(Reposting to put it in a new thread. Please respond in either thread.)

These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2011-05-30,
and should be interpreted accordingly. All questions were written
by members of the Misplaced Modifiers, but have been reformatted
and may have been retyped and/or edited by me. I will reveal the
correct answers in about 3 days.

For further information, including an explanation of the """ notation
that may appear in these rounds, see my 2021-07-20 companion posting
on "Reposted Questions from the Canadian Inquisition (RQFTCI*)".


* Game 3, Round 1 -- Current Events (excerpt)

Answer these 2011 questions if you like for fun, but for no points.

1. Barack Obama was in Ireland last week, paying a visit to
Moneygall, birthplace of his great-great-great-grandfather.
The """president""" quipped, "My name is Barack Obama of the
Moneygall Obamas, and I've come home to find the [BLANK] we
lost somewhere along the way." What did Obama joke about his
family losing?

2. Eulogies are rolling in for the so-called "Godfather of Rap",
dead at the age of 62. He was known for such angry early
70s songs as "The Revolution will Not be Televised" and
"Whitey's on the Moon", and had recently cut a comeback album.
Name him.


* Game 3, Round 2 - Entertainment - The Silent Screen

1. This German actor starred in such silent classics as "The
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" and "The Hands of Orlac". He made
the transition to sound, continuing to work until his death
in 1943. His second-last role was as Major Strasser in
"Casablanca".

2. This 1926 Buster Keaton classic is based on the same
historical incident as Walt Disney's "Great Locomotive
Chase" of 30 years later. Name the silent movie.

3. Despite the loss of two digits of his right hand to the
accidental explosion of a prop bomb in 1919, this silent
funny man did all his own stunts -- which included climbing
the outside of a skyscraper 4 years later in "Safety Last".
The arrival of sound, however, brought his career crashing
to earth. Name him.

4. In the silent thriller "The Lodger", an innocent man
(played by Ivor Novello) is suspected of being a killer of
beautiful blondes. The director declined to participate
in the sound remake, but went on to a long and successful
career in the talkies. He died in 1980. Name him.

5. In the silent era, language was no barrier to the mobility
of talent. American actress Louise Brooks went abroad to make
her two best-known films, "Pandora's Box" and "Diary of a
Lost Girl". To what country?

6. German actress Brigitte Helm is best remembered for her
debut role as a demagogic robot in a 1927 silent directed
by Fritz Lang. Name the film.

7. In 1924, Louis B. Mayer signed her reluctantly, saying,
"In America, men don't like fat women." In 1928, half a dozen
silent features later, "Life" magazine called her "the dream
princess of eternity, the knockout of the ages." Name her.

8. 31 years before directing Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer in
"War and Peace", King Vidor produced and directed a silent
hit called "The Big Parade". Which war was its subject?

9. Director F.W. Murnau required no makeup beyond pointy ears
and false teeth to make Max Schreck ugly enough to play the
title role in what 1922 silent classic?

10. Which film legend made the following prediction in 1924?
"It will never be possible to synchronize the voice with
the pictures.... There will never be speaking pictures."


* Game 3, Round 3 - History - It Happened Last Year! Events of 2010

All of these events happened """last year""". You say *which
month*. Answers may repeat.

1. A massive earthquake strikes Haiti.

2. Magnitude 5 earthquake in eastern Ontario and western Quebec.
The quake is felt in Toronto.

3. In Toronto, a fire in a St. James Town apartment building
injures 14, and causes the evacuation of 1,200 people,
some for several months.

4. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is arrested in England on
a Swedish warrant.

5. An oil-rig explosion in the gulf of Mexico begins the Gulf
Oil Spill.

6. An Icelandic volcano spews an ash cloud, disrupting air
travel across Europe. We want the beginning of that
disruption.

7. In Chile, 33 miners are brought back to the surface after
69 days underground.

8. Spain beats the Netherlands 1-0 to win the World Cup.

9. North Korea shells an island belonging to South Korea, killing
4 people and sparking fears of a resumption of the Korean War.

10. The G20 summit in Toronto: meetings, fake lakes, protests,
kettling, etc.

--
Mark Brader "I cannot reply in French, but I will
Toronto type English very slowly and loudly."
msb@vex.net --Lars Eighner

My text in this article is in the public domain.

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

These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2011-05-30,
and should be interpreted accordingly. All questions were written
by members of the Misplaced Modifiers, but have been reformatted
and may have been retyped and/or edited by me. I will reveal the
correct answers in about 3 days.

For further information, including an explanation of the """ notation
that may appear in these rounds, see my 2021-07-20 companion posting
on "Reposted Questions from the Canadian Inquisition (RQFTCI*)".


* Game 3, Round 1 -- Current Events (excerpt)

Answer these 2011 questions if you like for fun, but for no points.

1. Barack Obama was in Ireland last week, paying a visit to
Moneygall, birthplace of his great-great-great-grandfather.
The """president""" quipped, "My name is Barack Obama of the
Moneygall Obamas, and I've come home to find the [BLANK] we
lost somewhere along the way." What did Obama joke about his
family losing?

2. Eulogies are rolling in for the so-called "Godfather of Rap",
dead at the age of 62. He was known for such angry early
70s songs as "The Revolution will Not be Televised" and
"Whitey's on the Moon", and had recently cut a comeback album.
Name him.


* Game 3, Round 2 - Entertainment - The Silent Screen

1. This German actor starred in such silent classics as "The
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" and "The Hands of Orlac". He made
the transition to sound, continuing to work until his death
in 1943. His second-last role was as Major Strasser in
"Casablanca".

2. This 1926 Buster Keaton classic is based on the same
historical incident as Walt Disney's "Great Locomotive
Chase" of 30 years later. Name the silent movie.

3. Despite the loss of two digits of his right hand to the
accidental explosion of a prop bomb in 1919, this silent
funny man did all his own stunts -- which included climbing
the outside of a skyscraper 4 years later in "Safety Last".
The arrival of sound, however, brought his career crashing
to earth. Name him.

4. In the silent thriller "The Lodger", an innocent man
(played by Ivor Novello) is suspected of being a killer of
beautiful blondes. The director declined to participate
in the sound remake, but went on to a long and successful
career in the talkies. He died in 1980. Name him.

5. In the silent era, language was no barrier to the mobility
of talent. American actress Louise Brooks went abroad to make
her two best-known films, "Pandora's Box" and "Diary of a
Lost Girl". To what country?

6. German actress Brigitte Helm is best remembered for her
debut role as a demagogic robot in a 1927 silent directed
by Fritz Lang. Name the film.

7. In 1924, Louis B. Mayer signed her reluctantly, saying,
"In America, men don't like fat women." In 1928, half a dozen
silent features later, "Life" magazine called her "the dream
princess of eternity, the knockout of the ages." Name her.

8. 31 years before directing Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer in
"War and Peace", King Vidor produced and directed a silent
hit called "The Big Parade". Which war was its subject?

9. Director F.W. Murnau required no makeup beyond pointy ears
and false teeth to make Max Schreck ugly enough to play the
title role in what 1922 silent classic?

10. Which film legend made the following prediction in 1924?
"It will never be possible to synchronize the voice with
the pictures.... There will never be speaking pictures."


* Game 3, Round 3 - History - It Happened Last Year! Events of 2010

All of these events happened """last year""". You say *which
month*. Answers may repeat.

1. A massive earthquake strikes Haiti.

2. Magnitude 5 earthquake in eastern Ontario and western Quebec.
The quake is felt in Toronto.

3. In Toronto, a fire in a St. James Town apartment building
injures 14, and causes the evacuation of 1,200 people,
some for several months.

4. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is arrested in England on
a Swedish warrant.

5. An oil-rig explosion in the gulf of Mexico begins the Gulf
Oil Spill.

6. An Icelandic volcano spews an ash cloud, disrupting air
travel across Europe. We want the beginning of that
disruption.

7. In Chile, 33 miners are brought back to the surface after
69 days underground.

8. Spain beats the Netherlands 1-0 to win the World Cup.

9. North Korea shells an island belonging to South Korea, killing
4 people and sparking fears of a resumption of the Korean War.

10. The G20 summit in Toronto: meetings, fake lakes, protests,
kettling, etc.

--
Mark Brader "I cannot reply in French, but I will
Toronto type English very slowly and loudly."
msb@vex.net --Lars Eighner

My text in this article is in the public domain.

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

On 8/13/21 10:17 PM, Mark Brader wrote:

* Game 3, Round 1 -- Current Events (excerpt)

Answer these 2011 questions if you like for fun, but for no points.

1. Barack Obama was in Ireland last week, paying a visit to
Moneygall, birthplace of his great-great-great-grandfather.
The """president""" quipped, "My name is Barack Obama of the
Moneygall Obamas, and I've come home to find the [BLANK] we
lost somewhere along the way." What did Obama joke about his
family losing?

apostrophe

2. Eulogies are rolling in for the so-called "Godfather of Rap",
dead at the age of 62. He was known for such angry early
70s songs as "The Revolution will Not be Televised" and
"Whitey's on the Moon", and had recently cut a comeback album.
Name him.

* Game 3, Round 2 - Entertainment - The Silent Screen

1. This German actor starred in such silent classics as "The
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" and "The Hands of Orlac". He made
the transition to sound, continuing to work until his death
in 1943. His second-last role was as Major Strasser in
"Casablanca".

2. This 1926 Buster Keaton classic is based on the same
historical incident as Walt Disney's "Great Locomotive
Chase" of 30 years later. Name the silent movie.

3. Despite the loss of two digits of his right hand to the
accidental explosion of a prop bomb in 1919, this silent
funny man did all his own stunts -- which included climbing
the outside of a skyscraper 4 years later in "Safety Last".
The arrival of sound, however, brought his career crashing
to earth. Name him.

4. In the silent thriller "The Lodger", an innocent man
(played by Ivor Novello) is suspected of being a killer of
beautiful blondes. The director declined to participate
in the sound remake, but went on to a long and successful
career in the talkies. He died in 1980. Name him.

5. In the silent era, language was no barrier to the mobility
of talent. American actress Louise Brooks went abroad to make
her two best-known films, "Pandora's Box" and "Diary of a
Lost Girl". To what country?

6. German actress Brigitte Helm is best remembered for her
debut role as a demagogic robot in a 1927 silent directed
by Fritz Lang. Name the film.

Metropolis

7. In 1924, Louis B. Mayer signed her reluctantly, saying,
"In America, men don't like fat women." In 1928, half a dozen
silent features later, "Life" magazine called her "the dream
princess of eternity, the knockout of the ages." Name her.

8. 31 years before directing Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer in
"War and Peace", King Vidor produced and directed a silent
hit called "The Big Parade". Which war was its subject?

9. Director F.W. Murnau required no makeup beyond pointy ears
and false teeth to make Max Schreck ugly enough to play the
title role in what 1922 silent classic?

10. Which film legend made the following prediction in 1924?
"It will never be possible to synchronize the voice with
the pictures.... There will never be speaking pictures."

* Game 3, Round 3 - History - It Happened Last Year! Events of 2010

All of these events happened """last year""". You say *which
month*. Answers may repeat.

1. A massive earthquake strikes Haiti.

2. Magnitude 5 earthquake in eastern Ontario and western Quebec.
The quake is felt in Toronto.

3. In Toronto, a fire in a St. James Town apartment building
injures 14, and causes the evacuation of 1,200 people,
some for several months.

4. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is arrested in England on
a Swedish warrant.

5. An oil-rig explosion in the gulf of Mexico begins the Gulf
Oil Spill.

6. An Icelandic volcano spews an ash cloud, disrupting air
travel across Europe. We want the beginning of that
disruption.

7. In Chile, 33 miners are brought back to the surface after
69 days underground.

8. Spain beats the Netherlands 1-0 to win the World Cup.

July

9. North Korea shells an island belonging to South Korea, killing
4 people and sparking fears of a resumption of the Korean War.

10. The G20 summit in Toronto: meetings, fake lakes, protests,
kettling, etc.

--
Dan Tilque

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

Mark Brader (msb@vex.net) writes:

* Game 3, Round 1 -- Current Events (excerpt)

* Game 3, Round 2 - Entertainment - The Silent Screen

3. Despite the loss of two digits of his right hand to the
accidental explosion of a prop bomb in 1919, this silent
funny man did all his own stunts -- which included climbing
the outside of a skyscraper 4 years later in "Safety Last".
The arrival of sound, however, brought his career crashing
to earth. Name him.

Buster Keaton

* Game 3, Round 3 - History - It Happened Last Year! Events of 2010

All of these events happened """last year""". You say *which
month*. Answers may repeat.

1. A massive earthquake strikes Haiti.

October

2. Magnitude 5 earthquake in eastern Ontario and western Quebec.
The quake is felt in Toronto.

January

3. In Toronto, a fire in a St. James Town apartment building
injures 14, and causes the evacuation of 1,200 people,
some for several months.

March

4. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is arrested in England on
a Swedish warrant.

August

5. An oil-rig explosion in the gulf of Mexico begins the Gulf
Oil Spill.

September

6. An Icelandic volcano spews an ash cloud, disrupting air
travel across Europe. We want the beginning of that
disruption.

April

7. In Chile, 33 miners are brought back to the surface after
69 days underground.

November

8. Spain beats the Netherlands 1-0 to win the World Cup.

July

9. North Korea shells an island belonging to South Korea, killing
4 people and sparking fears of a resumption of the Korean War.

March

10. The G20 summit in Toronto: meetings, fake lakes, protests,
kettling, etc.

June

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

Mark Brader <msb@vex.net> wrote:

* Game 3, Round 1 -- Current Events (excerpt)

1. Barack Obama was in Ireland last week, paying a visit to
Moneygall, birthplace of his great-great-great-grandfather.
The """president""" quipped, "My name is Barack Obama of the
Moneygall Obamas, and I've come home to find the [BLANK] we
lost somewhere along the way." What did Obama joke about his
family losing?

apostrophe

* Game 3, Round 2 - Entertainment - The Silent Screen

1. This German actor starred in such silent classics as "The
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" and "The Hands of Orlac". He made
the transition to sound, continuing to work until his death
in 1943. His second-last role was as Major Strasser in
"Casablanca".

Paul Muni

2. This 1926 Buster Keaton classic is based on the same
historical incident as Walt Disney's "Great Locomotive
Chase" of 30 years later. Name the silent movie.

The General

3. Despite the loss of two digits of his right hand to the
accidental explosion of a prop bomb in 1919, this silent
funny man did all his own stunts -- which included climbing
the outside of a skyscraper 4 years later in "Safety Last".
The arrival of sound, however, brought his career crashing
to earth. Name him.

Lloyd

4. In the silent thriller "The Lodger", an innocent man
(played by Ivor Novello) is suspected of being a killer of
beautiful blondes. The director declined to participate
in the sound remake, but went on to a long and successful
career in the talkies. He died in 1980. Name him.

Billy Wilder; Alfred Hitchcock

5. In the silent era, language was no barrier to the mobility
of talent. American actress Louise Brooks went abroad to make
her two best-known films, "Pandora's Box" and "Diary of a
Lost Girl". To what country?

Germany; Italy

6. German actress Brigitte Helm is best remembered for her
debut role as a demagogic robot in a 1927 silent directed
by Fritz Lang. Name the film.

Metropolis

7. In 1924, Louis B. Mayer signed her reluctantly, saying,
"In America, men don't like fat women." In 1928, half a dozen
silent features later, "Life" magazine called her "the dream
princess of eternity, the knockout of the ages." Name her.

Theda Bara

8. 31 years before directing Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer in
"War and Peace", King Vidor produced and directed a silent
hit called "The Big Parade". Which war was its subject?

American Civil War

9. Director F.W. Murnau required no makeup beyond pointy ears
and false teeth to make Max Schreck ugly enough to play the
title role in what 1922 silent classic?

Nosferatu

10. Which film legend made the following prediction in 1924?
"It will never be possible to synchronize the voice with
the pictures.... There will never be speaking pictures."

Cecil B. De Mille

* Game 3, Round 3 - History - It Happened Last Year! Events of 2010

6. An Icelandic volcano spews an ash cloud, disrupting air
travel across Europe. We want the beginning of that
disruption.

January; February

7. In Chile, 33 miners are brought back to the surface after
69 days underground.

September; October

8. Spain beats the Netherlands 1-0 to win the World Cup.

June; July

10. The G20 summit in Toronto: meetings, fake lakes, protests,
kettling, etc.

May; June

--
_______________________________________________________________________
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)

On Saturday, August 14, 2021 at 1:09:01 AM UTC-5, Mark Brader wrote:

* Game 3, Round 1 -- Current Events (excerpt)

Answer these 2011 questions if you like for fun, but for no points.

1. Barack Obama was in Ireland last week, paying a visit to
Moneygall, birthplace of his great-great-great-grandfather.
The """president""" quipped, "My name is Barack Obama of the
Moneygall Obamas, and I've come home to find the [BLANK] we
lost somewhere along the way." What did Obama joke about his
family losing?

apostrophe

2. Eulogies are rolling in for the so-called "Godfather of Rap",
dead at the age of 62. He was known for such angry early
70s songs as "The Revolution will Not be Televised" and
"Whitey's on the Moon", and had recently cut a comeback album.
Name him.

Gil Scott-Heron

* Game 3, Round 2 - Entertainment - The Silent Screen

2. This 1926 Buster Keaton classic is based on the same
historical incident as Walt Disney's "Great Locomotive
Chase" of 30 years later. Name the silent movie.

"The General"

3. Despite the loss of two digits of his right hand to the
accidental explosion of a prop bomb in 1919, this silent
funny man did all his own stunts -- which included climbing
the outside of a skyscraper 4 years later in "Safety Last".
The arrival of sound, however, brought his career crashing
to earth. Name him.

Lloyd

4. In the silent thriller "The Lodger", an innocent man
(played by Ivor Novello) is suspected of being a killer of
beautiful blondes. The director declined to participate
in the sound remake, but went on to a long and successful
career in the talkies. He died in 1980. Name him.

Hitchcock

5. In the silent era, language was no barrier to the mobility
of talent. American actress Louise Brooks went abroad to make
her two best-known films, "Pandora's Box" and "Diary of a
Lost Girl". To what country?

Germany

6. German actress Brigitte Helm is best remembered for her
debut role as a demagogic robot in a 1927 silent directed
by Fritz Lang. Name the film.

"Metropolis"

7. In 1924, Louis B. Mayer signed her reluctantly, saying,
"In America, men don't like fat women." In 1928, half a dozen
silent features later, "Life" magazine called her "the dream
princess of eternity, the knockout of the ages." Name her.

Garbo

8. 31 years before directing Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer in
"War and Peace", King Vidor produced and directed a silent
hit called "The Big Parade". Which war was its subject?

World War I

9. Director F.W. Murnau required no makeup beyond pointy ears
and false teeth to make Max Schreck ugly enough to play the
title role in what 1922 silent classic?

"Nosferatu"

* Game 3, Round 3 - History - It Happened Last Year! Events of 2010

All of these events happened """last year""". You say *which
month*. Answers may repeat.

8. Spain beats the Netherlands 1-0 to win the World Cup.

July

--
Joshua Kreitzer
gromit82@hotmail.com

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

Mark Brader:

These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2011-05-30,
and should be interpreted accordingly... For further information...
see my 2021-07-20 companion posting on "Reposted Questions from
the Canadian Inquisition (RQFTCI*)".

* Game 3, Round 1 -- Current Events (excerpt)

Answer these 2011 questions if you like for fun, but for no points.

1. Barack Obama was in Ireland last week, paying a visit to
Moneygall, birthplace of his great-great-great-grandfather.
The """president""" quipped, "My name is Barack Obama of the
Moneygall Obamas, and I've come home to find the [BLANK] we
lost somewhere along the way." What did Obama joke about his
family losing?

The apostrophe (in "O'Bama"). Dan Tilque, Dan Blum, and Joshua got this.

As far as I can tell, he name Obama actually comes from the Luo
people of Kenya. This proves that Barack Obama was born there. :-)

2. Eulogies are rolling in for the so-called "Godfather of Rap",
dead at the age of 62. He was known for such angry early
70s songs as "The Revolution will Not be Televised" and
"Whitey's on the Moon", and had recently cut a comeback album.
Name him.

Gil Scott-Heron. Joshua got this.

* Game 3, Round 2 - Entertainment - The Silent Screen

1. This German actor starred in such silent classics as "The
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" and "The Hands of Orlac". He made
the transition to sound, continuing to work until his death
in 1943. His second-last role was as Major Strasser in
"Casablanca".

Conrad Veidt.

2. This 1926 Buster Keaton classic is based on the same
historical incident as Walt Disney's "Great Locomotive
Chase" of 30 years later. Name the silent movie.

"The General". 4 for Dan Blum and Joshua.

"The General" is, of course, the name of the locomotive.

3. Despite the loss of two digits of his right hand to the
accidental explosion of a prop bomb in 1919, this silent
funny man did all his own stunts -- which included climbing
the outside of a skyscraper 4 years later in "Safety Last".
The arrival of sound, however, brought his career crashing
to earth. Name him.

Harold Lloyd. 4 for Dan Blum and Joshua.

An excerpt from his skyscraper scene is seen in the """current"""
movie "Hugo".

4. In the silent thriller "The Lodger", an innocent man
(played by Ivor Novello) is suspected of being a killer of
beautiful blondes. The director declined to participate
in the sound remake, but went on to a long and successful
career in the talkies. He died in 1980. Name him.

Alfred Hitchcock. 4 for Joshua. 2 for Dan Blum.

5. In the silent era, language was no barrier to the mobility
of talent. American actress Louise Brooks went abroad to make
her two best-known films, "Pandora's Box" and "Diary of a
Lost Girl". To what country?

Germany. 4 for Joshua. 3 for Dan Blum.

6. German actress Brigitte Helm is best remembered for her
debut role as a demagogic robot in a 1927 silent directed
by Fritz Lang. Name the film.

"Metropolis". 4 for Dan Tilque, Dan Blum, and Joshua.

7. In 1924, Louis B. Mayer signed her reluctantly, saying,
"In America, men don't like fat women." In 1928, half a dozen
silent features later, "Life" magazine called her "the dream
princess of eternity, the knockout of the ages." Name her.

Greta Garbo. 4 for Joshua.

8. 31 years before directing Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer in
"War and Peace", King Vidor produced and directed a silent
hit called "The Big Parade". Which war was its subject?

World War I. 4 for Joshua.

9. Director F.W. Murnau required no makeup beyond pointy ears
and false teeth to make Max Schreck ugly enough to play the
title role in what 1922 silent classic?

"Nosferatu". 4 for Dan Blum and Joshua.

10. Which film legend made the following prediction in 1924?
"It will never be possible to synchronize the voice with
the pictures.... There will never be speaking pictures."

D.W. Griffith.

* Game 3, Round 3 - History - It Happened Last Year! Events of 2010

All of these events happened """last year""". You say *which
month*. Answers may repeat.

1. A massive earthquake strikes Haiti.

January.

2. Magnitude 5 earthquake in eastern Ontario and western Quebec.
The quake is felt in Toronto.

June.

3. In Toronto, a fire in a St. James Town apartment building
injures 14, and causes the evacuation of 1,200 people,
some for several months.

September.

4. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is arrested in England on
a Swedish warrant.

December.

5. An oil-rig explosion in the gulf of Mexico begins the Gulf
Oil Spill.

April.

6. An Icelandic volcano spews an ash cloud, disrupting air
travel across Europe. We want the beginning of that
disruption.

April. (A smaller eruption in March did not disrupt air travel.)
4 for Erland.

7. In Chile, 33 miners are brought back to the surface after
69 days underground.

October. 2 for Dan Blum.

8. Spain beats the Netherlands 1-0 to win the World Cup.

July. 4 for Dan Tilque, Erland, and Joshua. 2 for Dan Blum.

As I said in 2011: It figures. The only one on the list that's of
no conceivable interest, and it's the one that the most entrants
get right.

9. North Korea shells an island belonging to South Korea, killing
4 people and sparking fears of a resumption of the Korean War.

November.

10. The G20 summit in Toronto: meetings, fake lakes, protests,
kettling, etc.

June. 4 for Erland. 2 for Dan Blum.

The prime minister at the time, of course, was Stephen Harper,
and I wrote this piece then.

With apologies to Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay:

Sir Humphrey Moves to Canada.

Prime Minister: Humphrey, I have a problem.

Sir Humphrey: Yes, Prime Minister?

Prime Minister: As you know, it's Canada's turn to host the G20
summit this year.

Sir Humphrey: Yes, Prime Minister.

Prime Minister: Well, these things always attract protesters.
But it wouldn't do to allow the visiting leaders to know that--
I mean, to be distracted by that.

Sir Humphrey: Yes, Prime Minister. But I believe our security
agencies have the matter well planned. There was a report
in one of your red boxes laying out the measures they will
require, was there not? You just have to decide what city
they will do it in.

Prime Minister: That's just it, Humphrey! They want to spend a
*billion dollars*! A billion dollars of public money, to be
spent on keeping the public out of public places for two days!

Sir Humphrey: Well, Prime Minister, if you approve of it, and you
represent the public, it must be in the public interest,
mustn't it?

Prime Minister: I don't think the public'll buy that one this time.
If only we could hold the thing outside of a city. We also
have to set up security for the G8 summit, and we've agreed
to hold that one at that resort near Huntsville -- tell me
again why we couldn't hold the G20 meeting there as well?

Sir Humphrey: Because if we start doing that, *the other countries
will too*. So when it's your turn to go to Paris, instead
it'll be Escargot-sur-Seine. Instead of Rome, you'll be
in Villa Mussolini in the Apennines, where the electricity
doesn't work.

Prime Minister: Oh dear. You're right, of course, we can't have
that. But think of it. Streets closed, fences all over
the place, riot police all over. And no doubt demonstrators
every day blocking up all the streets just outside the fences.
Humphrey, *I'll lose votes!* You have to *do* something!

Sir Humphrey: Well, Prime Minister, I do have a suggestion.

Prime Minister: Anything, Humphrey! Anything!

Sir Humphrey: What was the largest city in Canada where they
were too smart -- er, where for some reason they mysteriously
failed to vote for you last time?

Prime Minister: Toronto.

Sir Humphrey: So in what city does your party already not have any
seats to lose in the next election?

Prime Minister: Toronto.

Sir Humphrey: And what city, every time you direct some pork --
excuse me, every time you arrange for public expenditures to
take place elsewhere, in the national interest -- complains
that they're the most important city in Canada and should
have their share of attention?

Prime Minister: Toronto.

(pause)

Prime Minister: Sir Humphrey, I've just had a brilliant idea.

Sir Humphrey: Yes, Prime Minister?

Prime Minister: Since it is Canada's most important city,
after all, we'll hold the G20 summit in Toronto!

Sir Humphrey (satisfied): Yes, Prime Minister.

(theme music; end credits roll)


Scores, if there are no errors:

GAME 3 ROUNDS-> 2 3 TOTALS
TOPICS-> Ent His
Joshua Kreitzer 32 4 36
Dan Blum 21 6 27
Erland Sommarskog 0 12 12
Dan Tilque 4 4 8

--
Mark Brader | "Must undefined behavior obey *all* the laws of physics, msb@vex.net | or is the restriction limited to time travel?"
Toronto | --Heather Downs

My text in this article is in the public domain.

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Mark Brader (msb@vex.net) writes:

6. An Icelandic volcano spews an ash cloud, disrupting air
travel across Europe. We want the beginning of that
disruption.

April. (A smaller eruption in March did not disrupt air travel.)
4 for Erland.

This was one was very easy for me. I was on vacation, and I flew
home from Paris the day before the eruption. Sometimes I'm lucky.

8. Spain beats the Netherlands 1-0 to win the World Cup.

July. 4 for Dan Tilque, Erland, and Joshua. 2 for Dan Blum.

As I said in 2011: It figures. The only one on the list that's of
no conceivable interest, and it's the one that the most entrants
get right.

To be fair, you don't need to remember the exact game. The World Cup
final football is almost always in July. (But not next time, though!)

10. The G20 summit in Toronto: meetings, fake lakes, protests,
kettling, etc.

June. 4 for Erland. 2 for Dan Blum.

I applied a similar tactics here. I tried to recall when the meeting
was in Cornwall. ...although when thinking of it, that was only G8.
Oh well.

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