to be a decoy, but I'll go with it anyway.

    9. In the novel "The Nine Tailors" by Dorothy Sayers, Lord Peter Whimsey

    Wimsey.

    concludes that he was himself involved in killing the victim. How?

    By participating in a bell-ringing team.

    10. Reportedly, there are visitors to New Zealand who think they see a
    kiwi when they see this bird:
    http://privat.sommarskog.se/NZ2018/00-Intro/Stor-0310_IMG_0424-en.html
    And while this bird also has a four-letter name, it is not a kiwi. Give
    the name, or if you don't know, explain why this cannot be a kiwi.

    Well http://privat.sommarskog.se/NZ2018/00-Intro/Stor-0310_IMG_0424-en.html says "Weka is a flightless bird which you encouter in some places on
    New Zealand. Some people think they have seen a kiwi when they spot a
    weka, but nothing could be more wrong. (Kiwis are strictly nocturnal.)"
    --
    Mark Brader | "Life is mundane until it is not,
    Toronto | and then the mundane can look serene."
    msb@vex.net | --David Maraniss

    My text in this article is in the public domain.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From swp@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Sun Mar 5 16:51:14 2023
    On Sunday, March 5, 2023 at 12:35:52 PM UTC-5, Erland Sommarskog wrote:
    It's time for one of my occasional quizzes again. This time it is just
    a random set of questions - but no sports questions! I hope this to be
    a fairly simple one (but I've been wrong before on that point :-)

    As always, post your answers to the newsgroup. Use your own knowledge only. Do not consult sources, wives, husbands or cats.

    I plan to score this quiz on Friday 10th. In case of a tie, I will
    primarily make a subjective judgement of the incorrect answers to name
    a winner.

    Have fun

    1. Chaco is a geographic natural region that spans over several countries. Name any of them.

    united states (south western)

    2. Which controversial organisation was founded by Hassan al-Banna in 1928?

    muslim brotherhood

    3. "Rosebud" is an important word in which classic movie?

    citizen kane

    4. Who is Olaf Scholtz?

    german chancellor

    5. Rurik is a mythic legendary figure who was the ancestor of the
    rulers in several state formations. Name any of these.

    kievan rus

    6. This creature starts its life in the middle of the deep ocean, but
    finds it ways to the continental shores where it travels upstream into fresh-water lakes and lives for many years, before eventually returning
    to the middle of the ocean to reproduce and die. What creature is this?

    some type of eel

    7. In the field of energy production, what does SMR stand for?

    small modular reactor (easy to make, hard to fuel)

    8. Armenian is most closely related to which of the following languages: Georgian, Hebrew, Hungarian, Kurdish or Turkish?

    kurdish?

    9. In the novel "The Nine Tailors" by Dorothy Sayers, Lord Peter Whimsey concludes that he was himself involved in killing the victim. How?

    wag:
    he was among the bell ringers, the sound of which covered up the gunshot

    10. Reportedly, there are visitors to New Zealand who think they see a
    kiwi when they see this bird: http://privat.sommarskog.se/NZ2018/00-Intro/Stor-0310_IMG_0424-en.html
    And while this bird also has a four-letter name, it is not a kiwi. Give
    the name, or if you don't know, explain why this cannot be a kiwi.

    weka, from your link. they are not nocturnal

    11. This week, on Wednesday 8th, sees the global celebration of what?

    international women's day

    12. The 2nd of this month a great musician passed away at the age of 90.
    In the 1960s, this sax player was an integral member in Miles Davis
    Quintet. In the 70s and 80s he was the co-leader of one of the most
    renowned acts in fusion music. After that he continued as a solo
    artist and also as a leader for a quartet that bore his own name. Who
    am I talking about?

    wayne shorter I suppose


    swp

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  • From Dan Tilque@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Sun Mar 5 17:48:07 2023
    On 3/5/23 09:35, Erland Sommarskog wrote:

    Have fun

    1. Chaco is a geographic natural region that spans over several countries.
    Name any of them.

    Paraguay


    2. Which controversial organisation was founded by Hassan al-Banna in 1928?

    Muslim Brotherhood


    3. "Rosebud" is an important word in which classic movie?

    Citizen Kane


    4. Who is Olaf Scholtz?

    Chancellor of Germany


    5. Rurik is a mythic legendary figure who was the ancestor of the
    rulers in several state formations. Name any of these.

    6. This creature starts its life in the middle of the deep ocean, but
    finds it ways to the continental shores where it travels upstream into
    fresh-water lakes and lives for many years, before eventually returning
    to the middle of the ocean to reproduce and die. What creature is this?

    eels


    7. In the field of energy production, what does SMR stand for?

    8. Armenian is most closely related to which of the following languages:
    Georgian, Hebrew, Hungarian, Kurdish or Turkish?

    Kurdish


    9. In the novel "The Nine Tailors" by Dorothy Sayers, Lord Peter Whimsey
    concludes that he was himself involved in killing the victim. How?

    10. Reportedly, there are visitors to New Zealand who think they see a
    kiwi when they see this bird:
    http://privat.sommarskog.se/NZ2018/00-Intro/Stor-0310_IMG_0424-en.html
    And while this bird also has a four-letter name, it is not a kiwi. Give
    the name, or if you don't know, explain why this cannot be a kiwi.

    I'm sure others have told you that you failed to note the text below the picture, which gave away the name of the weka. So I'm going to guess
    you're not going to count that answer, since everyone could get it.

    As far as the difference, the main one I noticed is that the weka's
    feathers are interlocked like birds that fly, so their shape is smooth.
    Kiwis have lost that feature, so their feathers look bedraggled.


    11. This week, on Wednesday 8th, sees the global celebration of what?

    12. The 2nd of this month a great musician passed away at the age of 90.
    In the 1960s, this sax player was an integral member in Miles Davis
    Quintet. In the 70s and 80s he was the co-leader of one of the most
    renowned acts in fusion music. After that he continued as a solo
    artist and also as a leader for a quartet that bore his own name. Who
    am I talking about?

    --
    Dan Tilque

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  • From Mark Brader@21:1/5 to All on Mon Mar 6 02:13:17 2023
    Stephen Perry:
    he was among the bell ringers, the sound of which covered up the gunshot

    You should've quit while you were ahead!
    --
    Mark Brader | "As the old saying goes: those who learn history
    Toronto | are doomed to watch others repeat it."
    msb@vex.net | --Peter Moylan

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  • From Pete Gayde@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Sun Mar 5 20:48:51 2023
    Erland Sommarskog wrote:
    It's time for one of my occasional quizzes again. This time it is just
    a random set of questions - but no sports questions! I hope this to be
    a fairly simple one (but I've been wrong before on that point :-)

    As always, post your answers to the newsgroup. Use your own knowledge only. Do not consult sources, wives, husbands or cats.

    I plan to score this quiz on Friday 10th. In case of a tie, I will
    primarily make a subjective judgement of the incorrect answers to name
    a winner.

    Have fun

    1. Chaco is a geographic natural region that spans over several countries.
    Name any of them.

    United States


    2. Which controversial organisation was founded by Hassan al-Banna in 1928?

    OPEC


    3. "Rosebud" is an important word in which classic movie?

    Citizen Kane


    4. Who is Olaf Scholtz?

    Prime Minister of Germany


    5. Rurik is a mythic legendary figure who was the ancestor of the
    rulers in several state formations. Name any of these.

    Persia


    6. This creature starts its life in the middle of the deep ocean, but
    finds it ways to the continental shores where it travels upstream into
    fresh-water lakes and lives for many years, before eventually returning
    to the middle of the ocean to reproduce and die. What creature is this?

    7. In the field of energy production, what does SMR stand for?

    8. Armenian is most closely related to which of the following languages:
    Georgian, Hebrew, Hungarian, Kurdish or Turkish?

    Kurdish


    9. In the novel "The Nine Tailors" by Dorothy Sayers, Lord Peter Whimsey
    concludes that he was himself involved in killing the victim. How?

    10. Reportedly, there are visitors to New Zealand who think they see a
    kiwi when they see this bird:
    http://privat.sommarskog.se/NZ2018/00-Intro/Stor-0310_IMG_0424-en.html
    And while this bird also has a four-letter name, it is not a kiwi. Give
    the name, or if you don't know, explain why this cannot be a kiwi.

    Kiwis have long, narrow beaks and are nocturnal


    11. This week, on Wednesday 8th, sees the global celebration of what?

    12. The 2nd of this month a great musician passed away at the age of 90.
    In the 1960s, this sax player was an integral member in Miles Davis
    Quintet. In the 70s and 80s he was the co-leader of one of the most
    renowned acts in fusion music. After that he continued as a solo
    artist and also as a leader for a quartet that bore his own name. Who
    am I talking about?

    Wayne Shorter



    Pete Gayde

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  • From Erland Sommarskog@21:1/5 to All on Tue Dec 19 20:52:37 2023
    Here is one of my occasional quizzes. Just a mixed bag of questions,
    hopefully on the easier side, but I've been wrong on that assumption
    before.

    Anyway, the usual rules. No sources, no help from others, post
    answers to the newsgroup, and most importantly it's all for fun!
    In case of a tie, I will make a subjective evaluation of the
    incorrect answers to score a winner.

    I plan to score this quiz on Christmas Eve.

    1. Which nations fought in the Nitrate War?

    2. Which country recently voted in favour in a referendum that two-thirds
    of neighbouring country is rightfully part of the voting country?

    3. OK boomers, what's a Millennial pause?

    4. "The Boy and the Heron" is the most recent work from which
    master of animated films?

    5. Times of Troubles was a period of turmoil in the beginning of the
    17th century in which country?

    6. Translated into English, "Black Pete" is the name of the sidekick
    of Santa Claus in the folklore of which corner of the world?

    7. Aramco is said to be the most profitable company in the world.
    In which country are they based?

    8. Name any two of the 2023 Nobel laureates.

    9. What is smetana?

    10. "The Barber of Seville" is an opera by which composer?

    11. A few days ago, France won the women's World Championships in
    handball, co-hosted by Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Handball is
    not a very big sport in North America, and of 32 teams there
    was only one from North America, which? Hint: it was one of
    the less populous countries.

    12. Name two of the main ingredients in Pesto alla genovese.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Mark Brader@21:1/5 to All on Tue Dec 19 21:26:52 2023
    Erland Sommarskog:
    1. Which nations fought in the Nitrate War?

    Chile and Bolivia, unless there's another one.

    2. Which country recently voted in favour in a referendum that two-thirds
    of neighbouring country is rightfully part of the voting country?

    Ethiopia?

    5. Times of Troubles was a period of turmoil in the beginning of the
    17th century in which country?

    Ireland?

    7. Aramco is said to be the most profitable company in the world.
    In which country are they based?

    Saudi Arabia.

    9. What is smetana?

    A compoSer?

    10. "The Barber of Seville" is an opera by which composer?

    Rossini?

    11. A few days ago, France won the women's World Championships in
    handball, co-hosted by Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Handball is
    not a very big sport in North America, and of 32 teams there
    was only one from North America, which? Hint: it was one of
    the less populous countries.

    Honduras?
    --
    Mark Brader, Toronto | "Mark is probably right about something,
    msb@vex.net | but I forget what" -- Rayan Zachariassen

    My text in this article is in the public domain.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Dan Blum@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Wed Dec 20 02:53:10 2023
    Erland Sommarskog <esquel@sommarskog.se> wrote:

    1. Which nations fought in the Nitrate War?

    Chile and Bolivia

    4. "The Boy and the Heron" is the most recent work from which
    master of animated films?

    Miyazaki

    5. Times of Troubles was a period of turmoil in the beginning of the
    17th century in which country?

    England

    6. Translated into English, "Black Pete" is the name of the sidekick
    of Santa Claus in the folklore of which corner of the world?

    Central Europe

    7. Aramco is said to be the most profitable company in the world.
    In which country are they based?

    Saudi Arabia

    10. "The Barber of Seville" is an opera by which composer?

    Puccini

    11. A few days ago, France won the women's World Championships in
    handball, co-hosted by Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Handball is
    not a very big sport in North America, and of 32 teams there
    was only one from North America, which? Hint: it was one of
    the less populous countries.

    Panama

    12. Name two of the main ingredients in Pesto alla genovese.

    basil and olive oil

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

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Dan Tilque@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Wed Dec 20 20:46:10 2023
    On 12/19/23 11:52, Erland Sommarskog wrote:

    1. Which nations fought in the Nitrate War?

    Chile and Peru


    2. Which country recently voted in favour in a referendum that two-thirds
    of neighbouring country is rightfully part of the voting country?

    Russia


    3. OK boomers, what's a Millennial pause?

    4. "The Boy and the Heron" is the most recent work from which
    master of animated films?

    5. Times of Troubles was a period of turmoil in the beginning of the
    17th century in which country?

    6. Translated into English, "Black Pete" is the name of the sidekick
    of Santa Claus in the folklore of which corner of the world?

    the Caribbean


    7. Aramco is said to be the most profitable company in the world.
    In which country are they based?

    Saudi Arabia


    8. Name any two of the 2023 Nobel laureates.

    9. What is smetana?

    10. "The Barber of Seville" is an opera by which composer?

    11. A few days ago, France won the women's World Championships in
    handball, co-hosted by Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Handball is
    not a very big sport in North America, and of 32 teams there
    was only one from North America, which? Hint: it was one of
    the less populous countries.

    Belize


    12. Name two of the main ingredients in Pesto alla genovese.


    --
    Dan Tilque

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  • From Erland Sommarskog@21:1/5 to All on Thu Oct 3 23:38:23 2024
    I have assembled twelve questions about this and that. As usual, post
    answers to the newsgroup. Use only your own knowledge. Don't ask the
    cat, the spouse or chat GPT.

    Each question is worth one point. In case of a tie, I will make a
    subjective evaluation of the incorrect answers to score a winner,
    and if that is not possible, first post wins.

    I plan to score this on Tuesday 9th.

    HAVE FUN!

    1. BYD, also known as Build Your Dreams, is the world's largest manufacturer
    of what type of product?

    2. Up to 1960 how many of the Summer Olympics had been hosted by a city
    outside Europe?

    3. The catalogue of which popular artist includes two studio albums of which
    the first word in the title is "Born"?

    4. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus have assumed the duties as the head
    of the interim government in which country?

    5. If you are going to Varanasi, which river may you be looking into to soak
    yourself into?

    6. Which is the only country to have taken at least one medal in every
    Summer and Winter Olympics since 1908?

    7. Which city of religious importance was known as Yathrib until around
    AD 627 when tradition has it that the ruler of the city forbade this
    name?

    8. In which country are you most likely to find speakers of Mordvinian,
    a Finnish-Ugric language?

    9. The world's most recent national capital is Nusantara. It is in fact
    so recent that it has not been inaugurated yet. It was slated to happen
    on Aug 17th, but it was postponed due to delays in construction. So the
    old capital that faces the risk of sinking is still the capital for some
    time. The name Nusantara can roughly be translated into English as
    "outer islands". Of which country is Nusantara becoming the capital?

    10. Which well-known artist has recently taken place in the US Capitol
    representing Arkansas as a statue?

    11. Francis Ford Coppola is hitting the screen with his recent
    "Megalopolis", a title directly may make you think of a file from 1927
    by which director?

    12. Look at the picture http://privat.sommarskog.se/2000/Stora/05.JPG.
    This is outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Who is the artist
    behind this puppy?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Dan Blum@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Fri Oct 4 03:16:07 2024
    Erland Sommarskog <esquel@sommarskog.se> wrote:

    2. Up to 1960 how many of the Summer Olympics had been hosted by a city
    outside Europe?

    2

    4. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus have assumed the duties as the head
    of the interim government in which country?

    Somalia

    5. If you are going to Varanasi, which river may you be looking into to soak
    yourself into?

    Ganges

    6. Which is the only country to have taken at least one medal in every
    Summer and Winter Olympics since 1908?

    France

    7. Which city of religious importance was known as Yathrib until around
    AD 627 when tradition has it that the ruler of the city forbade this
    name?

    Mecca

    8. In which country are you most likely to find speakers of Mordvinian,
    a Finnish-Ugric language?

    Estonia

    9. The world's most recent national capital is Nusantara. It is in fact
    so recent that it has not been inaugurated yet. It was slated to happen
    on Aug 17th, but it was postponed due to delays in construction. So the
    old capital that faces the risk of sinking is still the capital for some
    time. The name Nusantara can roughly be translated into English as
    "outer islands". Of which country is Nusantara becoming the capital?

    Vanuatu

    11. Francis Ford Coppola is hitting the screen with his recent
    "Megalopolis", a title directly may make you think of a file from 1927
    by which director?

    Fritz Lang

    12. Look at the picture http://privat.sommarskog.se/2000/Stora/05.JPG.
    This is outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Who is the artist
    behind this puppy?

    Koons

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

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Mark Brader@21:1/5 to All on Fri Oct 4 05:46:11 2024
    Erland Sommarskog:
    1. BYD, also known as Build Your Dreams, is the world's largest manufacturer
    of what type of product?

    Plywood.

    2. Up to 1960 how many of the Summer Olympics had been hosted by a city
    outside Europe?

    I can think of just 2, so I'll go with that.

    3. The catalogue of which popular artist includes two studio albums of which
    the first word in the title is "Born"?

    Lady Gaga?

    4. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus have assumed the duties as the head
    of the interim government in which country?

    Iraq?

    5. If you are going to Varanasi, which river may you be looking into to soak
    yourself into?

    Ganges,

    6. Which is the only country to have taken at least one medal in every
    Summer and Winter Olympics since 1908?

    Norway?

    7. Which city of religious importance was known as Yathrib until around
    AD 627 when tradition has it that the ruler of the city forbade this
    name?

    Mecca?

    8. In which country are you most likely to find speakers of Mordvinian,
    a Finnish-Ugric language?

    Moldova?

    9. The world's most recent national capital is Nusantara. It is in fact
    so recent that it has not been inaugurated yet. It was slated to happen
    on Aug 17th, but it was postponed due to delays in construction. So the
    old capital that faces the risk of sinking is still the capital for some
    time. The name Nusantara can roughly be translated into English as
    "outer islands". Of which country is Nusantara becoming the capital?

    Maldives?

    10. Which well-known artist has recently taken place in the US Capitol
    representing Arkansas as a statue?

    Johnny Cash.

    11. Francis Ford Coppola is hitting the screen with his recent
    "Megalopolis", a title directly may make you think of a file from 1927
    by which director?

    Fritz Lang.

    12. Look at the picture http://privat.sommarskog.se/2000/Stora/05.JPG.
    This is outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.

    Well, that was certainly a fitting place to put it.

    Who is the artist behind this puppy?

    I have no reasonable guess, so I'll say Banksy.


    --
    Mark Brader | [Ramanujan's theorems] could only be written down by a
    Toronto | mathematician of the highest class. They must be true msb@vex.net | because, if they were not true, no one would have had
    | the imagination to invent them. --G.H. Hardy

    My text in this article is in the public domain.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Dan Tilque@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Fri Oct 4 02:09:20 2024
    On 10/3/24 14:38, Erland Sommarskog wrote:

    1. BYD, also known as Build Your Dreams, is the world's largest manufacturer
    of what type of product?

    electric vehicles


    2. Up to 1960 how many of the Summer Olympics had been hosted by a city
    outside Europe?

    3


    3. The catalogue of which popular artist includes two studio albums of which
    the first word in the title is "Born"?

    Bruce Springsteen


    4. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus have assumed the duties as the head
    of the interim government in which country?

    5. If you are going to Varanasi, which river may you be looking into to soak
    yourself into?

    6. Which is the only country to have taken at least one medal in every
    Summer and Winter Olympics since 1908?

    Sweden


    7. Which city of religious importance was known as Yathrib until around
    AD 627 when tradition has it that the ruler of the city forbade this
    name?

    8. In which country are you most likely to find speakers of Mordvinian,
    a Finnish-Ugric language?

    9. The world's most recent national capital is Nusantara. It is in fact
    so recent that it has not been inaugurated yet. It was slated to happen
    on Aug 17th, but it was postponed due to delays in construction. So the
    old capital that faces the risk of sinking is still the capital for some
    time. The name Nusantara can roughly be translated into English as
    "outer islands". Of which country is Nusantara becoming the capital?

    Indonesia


    10. Which well-known artist has recently taken place in the US Capitol
    representing Arkansas as a statue?

    Johnny Cash


    11. Francis Ford Coppola is hitting the screen with his recent
    "Megalopolis", a title directly may make you think of a file from 1927
    by which director?

    12. Look at the picture http://privat.sommarskog.se/2000/Stora/05.JPG.
    This is outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Who is the artist
    behind this puppy?


    --
    Dan Tilque

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Joshua Kreitzer@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Fri Oct 4 19:57:19 2024
    On 10/3/2024 4:38 PM, Erland Sommarskog wrote:

    2. Up to 1960 how many of the Summer Olympics had been hosted by a city
    outside Europe?

    3

    3. The catalogue of which popular artist includes two studio albums of which
    the first word in the title is "Born"?

    Bruce Springsteen

    4. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus have assumed the duties as the head
    of the interim government in which country?

    Bangladesh

    5. If you are going to Varanasi, which river may you be looking into to soak
    yourself into?

    Ganges

    6. Which is the only country to have taken at least one medal in every
    Summer and Winter Olympics since 1908?

    UK

    7. Which city of religious importance was known as Yathrib until around
    AD 627 when tradition has it that the ruler of the city forbade this
    name?

    Medina

    8. In which country are you most likely to find speakers of Mordvinian,
    a Finnish-Ugric language?

    Romania

    9. The world's most recent national capital is Nusantara. It is in fact
    so recent that it has not been inaugurated yet. It was slated to happen
    on Aug 17th, but it was postponed due to delays in construction. So the
    old capital that faces the risk of sinking is still the capital for some
    time. The name Nusantara can roughly be translated into English as
    "outer islands". Of which country is Nusantara becoming the capital?

    Indonesia

    10. Which well-known artist has recently taken place in the US Capitol
    representing Arkansas as a statue?

    Johnny Cash

    11. Francis Ford Coppola is hitting the screen with his recent
    "Megalopolis", a title directly may make you think of a file from 1927
    by which director?

    Fritz Lang

    12. Look at the picture http://privat.sommarskog.se/2000/Stora/05.JPG.
    This is outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Who is the artist
    behind this puppy?

    Jeff Koons

    --
    Joshua Kreitzer
    gromit82@hotmail.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Gregg Seelhoff@21:1/5 to All on Mon Oct 7 22:26:16 2024
    Each question is worth one point. In case of a tie, I will make a
    subjective evaluation of the incorrect answers to score a winner,
    and if that is not possible, first post wins.

    I plan to score this on Tuesday 9th.

    I believe the next Tuesday 9th is in September 2025. ;-)

    2. Up to 1960 how many of the Summer Olympics had been hosted by a
    city outside Europe?

    2

    3. The catalogue of which popular artist includes two studio albums of
    which the first word in the title is "Born"?

    Bruce Springsteen

    6. Which is the only country to have taken at least one medal in every
    Summer and Winter Olympics since 1908?

    Germany

    7. Which city of religious importance was known as Yathrib until
    around
    AD 627 when tradition has it that the ruler of the city forbade
    this name?

    Mecca

    8. In which country are you most likely to find speakers of
    Mordvinian,
    a Finnish-Ugric language?

    Hungary

    9. The world's most recent national capital is Nusantara. It is in
    fact
    so recent that it has not been inaugurated yet. It was slated to
    happen on Aug 17th, but it was postponed due to delays in
    construction. So the old capital that faces the risk of sinking is
    still the capital for some time. The name Nusantara can roughly be
    translated into English as "outer islands". Of which country is
    Nusantara becoming the capital?

    Bali

    11. Francis Ford Coppola is hitting the screen with his recent
    "Megalopolis", a title directly may make you think of a file from
    1927 by which director?

    Fritz Lang

    --
    Gregg Seelhoff

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Erland Sommarskog@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Tue Oct 8 20:38:10 2024
    Erland Sommarskog (esquel@sommarskog.se) writes:
    I plan to score this on Tuesday 9th.


    As Gregg points out, that's another eleven months. I had today in
    mind, and fouled up on the date, but given the ambiguity, I'm waiting
    until tomorrow with scoring.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Erland Sommarskog@21:1/5 to All on Sun May 4 21:15:39 2025
    It's time for one of my occasional quizzes now that I'm back from my
    vacation. I first spent one week in Redmond for a conference. From Seattle
    I flew directly to Seoul and spend about ten days in South Korea and then
    took the boat over to Japan for 3½ weeks. I mention this, as my trip may
    have influenced some of the questions.

    The rules are the usual. Post the answers the newsgroup and only use your
    own knowledge. No googling, chat GPT etc. I plan to score this quiz on
    Friday 9th. In case of a tie, I will make a subjective judgement of the incorrect answers to determine a winner.

    Have fun!

    1. Of the western fringes of which European country might you be, if
    you are in a city by the name of Brest?

    2. According to the Chinese calendar, in the year of which animal
    are we currently in?

    3. Refer to https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/P1030194.JPG. What is the
    name of the mountain?

    4. Speaking of mountains, what property is common to the highest
    peaks of South Korea and Portugal?

    5. In the upper part of https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/quiz.pdf,
    you find six Japanese words with Latin letters and in Kanji.
    For one point, give a translation to English for at least *two*
    of the glosses. As a hint, all are words you encounter in names
    of geographic entities. Please fill in translations after the
    letters below:
    A)
    B)
    C)
    D)
    E)
    F)

    6. In the lower part of https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/quiz.pdf you find
    short texts in six different languages, all spoken in Asia. For one
    point identify at least *two* of the languages.
    A)
    B)
    C)
    D)
    E)
    F)

    7. In the 2021 film "Drive My Car" by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, what is the
    make of the car being driven? (Exact model not needed, only the brand.)

    8. As you many know "Drive My Car" is also the title of a Beatles song.
    What sort of car are we talking about here?

    9. According to the Anholt Nation Brands Index for 2024, which country
    has the strongest brand?

    10. What are you doing if you find yourself in a rotemburo?

    11. This Olympic martial art was developed in Korea in the 1950s. What
    is its name?

    12. Refer to https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/fika.jpg. The picture is
    from Jeju, South Korea, but this is not a matter of a Korean
    speciality. What can you expect to be able to get if you enter
    this building?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Dan Blum@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Sun May 4 21:39:05 2025
    Erland Sommarskog <esquel@sommarskog.se> wrote:

    1. Of the western fringes of which European country might you be, if
    you are in a city by the name of Brest?

    France

    2. According to the Chinese calendar, in the year of which animal
    are we currently in?

    snake

    3. Refer to https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/P1030194.JPG. What is the
    name of the mountain?

    Rainier

    5. In the upper part of https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/quiz.pdf,
    you find six Japanese words with Latin letters and in Kanji.
    For one point, give a translation to English for at least *two*
    of the glosses. As a hint, all are words you encounter in names
    of geographic entities. Please fill in translations after the
    letters below:
    A)
    B)
    C)

    lake

    D)
    E)
    F)

    mountain

    6. In the lower part of https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/quiz.pdf you find
    short texts in six different languages, all spoken in Asia. For one
    point identify at least *two* of the languages.
    A)
    B)

    Vietnamese

    C)

    Korean

    D)
    E)
    F)

    Hebrew

    8. As you many know "Drive My Car" is also the title of a Beatles song.
    What sort of car are we talking about here?

    an imaginary one

    9. According to the Anholt Nation Brands Index for 2024, which country
    has the strongest brand?

    Japan

    11. This Olympic martial art was developed in Korea in the 1950s. What
    is its name?

    taekwando

    12. Refer to https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/fika.jpg. The picture is
    from Jeju, South Korea, but this is not a matter of a Korean
    speciality. What can you expect to be able to get if you enter
    this building?

    coffee and pastries

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

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Mark Brader@21:1/5 to All on Sun May 4 21:35:41 2025
    Erland Sommarskog:
    1. Of the western fringes of which European country might you be, if
    you are in a city by the name of Brest?

    France.

    2. According to the Chinese calendar, in the year of which animal
    are we currently in?

    I dunno -- rabbit?

    3. Refer to https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/P1030194.JPG. What is the
    name of the mountain?

    Looks like Mt. Rainier.

    4. Speaking of mountains, what property is common to the highest
    peaks of South Korea and Portugal?

    They're volcanic?

    5. In the upper part of https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/quiz.pdf,
    you find six Japanese words with Latin letters and in Kanji.
    For one point, give a translation to English for at least *two*
    of the glosses. As a hint, all are words you encounter in names
    of geographic entities. Please fill in translations after the
    letters below:
    A)
    B)

    River?

    C)

    Square?

    D)
    E)
    F)

    Mountain.

    6. In the lower part of https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/quiz.pdf you find
    short texts in six different languages, all spoken in Asia. For one
    point identify at least *two* of the languages.
    A)

    Japanese.

    B)

    Vietnamese.

    C)

    Korean.

    D)

    Sinhalese?

    E)

    Telugu?

    F)

    Hebrew. I'm curious about the two marks that look like periods,
    on the 3rd and 5th lines. Are they paired, like parentheses or
    quotation marks?

    9. According to the Anholt Nation Brands Index for 2024, which country
    has the strongest brand?

    Japan?

    10. What are you doing if you find yourself in a rotemburo?

    Riding a helicopter?

    11. This Olympic martial art was developed in Korea in the 1950s. What
    is its name?

    Taekwondo?

    12. Refer to https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/fika.jpg. The picture is
    from Jeju, South Korea, but this is not a matter of a Korean
    speciality. What can you expect to be able to get if you enter
    this building?

    Yongduam. :-)

    Food and drink?
    --
    Mark Brader, Toronto | Canada... likes to sit up there looking harmless, msb@vex.net | like the USA's hat... --Anthony McCarron

    My text in this article is in the public domain.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Joshua Kreitzer@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Mon May 5 23:26:12 2025
    On 5/4/2025 2:15 PM, Erland Sommarskog wrote:

    1. Of the western fringes of which European country might you be, if
    you are in a city by the name of Brest?

    France

    3. Refer to https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/P1030194.JPG. What is the
    name of the mountain?

    Mt. Fuji

    4. Speaking of mountains, what property is common to the highest
    peaks of South Korea and Portugal?

    it is on the country's border

    5. In the upper part of https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/quiz.pdf,
    you find six Japanese words with Latin letters and in Kanji.
    For one point, give a translation to English for at least *two*
    of the glosses. As a hint, all are words you encounter in names
    of geographic entities. Please fill in translations after the
    letters below:
    A)
    B)
    C)
    D)
    E)
    F) mountain

    6. In the lower part of https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/quiz.pdf you find
    short texts in six different languages, all spoken in Asia. For one
    point identify at least *two* of the languages.
    A) Japanese
    B) Vietnamese
    C) Korean
    D) Thai
    E) Telugu
    F) Hebrew


    11. This Olympic martial art was developed in Korea in the 1950s. What
    is its name?


    taekwondo

    --
    Joshua Kreitzer
    gromit82@hotmail.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Dan Tilque@21:1/5 to Erland Sommarskog on Tue May 6 22:19:17 2025
    On 5/4/25 12:15, Erland Sommarskog wrote:

    1. Of the western fringes of which European country might you be, if
    you are in a city by the name of Brest?

    France


    2. According to the Chinese calendar, in the year of which animal
    are we currently in?

    snake


    3. Refer to https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/P1030194.JPG. What is the
    name of the mountain?

    Fujiyama


    4. Speaking of mountains, what property is common to the highest
    peaks of South Korea and Portugal?

    5. In the upper part of https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/quiz.pdf,
    you find six Japanese words with Latin letters and in Kanji.
    For one point, give a translation to English for at least *two*
    of the glosses. As a hint, all are words you encounter in names
    of geographic entities. Please fill in translations after the
    letters below:
    A)
    B)
    C)
    D)

    canal ??

    E)
    F)

    mountain


    6. In the lower part of https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/quiz.pdf you find
    short texts in six different languages, all spoken in Asia. For one
    point identify at least *two* of the languages.
    A)

    Japanese

    B)

    Vietnamese

    C)

    Korean

    D)
    E)
    F)

    Hebrew


    7. In the 2021 film "Drive My Car" by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, what is the
    make of the car being driven? (Exact model not needed, only the brand.)

    8. As you many know "Drive My Car" is also the title of a Beatles song.
    What sort of car are we talking about here?

    limosine


    9. According to the Anholt Nation Brands Index for 2024, which country
    has the strongest brand?

    10. What are you doing if you find yourself in a rotemburo?

    11. This Olympic martial art was developed in Korea in the 1950s. What
    is its name?

    tae kwon do


    12. Refer to https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/fika.jpg. The picture is
    from Jeju, South Korea, but this is not a matter of a Korean
    speciality. What can you expect to be able to get if you enter
    this building?


    --
    Dan Tilque

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Erland Sommarskog@21:1/5 to and I on Fri May 9 15:04:11 2025
    This quiz is over and the winner is Dan Blum! Congratulations, and
    remaining rgt:ers should hold Dan in awe for the next 24 hours!

    I must say that I'm quite impressed by Dan's and Mark's entries. I
    execpted this to be a quite difficult quiz, but they managed to
    crack more questions than I had expected.

    Here is the scoreboard.

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 !Total
    ------------------------------------!-----
    Dan B 1 1 1 - - 1 - 1 1 - 1 1 ! 8
    Mark B 1 - 1 1 1 1 - - 1 - 1 - ! 7
    Dan T 1 1 - - 1 1 - - - - 1 - ! 5
    Pete G 1 - 1 - - - - - - - 1 - ! 3
    Joshua K 1 - - - - 1 - - - - 1 - ! 3

    Here are the answers:

    1. Of the western fringes of which European country might you be, if
    you are in a city by the name of Brest?

    France or Belarus.

    The Brest in France is on the west coast of Brittany. The one in
    Belarus is close to the Polish border. Its main claim to fame is
    the Brest-Litovsk treaty from the end of WWI.

    2. According to the Chinese calendar, in the year of which animal
    are we currently in?

    Snake.

    This is acually also a travel-inspired question. I did a weekend trip
    to Vienna in January, and they had advertisments about the year of the
    snake, and I said to my self: that's a good trivia question.

    3. Refer to https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/P1030194.JPG. What is the
    name of the mountain?

    Mount Rainier.

    I don't recall if I saw Rainier on this trip; the picture is from one of
    last year's trips to Seattle.

    4. Speaking of mountains, what property is common to the highest
    peaks of South Korea and Portugal?

    They are both located on islands. Korean Hallasan (1947 m above sea level)
    is on Jeju, an island 100 km of the Korean mainland. Portoguese Pico
    (2351 m) is on the Azore island with the same name in the middle of
    the Atlantic.

    They are also both volcanos, so I accepted that as an answer.

    5. In the upper part of https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/quiz.pdf,
    you find six Japanese words with Latin letters and in Kanji.
    For one point, give a translation to English for at least *two*
    of the glosses. As a hint, all are words you encounter in names
    of geographic entities. Please fill in translations after the
    letters below:

    A) Bridge
    B) River (I accepted "canal")
    C) Gate
    D) North
    E) Middle, centre
    F) Mountain

    I included the kanji characters as some of them could be helpful. Mainly
    the the one for "river" (as it looks like one) and the one for "middle"
    since that is the first character in the name of China, "Central domain".


    6. In the lower part of https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/quiz.pdf you find
    short texts in six different languages, all spoken in Asia. For one
    point identify at least *two* of the languages.
    A) Japanese (It's a mix of kanji and hiragana/katakana, the latter
    unique to Japanese.)
    B) Vietnamese (Easily recognisable by the pleothora of diacrtics.)
    C) Korean. (Which is an alphabet, written in syllable blocks).
    D) Thai.
    E) Burmese.
    F) Hebrew.

    I took all texts from Wikipedia pages in these languages. Mark had a
    question about the Hebrew sample that I cannot answer. I have no
    knowledge abour Hebrew. (Originally, I had intended to use Armenian,
    but when I realised I had overlooked Hebrew, I decided that was a lot
    better choice.)

    7. In the 2021 film "Drive My Car" by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, what is the
    make of the car being driven? (Exact model not needed, only the brand.)

    SAAB. More precisely it's a red SAAB 900 Turbo.

    When I started to think about this question when walking around in
    Japan, I had a recollection of that it was a Volvo. Well, I was close.
    I have not seen the film myself, but the film got good some attention
    over here, and generally good reviews.

    8. As you many know "Drive My Car" is also the title of a Beatles song.
    What sort of car are we talking about here?

    No car at all!

    I got no car and it's breaking my heart,
    but I found a driver and that's a start.

    Or as Dan Blum put it: an imaginary car.

    I can't see any reference that the imaginary car would be a limosine.

    9. According to the Anholt Nation Brands Index for 2024, which country
    has the strongest brand?

    Japan. I was quite surprised when I read this. They have been #1 since
    2023, surpassing Germany which was #1 2017-2022. 2009-2016, the US
    was #1 or #2, but fell back in 2017.

    This is the top 10 list for 2024:
    1. Japan
    2. Germany
    3. Italy.
    4. Switzerland
    5. United Kingdom.
    6. Canada.
    7. United States.
    8. Sweden.
    9. Australia.
    10. France.

    10. What are you doing if you find yourself in a rotemburo?

    You are taking a hot-spring bath in an outdoor pool in a Japanese onsen.

    Any reference to hot spring was sufficient.

    11. This Olympic martial art was developed in Korea in the 1950s. What
    is its name?

    Taekwondo

    12. Refer to https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/fika.jpg. The picture is
    from Jeju, South Korea, but this is not a matter of a Korean
    speciality. What can you expect to be able to get if you enter
    this building?

    Coffee. And typically some sort of pastries to go with it. In the upper
    part of the picture, which I had cut out, it says "coffee and dessert",
    but that phrase is indeed a Korean thing.

    "Fika", on the other hand, I've seen in several places, and I smile
    every time. In Singapore, it actually said "Konditori" on the building,
    but some of the goods were labeled "Brought to you by Swedish fika".

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Joshua Kreitzer@21:1/5 to Mark Brader on Fri May 9 20:49:29 2025
    On 5/4/2025 4:35 PM, Mark Brader wrote:

    F)

    Hebrew. I'm curious about the two marks that look like periods,
    on the 3rd and 5th lines. Are they paired, like parentheses or
    quotation marks?

    Those are just periods at the end of each sentence, except that the one
    on the fifth line is misprinted; it should be to the left of the word
    instead of to the right.

    Since Erland explained that he got this text from Wikipedia, I was able
    to find this text on Wikipedia, in the Hebrew article about the Armenian language. On the Wikipedia page, the period at the end appears in the
    correct place.

    Google Translate renders this passage into English as:
    "The first literary works in the language were discovered from the 5th
    century onwards, written in Classical Armenian or Gerber, which
    preserved its basic rules. The spoken language developed considerably,
    while the written language remained almost unchanged."

    https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%9E%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%AA

    --
    Joshua Kreitzer
    gromit82@hotmail.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Erland Sommarskog@21:1/5 to Joshua Kreitzer on Sat May 10 10:48:37 2025
    Joshua Kreitzer (gromit82@hotmail.com) writes:
    Since Erland explained that he got this text from Wikipedia, I was able
    to find this text on Wikipedia, in the Hebrew article about the Armenian language. On the Wikipedia page, the period at the end appears in the
    correct place.


    Thanks Joshua!

    It could be that there was some accident when I pasted the text and
    maybe made some edits to it. One edit I did was to remove links, but I
    might have fiddled around with something more.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)