• 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.

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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."

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  • 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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