Rotating Quiz #269

[Mark Brader]

This is Rotating Quiz #269.

At this point in the history of the RQ, I think I can safely
say that coming up with a good hidden theme that hasn't been
used before is *hard*. Not that there's any *need* for RQs to
have a hidden theme in the first place -- lots of them haven't.
But I do like the idea when it's done well, and Dan Blum's RQ 268
was one of those. Thanks for that contest, Dan.

I suppose I should also thank Stephen Perry and Bruce Bowler for
pre-declining the opportunity to set this RQ, but I feel more
like grumbling at those lazy shirkers! Anyway, the first choice
to set RQ 270 will be the winner of this one -- and let's hope
that the person actually does do it this time.

(This is not to suggest that people shouldn't enter if they do
know they can't do the next one, though.)


As usual, please answer only from your own knowledge and post all
your answers to the newsgroup in a single posting, quoting the
questions you are answering and placing your answers below each one.

This quiz features 6 questions each from the categories of Arts and
Entertainment, History, Literature, Miscellany, Science, and Sports.
Where a person's name is are asked for, the surname is sufficient --
*except* for kings and queens, where you need to be unambiguous.

One point for each answer on #1-12. No points for #13-14, but
these will be the first tiebreaker in case of a tie. The second
tiebreaker is who scored on the hardest questions of #1-12, and
the third tiebreaker is who posted first.

You have until the end of the month, by Toronto time (zone -4),
to enter, which gives you 5 days and about 21 hours from the moment
of posting.


1. This man played no less than 20 seasons in the NFL, 1976-95 --
all with the same team. He was primarily an offensive lineman,
playing right tackle, and was a great help to his team's offense.
He made the Pro Bowl 7 times and is in the Hall of Fame.
Name him.

2. In 1582 the Pope made a proclamation that began with the words
"Among the most serious duties of our pastoral office" --
only in Latin, of course. The proclamation is now known by
the first two Latin words of that phrase: "Inter Gravissimas".
What did it tell people to do?

3. The "Guinness Book of Records", as it was originally known,
was first published in 1955. For its first 20 years it was
edited by two brothers. Name them.

4. In 1054, a supernova in the constallation Taurus was seen by
Chinese and other astronomers. It was brighter than anything
else in the night sky except the Moon. What's the name of the
object that you'll see if you look today at the place where it
was, using a suitably large telescope?

5. How did Saroo Brierley identify where he'd come from?

6. Many Roman Catholics denied that Elizabeth I was the legitimate
Queen of England because they considered her parents' marriage
to be invalid due to bigamy. Name both parents.

7. Name the temperature scale, formerly used in Europe, that has
the same zero point as Celsius, but even larger degrees, so
that water boils at 80 degrees.

8. On the bank of a river, a scorpion saw a fox about to swim
across, and asked for a ride to the other side. "No", the
fox said. "You'll sting me and I'll drown." The scorpion
said not to worry: "If I did that, we'd both drown." The fox
thought about it, and finally agreed. But halfway across the
river, the scorpion did sting the fox! Before they drowned,
he asked the scorpion why. What did the scorpion say?

9. "Prim!" The strangled cry comes out of my throat, and my muscles
begin to move again. "Prim!" I don't need to shove through
the crowd. The other kids make way immediately, allowing me a
straight path to the stage. I reach her just as she is about to
mount the steps. With one sweep of my arm, I push her being me.
"I volunteer!" I gasp. --Who am "I"? (First or last name.)

10. In the four tournaments that make up the Grand Slam of tennis,
this man has a record 19 wins. He has never completed the
Grand Slam by winning all four in one year, but three times he
has won three out of four. Name him.

11. The Pont du Gard is a beautiful Roman bridge near Nîmes, France,
built using three levels of arches. Another unusual feature,
compared to most other bridges, is the reason why it was built.
What's that?

12. In American money, the largest denomination of American money
ever produced for circulation is the $10,000 bill. They're
still legal tender but they haven't been printed since 1945,
so they're actually worth quite a bit more in numismatic value.
Anyway, the portrait on the bill shows the man who was Secretary
of the Treasury during most of the Civil War and then became
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Name him.

13. What is the hidden theme in #1-12?

14. Explain in detail how the theme applies in each case.

--
Mark Brader, Toronto "People say I'm a skeptic --
m...@vex.net but I find that hard to believe."

My text in this article is in the public domain.

[Dan Blum]

Mark Brader <m...@vex.net> wrote:

> 2. In 1582 the Pope made a proclamation that began with the words
> "Among the most serious duties of our pastoral office" --
> only in Latin, of course. The proclamation is now known by
> the first two Latin words of that phrase: "Inter Gravissimas".
> What did it tell people to do?

adjust their calendars

> 3. The "Guinness Book of Records", as it was originally known,
> was first published in 1955. For its first 20 years it was
> edited by two brothers. Name them.

McWhirter

> 4. In 1054, a supernova in the constallation Taurus was seen by
> Chinese and other astronomers. It was brighter than anything
> else in the night sky except the Moon. What's the name of the
> object that you'll see if you look today at the place where it
> was, using a suitably large telescope?

Crab Nebula

> 6. Many Roman Catholics denied that Elizabeth I was the legitimate
> Queen of England because they considered her parents' marriage
> to be invalid due to bigamy. Name both parents.

Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon

> 7. Name the temperature scale, formerly used in Europe, that has
> the same zero point as Celsius, but even larger degrees, so
> that water boils at 80 degrees.

Rankine

> 8. On the bank of a river, a scorpion saw a fox about to swim
> across, and asked for a ride to the other side. "No", the
> fox said. "You'll sting me and I'll drown." The scorpion
> said not to worry: "If I did that, we'd both drown." The fox
> thought about it, and finally agreed. But halfway across the
> river, the scorpion did sting the fox! Before they drowned,
> he asked the scorpion why. What did the scorpion say?

"It's my nature."

> 9. "Prim!" The strangled cry comes out of my throat, and my muscles
> begin to move again. "Prim!" I don't need to shove through
> the crowd. The other kids make way immediately, allowing me a
> straight path to the stage. I reach her just as she is about to
> mount the steps. With one sweep of my arm, I push her being me.
> "I volunteer!" I gasp. --Who am "I"? (First or last name.)

Katniss

> 10. In the four tournaments that make up the Grand Slam of tennis,
> this man has a record 19 wins. He has never completed the
> Grand Slam by winning all four in one year, but three times he
> has won three out of four. Name him.

McEnroe

> 12. In American money, the largest denomination of American money
> ever produced for circulation is the $10,000 bill. They're
> still legal tender but they haven't been printed since 1945,
> so they're actually worth quite a bit more in numismatic value.
> Anyway, the portrait on the bill shows the man who was Secretary
> of the Treasury during most of the Civil War and then became
> Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Name him.

Salmon P. Chase

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

[Marc Dashevsky]

In article <_J-dnfF3MbqANFXE...@giganews.com>, m...@vex.net says...

Crab Nebula

aqueduct

> 12. In American money, the largest denomination of American money
> ever produced for circulation is the $10,000 bill. They're
> still legal tender but they haven't been printed since 1945,
> so they're actually worth quite a bit more in numismatic value.
> Anyway, the portrait on the bill shows the man who was Secretary
> of the Treasury during most of the Civil War and then became
> Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Name him.

Salmon Chase

> 13. What is the hidden theme in #1-12?
>
> 14. Explain in detail how the theme applies in each case.



--

Replace "usenet" with "marc" in the e-mail address.

---
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
http://www.avg.com

[Peter Smyth]

Mark Brader wrote:

> This is Rotating Quiz #269.
>
> At this point in the history of the RQ, I think I can safely
> say that coming up with a good hidden theme that hasn't been

> used before is hard. Not that there's any need for RQs to

> have a hidden theme in the first place -- lots of them haven't.
> But I do like the idea when it's done well, and Dan Blum's RQ 268
> was one of those. Thanks for that contest, Dan.
>
> I suppose I should also thank Stephen Perry and Bruce Bowler for
> pre-declining the opportunity to set this RQ, but I feel more
> like grumbling at those lazy shirkers! Anyway, the first choice
> to set RQ 270 will be the winner of this one -- and let's hope
> that the person actually does do it this time.
>
> (This is not to suggest that people shouldn't enter if they do
> know they can't do the next one, though.)
>
>
> As usual, please answer only from your own knowledge and post all
> your answers to the newsgroup in a single posting, quoting the
> questions you are answering and placing your answers below each one.
>
> This quiz features 6 questions each from the categories of Arts and
> Entertainment, History, Literature, Miscellany, Science, and Sports.
> Where a person's name is are asked for, the surname is sufficient --

> except for kings and queens, where you need to be unambiguous.

>
> One point for each answer on #1-12. No points for #13-14, but
> these will be the first tiebreaker in case of a tie. The second
> tiebreaker is who scored on the hardest questions of #1-12, and
> the third tiebreaker is who posted first.
>
> You have until the end of the month, by Toronto time (zone -4),
> to enter, which gives you 5 days and about 21 hours from the moment
> of posting.
>
>
> 1. This man played no less than 20 seasons in the NFL, 1976-95 --
> all with the same team. He was primarily an offensive lineman,
> playing right tackle, and was a great help to his team's offense.
> He made the Pro Bowl 7 times and is in the Hall of Fame.
> Name him.

William "The Fridge" Perry

> 2. In 1582 the Pope made a proclamation that began with the words
> "Among the most serious duties of our pastoral office" --
> only in Latin, of course. The proclamation is now known by
> the first two Latin words of that phrase: "Inter Gravissimas".
> What did it tell people to do?
>
> 3. The "Guinness Book of Records", as it was originally known,
> was first published in 1955. For its first 20 years it was
> edited by two brothers. Name them.

Norris & Ross "The Oven" McWhirter

> 4. In 1054, a supernova in the constallation Taurus was seen by
> Chinese and other astronomers. It was brighter than anything
> else in the night sky except the Moon. What's the name of the
> object that you'll see if you look today at the place where it
> was, using a suitably large telescope?
>
> 5. How did Saroo Brierley identify where he'd come from?
>
> 6. Many Roman Catholics denied that Elizabeth I was the legitimate
> Queen of England because they considered her parents' marriage
> to be invalid due to bigamy. Name both parents.

Henry VIII and Anne "The Microwave" Boleyn

> 7. Name the temperature scale, formerly used in Europe, that has
> the same zero point as Celsius, but even larger degrees, so
> that water boils at 80 degrees.
>
> 8. On the bank of a river, a scorpion saw a fox about to swim
> across, and asked for a ride to the other side. "No", the
> fox said. "You'll sting me and I'll drown." The scorpion
> said not to worry: "If I did that, we'd both drown." The fox
> thought about it, and finally agreed. But halfway across the
> river, the scorpion did sting the fox! Before they drowned,
> he asked the scorpion why. What did the scorpion say?
>
> 9. "Prim!" The strangled cry comes out of my throat, and my muscles
> begin to move again. "Prim!" I don't need to shove through
> the crowd. The other kids make way immediately, allowing me a
> straight path to the stage. I reach her just as she is about to
> mount the steps. With one sweep of my arm, I push her being me.
> "I volunteer!" I gasp. --Who am "I"? (First or last name.)
>
> 10. In the four tournaments that make up the Grand Slam of tennis,
> this man has a record 19 wins. He has never completed the
> Grand Slam by winning all four in one year, but three times he
> has won three out of four. Name him.

Roger "The Freezer" Federer

> 11. The Pont du Gard is a beautiful Roman bridge near Nîmes, France,
> built using three levels of arches. Another unusual feature,
> compared to most other bridges, is the reason why it was built.
> What's that?
>
> 12. In American money, the largest denomination of American money
> ever produced for circulation is the $10,000 bill. They're
> still legal tender but they haven't been printed since 1945,
> so they're actually worth quite a bit more in numismatic value.
> Anyway, the portrait on the bill shows the man who was Secretary
> of the Treasury during most of the Civil War and then became
> Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Name him.
>
> 13. What is the hidden theme in #1-12?

Share nicknames with kitchen appliances

> 14. Explain in detail how the theme applies in each case.

Peter Smyth

[Dan Tilque]

Mark Brader wrote:

>
>
> 1. This man played no less than 20 seasons in the NFL, 1976-95 --
> all with the same team. He was primarily an offensive lineman,
> playing right tackle, and was a great help to his team's offense.
> He made the Pro Bowl 7 times and is in the Hall of Fame.
> Name him.

Perry

>
> 2. In 1582 the Pope made a proclamation that began with the words
> "Among the most serious duties of our pastoral office" --
> only in Latin, of course. The proclamation is now known by
> the first two Latin words of that phrase: "Inter Gravissimas".
> What did it tell people to do?

set the clock forward 10 days

>
> 3. The "Guinness Book of Records", as it was originally known,
> was first published in 1955. For its first 20 years it was
> edited by two brothers. Name them.
>
> 4. In 1054, a supernova in the constallation Taurus was seen by
> Chinese and other astronomers. It was brighter than anything
> else in the night sky except the Moon. What's the name of the
> object that you'll see if you look today at the place where it
> was, using a suitably large telescope?

Crab Nebula

>
> 5. How did Saroo Brierley identify where he'd come from?
>
> 6. Many Roman Catholics denied that Elizabeth I was the legitimate
> Queen of England because they considered her parents' marriage
> to be invalid due to bigamy. Name both parents.

Henry VIII & Ann Boleyn

>
> 7. Name the temperature scale, formerly used in Europe, that has
> the same zero point as Celsius, but even larger degrees, so
> that water boils at 80 degrees.
>
> 8. On the bank of a river, a scorpion saw a fox about to swim
> across, and asked for a ride to the other side. "No", the
> fox said. "You'll sting me and I'll drown." The scorpion
> said not to worry: "If I did that, we'd both drown." The fox
> thought about it, and finally agreed. But halfway across the
> river, the scorpion did sting the fox! Before they drowned,
> he asked the scorpion why. What did the scorpion say?
>
> 9. "Prim!" The strangled cry comes out of my throat, and my muscles
> begin to move again. "Prim!" I don't need to shove through
> the crowd. The other kids make way immediately, allowing me a
> straight path to the stage. I reach her just as she is about to
> mount the steps. With one sweep of my arm, I push her being me.
> "I volunteer!" I gasp. --Who am "I"? (First or last name.)
>
> 10. In the four tournaments that make up the Grand Slam of tennis,
> this man has a record 19 wins. He has never completed the
> Grand Slam by winning all four in one year, but three times he
> has won three out of four. Name him.

McEnroe

>
> 11. The Pont du Gard is a beautiful Roman bridge near Nîmes, France,
> built using three levels of arches. Another unusual feature,
> compared to most other bridges, is the reason why it was built.
> What's that?

it's an aqueduct

>
> 12. In American money, the largest denomination of American money
> ever produced for circulation is the $10,000 bill. They're
> still legal tender but they haven't been printed since 1945,
> so they're actually worth quite a bit more in numismatic value.
> Anyway, the portrait on the bill shows the man who was Secretary
> of the Treasury during most of the Civil War and then became
> Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Name him.

Salmon P Chase

>
> 13. What is the hidden theme in #1-12?
>
> 14. Explain in detail how the theme applies in each case.
>


--

Dan Tilque

[Erland Sommarskog]

Mark Brader (m...@vex.net) writes:
> 2. In 1582 the Pope made a proclamation that began with the words
> "Among the most serious duties of our pastoral office" --
> only in Latin, of course. The proclamation is now known by
> the first two Latin words of that phrase: "Inter Gravissimas".
> What did it tell people to do?

Delete 13 days from the calendar

> 4. In 1054, a supernova in the constallation Taurus was seen by
> Chinese and other astronomers. It was brighter than anything
> else in the night sky except the Moon. What's the name of the
> object that you'll see if you look today at the place where it
> was, using a suitably large telescope?

Crab nebulosa

> 7. Name the temperature scale, formerly used in Europe, that has
> the same zero point as Celsius, but even larger degrees, so
> that water boils at 80 degrees.

Réamur

> 10. In the four tournaments that make up the Grand Slam of tennis,
> this man has a record 19 wins. He has never completed the
> Grand Slam by winning all four in one year, but three times he
> has won three out of four. Name him.

Roger Federer




--
Erland Sommarskog, Stockholm, esq...@sommarskog.se

[Pete Gayde]

m...@vex.net (Mark Brader) wrote in news:_J-dnfF3MbqANFXEnZ2dnUU7-
XXN...@giganews.com:

Dan Dierdorf

>
> 2. In 1582 the Pope made a proclamation that began with the words
> "Among the most serious duties of our pastoral office" --
> only in Latin, of course. The proclamation is now known by
> the first two Latin words of that phrase: "Inter Gravissimas".
> What did it tell people to do?
>
> 3. The "Guinness Book of Records", as it was originally known,
> was first published in 1955. For its first 20 years it was
> edited by two brothers. Name them.

McWhirter (Norris and Ross, perhaps?)

>
> 4. In 1054, a supernova in the constallation Taurus was seen by
> Chinese and other astronomers. It was brighter than anything
> else in the night sky except the Moon. What's the name of the
> object that you'll see if you look today at the place where it
> was, using a suitably large telescope?
>
> 5. How did Saroo Brierley identify where he'd come from?
>
> 6. Many Roman Catholics denied that Elizabeth I was the legitimate
> Queen of England because they considered her parents' marriage
> to be invalid due to bigamy. Name both parents.
>
> 7. Name the temperature scale, formerly used in Europe, that has
> the same zero point as Celsius, but even larger degrees, so
> that water boils at 80 degrees.
>
> 8. On the bank of a river, a scorpion saw a fox about to swim
> across, and asked for a ride to the other side. "No", the
> fox said. "You'll sting me and I'll drown." The scorpion
> said not to worry: "If I did that, we'd both drown." The fox
> thought about it, and finally agreed. But halfway across the
> river, the scorpion did sting the fox! Before they drowned,
> he asked the scorpion why. What did the scorpion say?

Because I'm a scorpion.

>
> 9. "Prim!" The strangled cry comes out of my throat, and my muscles
> begin to move again. "Prim!" I don't need to shove through
> the crowd. The other kids make way immediately, allowing me a
> straight path to the stage. I reach her just as she is about to
> mount the steps. With one sweep of my arm, I push her being me.
> "I volunteer!" I gasp. --Who am "I"? (First or last name.)
>
> 10. In the four tournaments that make up the Grand Slam of tennis,
> this man has a record 19 wins. He has never completed the
> Grand Slam by winning all four in one year, but three times he
> has won three out of four. Name him.
>
> 11. The Pont du Gard is a beautiful Roman bridge near Nîmes, France,
> built using three levels of arches. Another unusual feature,
> compared to most other bridges, is the reason why it was built.
> What's that?

It's an aqueduct

>
> 12. In American money, the largest denomination of American money
> ever produced for circulation is the $10,000 bill. They're
> still legal tender but they haven't been printed since 1945,
> so they're actually worth quite a bit more in numismatic value.
> Anyway, the portrait on the bill shows the man who was Secretary
> of the Treasury during most of the Civil War and then became
> Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Name him.

Salmon P. Chase

>
> 13. What is the hidden theme in #1-12?
>
> 14. Explain in detail how the theme applies in each case.
>

Pete Gayde

[Dan Tilque]

Erland Sommarskog wrote:
> Mark Brader (m...@vex.net) writes:
>> 2. In 1582 the Pope made a proclamation that began with the words
>> "Among the most serious duties of our pastoral office" --
>> only in Latin, of course. The proclamation is now known by
>> the first two Latin words of that phrase: "Inter Gravissimas".
>> What did it tell people to do?
>
> Delete 13 days from the calendar

At the time, it was only 10 days. The idea was to get the calendar back
to what it was in the 4th century when the Council of Nicaea was held.
Why then and not all the way back to when Jesus was alive? Because the
important thing to the Church was to get the calculation of the date of
Easter right. That calculation was determined at that Council.

Thirteen days is what you have to drop today (any time from 1900 to
2099, in fact) if you were to change from the Julian to Gregorian. No
country still uses the Julian calendar, but some Eastern Rite churches
still do. Russia and Greece both changed calendars in the 20th century,
so they dropped 13 days. Curiously, they both did so at the beginning of
February in different years, so those months had only 15 days in them.

--
Dan Tilque

[Mark Brader]

Erland Sommarskog:

> > Delete 13 days from the calendar

Dan Tilque:
> [In 1582], it was only 10 days. The idea was to get the calendar back

> to what it was in the 4th century when the Council of Nicaea was held.
> Why then and not all the way back to when Jesus was alive? Because the
> important thing to the Church was to get the calculation of the date of
> Easter right. That calculation was determined at that Council.

The interesting thing is that the intervening period contained
only 9 years (500, 600, 700, 900, 100,0 1100, 1300, 1400, 1500)
that would not have been leap years if the Gregorian calendar had
been in effect all along. So why was it 10 days? Because Lilio,
the man who actually worked out the new calendar for Pope Gregory,
was using a slightly incorrect length for the year, and concluded
that the Council of Nicaea must themselves have made a 1-day error.

> Thirteen days is what you have to drop today (any time from 1900 to
> 2099, in fact) if you were to change from the Julian to Gregorian. No
> country still uses the Julian calendar, but some Eastern Rite churches
> still do. Russia and Greece both changed calendars in the 20th century,
> so they dropped 13 days.

An interesting case is Alaska, which switched when Russia sold it to
the US in 1867. At that time the two calendars were 12 days apart, but
the Alaskans dropped 13 days anyway. Why? In order to move the
International Date Line, as we now call it, to its present position.
For obvious reasons it previously on the other side of Alaska.
--
Mark Brader "In fact I am thinking of adopting a religion
Toronto that forbids the use of non-electric tools."
m...@vex.net --Theodore W. Gray

[Mark Brader]

This is a reminder that if you want to enter RQ 269, you have
slightly under 24 hours remaining as I post this.
--
Mark Brader | "One must scythe the thickets of metaphor
Toronto | if one wishes to harvest the grain of reason."
m...@vex.net | --Robert Ludlum

[Mark Brader]

Mark Brader:

> One point for each answer on #1-12. No points for #13-14, but
> these will be the first tiebreaker in case of a tie. The second
> tiebreaker is who scored on the hardest questions of #1-12, and
> the third tiebreaker is who posted first.

No tiebreakers were needed. The clear winner is DAN BLUM with a
score of 6 points. Hearty congratulations!

> 1. This man played no less than 20 seasons in the NFL, 1976-95 --
> all with the same team. He was primarily an offensive lineman,
> playing right tackle, and was a great help to his team's offense.
> He made the Pro Bowl 7 times and is in the Hall of Fame.
> Name him.

Jackie Slater.

> 2. In 1582 the Pope made a proclamation that began with the words
> "Among the most serious duties of our pastoral office" --
> only in Latin, of course. The proclamation is now known by
> the first two Latin words of that phrase: "Inter Gravissimas".
> What did it tell people to do?

Switch to the calendar now named for that pope -- the Gregorian one.
I accepted any reference to a calendar change. 1 for Dan Blum,
Dan Tilque, and Erland.

> 3. The "Guinness Book of Records", as it was originally known,
> was first published in 1955. For its first 20 years it was
> edited by two brothers. Name them.

Norris and Ross McWhirter. 1 for Dan Blum, Peter, and Pete.

> 4. In 1054, a supernova in the constallation Taurus was seen by
> Chinese and other astronomers. It was brighter than anything
> else in the night sky except the Moon. What's the name of the
> object that you'll see if you look today at the place where it
> was, using a suitably large telescope?

Crab Nebula. 1 for Dan Blum, Marc, Dan Tilque, and Erland.

> 5. How did Saroo Brierley identify where he'd come from?

With Google Earth.

At age 5 he got onto a train without a ticket, and fell asleep.
He was carried about 900 miles across India and did not know which way
he had come or what his home town was called -- until 25 years later,
when he was able to browse in Google Earth to find the landmarks he
still remembered.

> 6. Many Roman Catholics denied that Elizabeth I was the legitimate
> Queen of England because they considered her parents' marriage
> to be invalid due to bigamy. Name both parents.

King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn. 1 for Peter and Dan Tilque.

Henry's marriage to Katherine of Aragon had been annulled by Thomas
Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, who not-so-incidentally had been
nominated for that job by Henry himself -- but the Catholic point
of view was that nobody could annul a marriage except the Pope.

> 7. Name the temperature scale, formerly used in Europe, that has
> the same zero point as Celsius, but even larger degrees, so
> that water boils at 80 degrees.

Réaumur. 1 for Erland.

> 8. On the bank of a river, a scorpion saw a fox about to swim
> across, and asked for a ride to the other side. "No", the
> fox said. "You'll sting me and I'll drown." The scorpion
> said not to worry: "If I did that, we'd both drown." The fox
> thought about it, and finally agreed. But halfway across the
> river, the scorpion did sting the fox! Before they drowned,
> he asked the scorpion why. What did the scorpion say?

It's my nature. I accepted "I'm a scorpion". 1 for Dan Blum
and Pete.

> 9. "Prim!" The strangled cry comes out of my throat, and my muscles
> begin to move again. "Prim!" I don't need to shove through
> the crowd. The other kids make way immediately, allowing me a
> straight path to the stage. I reach her just as she is about to
> mount the steps. With one sweep of my arm, I push her being me.
> "I volunteer!" I gasp. --Who am "I"? (First or last name.)

Katniss Everdeen. (In "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins.)
1 for Dan Blum.

> 10. In the four tournaments that make up the Grand Slam of tennis,
> this man has a record 19 wins. He has never completed the
> Grand Slam by winning all four in one year, but three times he
> has won three out of four. Name him.

Roger Federer. 1 for Peter and Erland.

> 11. The Pont du Gard is a beautiful Roman bridge near Nīmes, France,

> built using three levels of arches. Another unusual feature,
> compared to most other bridges, is the reason why it was built.
> What's that?

To carry an aqueduct (over the Gardon River). 1 for Marc, Dan Tilque,
and Pete.

> 12. In American money, the largest denomination of American money
> ever produced for circulation is the $10,000 bill. They're
> still legal tender but they haven't been printed since 1945,
> so they're actually worth quite a bit more in numismatic value.
> Anyway, the portrait on the bill shows the man who was Secretary
> of the Treasury during most of the Civil War and then became
> Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Name him.

Salmon P. Chase. 1 for Dan Blum, Marc, Dan Tilque, and Pete.

> 13. What is the hidden theme in #1-12?
> 14. Explain in detail how the theme applies in each case.

Somewhat to my surprise, nobody got these. So I'm going to suppress
these answers for the moment and just give a hint. There's a reason
why there were 12 questions and not more, and their sequence was
relevant as well. Now do you get it?


Scores, if there are no errors:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 TOTALS

Dan Blum 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 6
Dan Tilque 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 5
Pete Gayde 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 4
Erland Sommarskog 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 4
Peter Smyth 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 3
Marc Dashevsky 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 3

0 3 3 4 0 2 1 2 1 2 3 4

So now it's over to Dan Blum for RQ 270. But come on, let's see
*someone* come up with answers on #13-14 of this contest, eh?
If the complete answers aren't given sooner, I'll reveal them in
another 36 hours or so from the time of this posting.

--
Mark Brader | "'Settlor', (i) in relation to a testamentary trust,
Toronto | means the individual referred to in paragraph (i)."
m...@vex.net | -- Income Tax Act of Canada (1972-94), 108(1)(h)

[Dan Blum]

Mark Brader <m...@vex.net> wrote:

> > 13. What is the hidden theme in #1-12?
> > 14. Explain in detail how the theme applies in each case.

> Somewhat to my surprise, nobody got these. So I'm going to suppress
> these answers for the moment and just give a hint. There's a reason
> why there were 12 questions and not more, and their sequence was
> relevant as well. Now do you get it?

The theme is signs of the zodiac, but I can't tell how all apply
without research. Some are (now) obvious - scorpion, Crab Nebula,
aqueduct, Salmon P. Chase, aqueduct, Reamur, and the McWhirters, but
some are not. I assume Katniss is Sagitarrius in which case Virgo is
presumably Elizabeth I, in which case I would probably never have
gotten it under the assmumption that the theme applies to the answers
and not the questions.

[Don Piven]

On 10/1/17 09:14, Dan Blum wrote:
> Mark Brader <m...@vex.net> wrote:
>
>>> 13. What is the hidden theme in #1-12?
>>> 14. Explain in detail how the theme applies in each case.
>
>> Somewhat to my surprise, nobody got these. So I'm going to suppress
>> these answers for the moment and just give a hint. There's a reason
>> why there were 12 questions and not more, and their sequence was
>> relevant as well. Now do you get it?
>
> The theme is signs of the zodiac, but I can't tell how all apply
> without research. Some are (now) obvious - scorpion, Crab Nebula,
> aqueduct, Salmon P. Chase, aqueduct, Reamur, and the McWhirters, but
> some are not. I assume Katniss is Sagitarrius in which case Virgo is
> presumably Elizabeth I, in which case I would probably never have
> gotten it under the assmumption that the theme applies to the answers
> and not the questions.
>

Leo was pretty tenuous (being an "earth" sign), but for the life of me I
can't figure out how Capricorn relates to #10, unless it's the Grand
Slam events are played on grass or clay, and Capricorn is another
"earth" sign, which would be even more tenuous than the Leo connection.

[Mark Brader]

Mark Brader:

>> 1. This man played no less than 20 seasons in the NFL, 1976-95 --
>> all with the same team. He was primarily an offensive lineman,
>> playing right tackle, and was a great help to his team's offense.
>> He made the Pro Bowl 7 times and is in the Hall of Fame.
>> Name him.
>
> Jackie Slater.
>
>> 2. In 1582 the Pope made a proclamation that began with the words
>> "Among the most serious duties of our pastoral office" --
>> only in Latin, of course. The proclamation is now known by
>> the first two Latin words of that phrase: "Inter Gravissimas".
>> What did it tell people to do?
>

> Switch to the calendar now named for that pope -- the Gregorian one...

>> 3. The "Guinness Book of Records", as it was originally known,
>> was first published in 1955. For its first 20 years it was
>> edited by two brothers. Name them.
>

> Norris and Ross McWhirter...

>
>> 4. In 1054, a supernova in the constallation Taurus was seen by
>> Chinese and other astronomers. It was brighter than anything
>> else in the night sky except the Moon. What's the name of the
>> object that you'll see if you look today at the place where it
>> was, using a suitably large telescope?
>

> Crab Nebula...

>
>> 5. How did Saroo Brierley identify where he'd come from?
>
> With Google Earth.
>
> At age 5 he got onto a train without a ticket, and fell asleep.
> He was carried about 900 miles across India and did not know which way
> he had come or what his home town was called -- until 25 years later,
> when he was able to browse in Google Earth to find the landmarks he
> still remembered.
>
>> 6. Many Roman Catholics denied that Elizabeth I was the legitimate
>> Queen of England because they considered her parents' marriage
>> to be invalid due to bigamy. Name both parents.
>

> King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn...

>
> Henry's marriage to Katherine of Aragon had been annulled by Thomas
> Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, who not-so-incidentally had been
> nominated for that job by Henry himself -- but the Catholic point
> of view was that nobody could annul a marriage except the Pope.
>
>> 7. Name the temperature scale, formerly used in Europe, that has
>> the same zero point as Celsius, but even larger degrees, so
>> that water boils at 80 degrees.
>

> Réaumur...

>
>> 8. On the bank of a river, a scorpion saw a fox about to swim
>> across, and asked for a ride to the other side. "No", the
>> fox said. "You'll sting me and I'll drown." The scorpion
>> said not to worry: "If I did that, we'd both drown." The fox
>> thought about it, and finally agreed. But halfway across the
>> river, the scorpion did sting the fox! Before they drowned,
>> he asked the scorpion why. What did the scorpion say?
>

> It's my nature...

>
>> 9. "Prim!" The strangled cry comes out of my throat, and my muscles
>> begin to move again. "Prim!" I don't need to shove through
>> the crowd. The other kids make way immediately, allowing me a
>> straight path to the stage. I reach her just as she is about to
>> mount the steps. With one sweep of my arm, I push her being me.
>> "I volunteer!" I gasp. --Who am "I"? (First or last name.)
>

> Katniss Everdeen. (In "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins.) ...

>
>> 10. In the four tournaments that make up the Grand Slam of tennis,
>> this man has a record 19 wins. He has never completed the
>> Grand Slam by winning all four in one year, but three times he
>> has won three out of four. Name him.
>

> Roger Federer...

>
>> 11. The Pont du Gard is a beautiful Roman bridge near Nīmes, France,
>> built using three levels of arches. Another unusual feature,
>> compared to most other bridges, is the reason why it was built.
>> What's that?
>

> To carry an aqueduct...

>
>> 12. In American money, the largest denomination of American money
>> ever produced for circulation is the $10,000 bill. They're
>> still legal tender but they haven't been printed since 1945,
>> so they're actually worth quite a bit more in numismatic value.
>> Anyway, the portrait on the bill shows the man who was Secretary
>> of the Treasury during most of the Civil War and then became
>> Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Name him.
>

> Salmon P. Chase...

>> 13. What is the hidden theme in #1-12?

Signs of the zodiac.

You may remember that in the preamble to the contest I said it was
hard to come up with a good hidden theme that hadn't been used before.
When I was drafting this quiz, I had the nagging thought that the
zodiac *had* already been used, but I hoped I was hiding it well
enough this time that even if it had, the quiz would still work.

After I finished writing the quiz, I finally dared to check and found
that it was *me* who'd used the same theme before -- specifically,
in RQ 129 in 2014. Well, no wonder I sort of remembered it.

Anyway, I also discovered that in the previous quiz I'd only asked
10 questions, and in a random order. Two entrants got the theme
that time: Gareth Owen and Jeff Turner. So I wasn't expecting no
one to get it this time, even if it was hidden a bit deeper.

This time I'd decided to use all 12 signs, and in sequence, and I
found I'd only repeated one question that I'd used in RQ 129 (on the
"archer" question, I'd asked for the name Miles Archer from "The
Maltese Falcon"). So I changed that one to ask about a different
well-known novel and movie, and I had an all-new quiz.

>> 14. Explain in detail how the theme applies in each case.

1. Aries the ram -- The team Slater played his 20 seasons with was
the Los Angeles (then the St. Louis) Rams.

2. Taurus the bull -- The papal proclamation is called a bull.

3. Gemini the twins -- The McWhirters were twin brothers.

4. Cancer the crab -- Crab Nebula.

5. Leo the lion -- The 2016 movie based on his true story was titled
"Lion", which is also the etymological origin of his first name.

6. Virgo the virgin -- Elizabeth I, in the question, was known as the
Virgin Queen and, for all anyone knows, may actually have been a virgin.

7. Libra the scale -- Scales of temperature, in the question.

8. Scorpio the scorpion -- Scorpion, in the question.

9. Sagittarius the archer -- Katniss Everdeen is a skilled archer.

10. Capricorn the goat -- His fans call Federer the Greatest Of All
Time or "GOAT".

11. Aquarius the water-bearer -- That's what an aqueduct does.

12. Pisces the fish -- Salmon.


With the hint, Dan Blum got the theme and some of the specifics.
--
Mark Brader | "shenli" Silent Domolition Agent uses in exploiting
Toronto | and cutting rock and non-explosive fragmentate and
m...@vex.net | demolish concrete. --seen in spam

[Dan Tilque]

Mark Brader wrote:

>
>> 5. How did Saroo Brierley identify where he'd come from?
>
> With Google Earth.
>
> At age 5 he got onto a train without a ticket, and fell asleep.
> He was carried about 900 miles across India and did not know which way
> he had come or what his home town was called -- until 25 years later,
> when he was able to browse in Google Earth to find the landmarks he
> still remembered.

I remember seeing some show on TV about this. Since I only watch sports
on TV at home, it must have been the night before the eclipse when I
stayed at my brother's house. (He lives in Salem, which was right on the
path.) The only thing is, the name of the Indian guy didn't stay with
me. If you'd given details about the train trip, I probably would have
gotten it.

>
>> 13. What is the hidden theme in #1-12?
>> 14. Explain in detail how the theme applies in each case.
>
> Somewhat to my surprise, nobody got these. So I'm going to suppress
> these answers for the moment and just give a hint. There's a reason
> why there were 12 questions and not more, and their sequence was
> relevant as well. Now do you get it?

When I first saw there were 12 questions, I figured the theme was likely
the zodiac. But if it was, it was so obscure that it didn't help me and
I forgot about it by the time I completed the quiz.


--
Dan Tilque

[Mark Brader]

Mark Brader:

>>> 5. How did Saroo Brierley identify where he'd come from?

>> With Google Earth.
>>
>> At age 5 he got onto a train without a ticket, and fell asleep.
>> He was carried about 900 miles across India and did not know which way
>> he had come or what his home town was called -- until 25 years later,
>> when he was able to browse in Google Earth to find the landmarks he
>> still remembered.

Dan Tilque:

> I remember seeing some show on TV about this. Since I only watch sports

> on TV at home, it must have been the night before the eclipse...

Must've been "60 Minutes". They did an item about it a few months
ago, and their summer shows generally consist of rerun items with a
short update after each one. Checking on the web, it appears that
they originally showed it on December 8 and did indeed rerun it on
August 20.

> when I stayed at my brother's house. (He lives in Salem, which was
> right on the path.)

Nice planning! But not the best place for clear weather. How was it
there?

> The only thing is, the name of the Indian guy didn't stay with
> me. If you'd given details about the train trip, I probably would have
> gotten it.

Oh well.
--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "True excitement lies in doing
m...@vex.net | 'sdb /unix /dev/kmem'" -- Pontus Hedman

[Dan Tilque]

Mark Brader wrote:

>
> Dan Tilque:
>> I remember seeing some show on TV about this. Since I only watch sports
>> on TV at home, it must have been the night before the eclipse...
>
> Must've been "60 Minutes".

That's right, it was 60 Minutes.

>
>> when I stayed at my brother's house. (He lives in Salem, which was
>> right on the path.)
>
> Nice planning! But not the best place for clear weather. How was it
> there?

The weather was perfect. Not a cloud in the sky. Right on the coast it
was probably cloudy, but Salem is 80 or 90 miles inland and there's a
small mountain range in between.

His house is only 60-some miles away from mine. I bicycled down the day
before. It took me about 4 hours or so. The centerline of the eclipse
went south of Salem, but his house is also south of Salem. He said he
calculated the difference in duration between his location and the
maximum and there was only about one second difference.

--
Dan Tilque

[Mark Brader]

Dan Tilque:

>>> when I stayed at my brother's house. (He lives in Salem, which was
>>> right on the path.)

Mark Brader:

>> Nice planning! But not the best place for clear weather. How was it
>> there?

Dan Tilque:

> The weather was perfect. Not a cloud in the sky. Right on the coast it
> was probably cloudy, but Salem is 80 or 90 miles inland and there's a
> small mountain range in between.

Ah. Excellent.

I drove to western Nebraska and also was able to find perfect weather.
I just tried to get within 2-3 miles of the centerline, but afterwards
worked out that the spot where I stopped (on NE 29, north of Mitchell)
was actually within about 700 feet of it.

> His house is only 60-some miles away from mine. I bicycled down the day
> before. It took me about 4 hours or so. The centerline of the eclipse
> went south of Salem, but his house is also south of Salem. He said he
> calculated the difference in duration between his location and the
> maximum and there was only about one second difference.

Excellent! (Though from where I was, I did beat you on duration.)
--
Mark Brader | "The occasional accidents had been much overemphasized,
Toronto | and later investigations ... revealed that nearly 90%
m...@vex.net | ... could have been prevented." --Wiley Post, 1931

[Dan Tilque]

Mark Brader wrote:
>
> Excellent! (Though from where I was, I did beat you on duration.)

That was my biggest (only) complaint. The eclipse was way too short.

Speaking of which, the next North American eclipse (8 April 2024) is
going to be about twice as long. And it's coming to you! Well, sort of.

The northern edge of the eclipse is going right by Toronto. Just to the
south, actually, which means it'll be out in the lake. The centerline
will go right through Buffalo. So you'll have travel a bit to get a
decent view. Have you made plans yet?

--
Dan Tilque

[Mark Brader]

Dan Tilque:

> Speaking of which, the next North American eclipse (8 April 2024) is
> going to be about twice as long. And it's coming to you! Well, sort of.
>
> The northern edge of the eclipse is going right by Toronto. Just to the
> south, actually, which means it'll be out in the lake. The centerline

> will go right through Buffalo...

Oddly enough, I knew that. The centerline track intersects that of the
May 1994 annular eclipse in Lake Erie about 10 miles west of Buffalo.

> Have you made plans yet?

No, it's a trifly early still. The simple way would to hop on a bus or
train to Niagara Falls (Ontario), where they'll get 3 minutes 30 seconds
or about 15 seconds less than Buffalo; but I can't guess how easy it'll
be to get on a bus or train. Also, presumably the prospects for clear
weather would be better in Texas, but that's more trouble to get to!
Still another option would be something involving a boat...

In 1994 I waited until eclipse day, saw that the weather was clear,
and *then* asked for the day off work, rented a car, and drove to
Niagara-on-the-Lake. I don't imagine that'll be a feasible plan
for a total eclipse!
--
Mark Brader "One might as well complain about the Sun
Toronto rising in the daytime instead of at night,
m...@vex.net when we need it more." -- John Lawler