I trust you all rested your brains this weekend, perhaps by watching extended stretches of Law and Order: Criminal Intent, which now runs in a helpfully continuous cycle on at least three cable channels.
Competition last week was fierce but sportspersonlike, with Scraps taking a clear point lead but still facing a considerable challenge from competitors as the points-per-question become more rewarding.
Before we begin, a Special Announcement: There will be a Bonus "Lightning Round" offered on this Friday, the 17th, at or shortly after noon EST. An additional question will be posted, and players will duke it out in the comments. First correct answer gets 160 bonus points toward the final (the same value as the other Round 2 questions). This may offer a chance for those who missed the Round 1 deadline to make up some lost ground.
Now, on to Round 2 play. As in Round 1, there are multiple questions. This time it's 5 questions for 160 points apiece (800 possible points).
Your answer to each should be submitted via email to quiz at wombatfile dot com (subject line should include "quiz") before the posting of the clues on the morning of Thursday, December 16. After clues are posted, you have the remainder of the day to submit answers for half-credit, with a final deadline of Friday, December 17, at 12:01 AM.
As before, you are allowed one revision per guess -- but that revision is final, and if it comes during the "post-clue" period, it will only get you half points.
So...as those who have followed this inanity since its ill-starred beginning might remember (ha!), the Quiz began with two consecutive geography puzzles. In that spirit , we offer these geographically inclined questions. You are particularly on your honor to steer clear of maps and atlases as you play, not to mention the usual forbidden works of reference, electronic and otherwise. I have it on good authority that peekers shall in Hell be tattoo'd with a relief map of Banff National Park, by a blind demon with a sailmaker's needle and the shakes.
The questions:
1. In terms of population, what country is the smallest member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations?
2. The first war declared under the U.S. Constitution was fought against a group of political entities which are now part of four different nations. What are those four nations? (Half credit possible, but no 1/4 or 3/4)
3. Everyone knows that the Dutch "bought" the island of Manhattan from Native American tribespeople for what is often characterized as twenty-something dollars worth of beads. The British took it from them by force in 1664; hostilities followed in 1665, and in 1667 the Dutch renounced their claim to New Amsterdam in negotiations. What (now a nation of approximately 400,000) was granted to them in return?
4. According to the CIA, what country is the world's tenth largest producer of cotton and the fourth largest of natural gas? Some facts: It is divided into five welayatlar. It has over 1700 km of coastline but ships sailing from ports along it could only reach to four other countries. Under the 12-year-old constitution, its bicameral legislature is composed of the Halk Maslahaty and the Majlis. Its national currency is the manat.
5. Which U.S. states use the path of the Mississippi river to delineate part of their state border? NOTE: in the case of "partially correct" answers, only those which list the correct total number of states will receive any partial credit.
Good luck. As before, feel free to use the comments for discussion and whining, but please don't share hints with others.
Posted by BT at December 13, 2004 12:07 AMWhat! No questions about the number of Australian states and territories or the year of Federation? Rory and I need some help!
Posted by: art on December 13, 2004 08:54 AMOr was it Garth who is the Australian playing (or both)? OK, mates, I admit I'm not a true Aussie (yet)!
Posted by: art on December 13, 2004 08:56 AMMust not look at US map behind me.
Must not look at US map behind me.
Must not look at US map behind me.
Posted by: teenidol on December 13, 2004 09:21 AMships sailing from ports along it could only reach to four other countries.
I may be unusually dim this morning, but I can't parse this.
Posted by: Scraps on December 13, 2004 09:44 AMWe have two expat Australians playing: Garthmeister and Rory. As for the dearth of questions about your adopted land -- I was considering asking "A Polish hero of the American Revolution has named for him the tallest peak in what country?" But I figured that would be playing a bit too close to regional specialties.
Posted by: BT on December 13, 2004 09:50 AMTo (I hope) clarify, Scraps: although it has 1700 km of waterfront, ships leaving ports on that waterfront would only be able to reach 4 other countries. If that's still mystifying...well, such is the quiz.
Posted by: BT on December 13, 2004 09:56 AMBe strong, teenidol!
Posted by: BT on December 13, 2004 09:58 AMThanks, I understand now.
Posted by: Scraps on December 13, 2004 09:59 AMI think we all do--i'm about to set sail from my pal's house for the University of Minnesota; I fear a sheet of ice will block me from my destination!
Posted by: art on December 13, 2004 10:10 AMFor those who know that my job involves writing software that has a map of the United States in the main client area, I e-mailed my answer for question 5 to Bill this morning before I came to work, and I won't change it.
For the rest of you, hey, care enough to find out a little bit about me!
Posted by: boxjam on December 13, 2004 11:02 AMResting my brain my ass, I spent the weekend googling frantically to stuff my brain and prepare for the quiz.
Unfortunately, I gambled on the topic being "Howard the Duck." So I'm pretty much screwed.
Posted by: Scott on December 13, 2004 01:53 PMBill--You would have stumped me (at least) with the query about the tallest Polish war hero/mountain in Australia/Oceania. Praytell who is this fish out of water? And which country?
Posted by: art on December 13, 2004 04:29 PMWell, I fear this is where Scraps pulls away from us even more decisively, being the geographic maven that he is. Since it's a huge blind spot for me (despite having memorized all the world capitals a few years back), I think I'm goin' down.
Posted by: Gavin on December 14, 2004 01:32 AMHoward the god damned Duck.
Posted by: Scott on December 14, 2004 08:04 AMIs there any subject about which Scraps can't with justice be called a "maven?"
Posted by: BT on December 14, 2004 09:54 AMAll the Daffy Duck knowledge in the world shan't help me now...
Posted by: Garthmeister J. on December 14, 2004 11:55 AMScraps's mien brightened indeed when he saw the topic, but darkened considerably when he read the wretched questions.
Posted by: Scraps on December 14, 2004 01:01 PMAm I allowed to examine my pocket change?
Am I allowed to send my aunt on a river voyage, and ask for postcards from each stop along the way?
I had a dream last night in which a guy handed me a medallion in the shape of a state that may be along the Mississippi. Am I allowed to remember it? Can I pray for dreams of the rest of the states?
Posted by: Scott on December 14, 2004 02:28 PMA loophole! A glorious loophole!
What if I have a dream where I am Googling the answers? Or a dream where I am able to capture Scraps and interrogate him?
Posted by: Garthmeister J. on December 14, 2004 03:49 PMYou must be one of the beta-testers of Google Dream, the application where you download the Google Dreambar into your pillow.
Just watch out for the spyware. You really don't want your dreams interrupted by constant pop-ups.
Posted by: BT on December 14, 2004 03:57 PMI'm getting much better Lindsay Lohan images these days, though.
Speaking of pop-ups. . .
Posted by: Scott on December 15, 2004 07:54 AMOK, I don't have time for more gratuitous lasciviousnocity anyway. Need to get up to the bank for a couple of rolls of quarters. How far west are we with those things these days, anyhow?
Posted by: Scott on December 15, 2004 11:52 AM(I'll just refer to it as a "brightened mien" in the future, like the fancy people do.)
(I hope that this isn't yet a sufficiently common usage to trip the spam filters.)
Posted by: Scott on December 15, 2004 11:56 AMIf you think about it, people spend a lot of money every day in pursuit of a brightened mien.
Mieu mien. It's like mo' money.
Posted by: Jonathan on December 15, 2004 12:44 PMOr probably mieux mien, right? I was afraid to put the x in. Spam filters, you know.
Quien es mieux mien?
Yo quiero mieux mien.
De mienis, spero phosphore.
(I'd like to know more about boxjam's softwaremap, when this is all non-competitive)
CLUUUUUUES! I NEED CLUUUUUUES!
Posted by: art on December 16, 2004 09:54 AMThank you for caring, hackly.
For eight years, I worked for a little mapping concern named Rand McNally. Maybe you've heard of them. Well, they're jerks.
Now I work for a startup called "Mobitrac" making it so truckers can log as few miles as absolutely possible getting 100 packages to 100 places, and even determine the optimal number of trucks. 'Scomplicated, and I do look at maps of the US a lot. And by minimizing truck miles, I also make it so your percentage of time driving next to a truck on the highway is minimized.
Posted by: boxjam on December 16, 2004 10:22 AM