THE FT TRIVIA ROUNDS

Each day (except Sunday) one of our Trivia Round hosts will post 5 questions that have multiple possible correct answers. Each player should PM his or her answers to the host within the time frame specified (at least 48 hours, but usually more). Each unique correct answer provided (one that was not given by any other player) will receive 10 points, each non-unique correct answer will receive 5 points.

No sign-up or registration is required to play!!! and each player can play as many or as few Rounds as he or she chooses.

Mondays - Brandz_mygirl and Gatsby
Tuesdays - Brandz_mygirl and Denni
Wednesdays - Gatsby and JaneMarple
Thursdays - Nakarinna
Fridays - Szabs and Maninmidohio
Saturdays - Mugaboo

Any changes to the above list of hosts, please let us know.

Round 2

In my junior year of high school, I was chosen to be part of the Model UN delegation that was held at a local community college. Each school represented a different country in the UN and mock sessions were held that were judged similar to a debate. The seniors were the main participants but the juniors were there to learn for the following year. In my senior year we represented Ghana in the Model UN. This will be the Model UN Round to lead off January’s FunTrivia Rounds.

1. The United Nations is a world forum that includes almost all of the countries of the world. Please tell me one of the last 10 countries to join the UN (please exclude in your count any country that was formed from the dissolution of Yugoslavia).

2. Our school bid to represent Ghana because it was one of the new African nations and a leader in the non-aligned bloc of nations. It was also important because it was a member of the Security Council that year which would give our delegation further exposure. Please tell me a non-permanent member of the Security Council other than Ghana in either year I attended the Model UN, 1961 or 1962.

3. Besides actually attending the Model UN sessions, the most exciting part of the experience was that the seniors went on a field trip to New York City and visited the Ghanaian UN mission as part of our research. We learned a lot about the country and its political stance in the world at that time. Ghana is politically divided into 10 regions, please tell me the name of one of those regions.

4. While in New York, we took in some of the other cultural and educational sights. I got to attend my very first Broadway musical. The play was “Camelot” and even though we only had SRO (standing room only) tickets it was a great experience. Richard Burton had left the show by the time we saw it but Julie Andrews and Robert Goulet were still in it. From the lyrics to the song “Camelot” from the musical, give me one line that tells me specifically how “Camelot simply could not be a more congenial spot.”

5. Another experience on that trip was going down to Greenwich Village and visiting the apartment of a friend of our faculty advisor. At that time the Village was still known for its Bohemian atmosphere and being culturally avant guard. One thing I will never forget was a gallery that featured the artwork of an artist named Keane. The subject of the paintings was waif like girls all depicted with oversize eyes. I thought at the time they were very unsettling. Imagine my surprise (and a bit of horror) when I did a web search and find that the artist is still going strong and still making pictures along the same lines. The Keane Eyes Gallery of San Francisco features the work of this artist. The artist’s latest efforts center around dogs which are not quite as creepy as the people. Tell me the name and size of any of the dog paintings shown on the Keane Eyes Gallery web site (if the painting does not have a name please put “No Name”).

I hope you have enjoyed this nostalgic trip back to my high school days. The Model UN Round will close around noon (FT Time) on Wednesday, January 7.

I wish everyone the best for the New Year.

Round 5 ~ Monday

Throw in a little of, say, this and maybe a little bit more of that? You've got a combination of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop ... one that Rolling Stone magazine has called "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies". Yep. I couldn't get enough of them then. And I still love their music now ...

1. ½ of Steely Dan is Walter (Carl) Becker, born in 1950. He's a New Yorker and a guitarist, bassist and co-songwriter extraordinaire in Steely Dan (the band's name, by the way, comes from a -um- 'device' mentioned is William Burroughs' novel "Naked Lunch"). As a lad, Becker started playing the saxophone, but switched to guitar soon after and even received coaching thereto from a neighbor who we'll call *Mr. Wolfe*. This Mr. Wolfe had played with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and soon after his time with Walter Becker went on to start a successful band called Spirit. Please tell me the first OR last name used by an original member of Spirit (in 1967).

2. The other half of the act is Donald (Jay) Fagen - born in New Jersey in 1948, and, for all extents and purposes, the 'front man' of Steely Dan. Aside from handling the bulk of their vocals, he plays keyboards and melodica (also known as the 'blow-organ' or a free-reed instrument similar to the accordion and harmonica with a musical keyboard on top). Not only did he and Becker share a band while in college with eventual 'Saturday Night Live' star Chevy Chase - who played drums, no less - Fagen is also a first cousin of actor Alan Rosenberg, notable for his own work but also for being the husband of "CSI" actress and lovely woman Marg Helgenberger. Rosenberg is the current president of the Screen Actors Guild, and has been since 2005. This time, please tell me one of the first ten people to have ever held that position with SAG.

3. Unashamedly, I'll admit to liking almost ALL of Steely Dan's albums without probing why I do. They have a unique sound, coupled with a keen perspective (that's all I need or expect from most music). Easily, though, one of my favorites of theirs is "Aja", named after the Korean wife of Donald Fagen's friend's brother (?), and released in 1977. It became the group's best-selling (and first platinum) album, topping at #3 on the U.S. charts and #5 in the United Kingdom. Began in 1988, the BBC/VH1 TV documentary series "Classic Albums" has chosen one LP per episode that they honor as among the "best" or "most distinctive" in history. "Aja" made their list early on in the program's run. This time I need to know one of the albums spotlighted on "Classic Albums" within (and including) four episodes before or four episodes after Steely Dan's "Aja" was originally aired on the show. And "Aja" won't count .

4. "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is a single released in 1974 by Steely Dan. It's the first track on their third album 'Pretzel Logic', a collection that one critic accurately summed up thusly: "Instead of relying on easy hooks, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen assembled their most complex and cynical set of songs to date. Dense with harmonics, countermelodies, and bop phrasing, 'Pretzel Logic' is vibrant with unpredictable musical juxtapositions and snide, but very funny, wordplay." "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" (reportedly inspired by a friendship songwriter Donald Fagen had with a Rikki Ducornet, who was pregnant and married at the time, while he was in college) was their highest charting single, peaking at #4. Have a look at "Rikki Don't Lose That Number"'s lyrics and tell me a line from it, OK? DO NOT use lines from the chorus.

5. OK ... so they may now be two "older guys" who only laid down some classic tracks over the years? But the irreverance and observations to everything remains intact. Steely Dan has even snapped to attention and "caught up with the times" (grudgingly, I imagine). They have their own website, even! In it, they've amassed a Dead Letter Department with a note explaining: "For reasons we believe you will soon understand, only a tiny fraction of incoming e-mail will ever appear online. Still, we recognize an obligation to keep you informed about what exactly you are missing. We also want to acknowledge all the fans ... In this spirit, we commissioned an extensive statistical tabulation of all the e-mail received at this site since our launch date of March '96. The results of this enterprise appear sorted by category, below ..." No need to give numbers/quantities, but please tell me one of the 'things' categorized under *Proffers Of Objects, Services, or Personal Effects* in Steely Dan's (quite official, I'm sure of it ) Dead Letter Department. Thank you!

This one will close up on Friday, noon-ish . Have a definitive first full week of 2009, everyone!

Round 2, the Model UN Round will close in a little over 24 hours. There is plenty of time to get in your answers, both veterans and new players are welcomed.

Tuesday Jan 6 – Quiz

Bits of This and That . Just taking a break from the alphabet rounds.

1) I try to eat in moderation. It’s not easy. I love all the unhealthy stuff and hate to exercise. I tried a diet plan once. It was being promoted by a local hospital as part of their ‘healthy heart and body’ promotion. I bought the package from a supermarket which contained the weekly diet plan and all the food you would need to follow that plan. It turned out to be a truly horrible week, I was hungry all the time. I stayed with the diet for that week and threw away the plan thereafter. The entire package wasn’t cheap either. Discounting my disastrous experience, diets are big business, especially if you can get a celebrity or celebrities to promote them, but not all diets are considered healthy. From here, please pick one of the top 10 healthiest diets (plans) in America.

2) Medical doctors are bound by tradition, not requirement, to take the Hippocratic oath, which covers the ethical practice of medicine, as part of their rite of passage to becoming full fledged practitioners of medicine. The original oath is in Latin and is considered to be out-of-date in many aspects. A modern version of the Hippocratic oath widely used today was written by Louis Lasagna in 1964. Please give me any one of the ten points from Louis Lasagna’s version of the Hippocratic oath. Individual points may consist of more than one sentence. Please just provide the first sentence from these points.

3) I love medical dramas. Can’t explain why, I just enjoy them. From this list of great TV doctors, please give me any one of the first ten names (numbered 1 to 10 and character names only please) that appear on the list.

4) From here, please give me any one of the 16 unusual facts about the human body. Please feel free to summarise but do include the fact number in your answer for my easy reference. Thanks!

5) It was unintentional, but after 4 questions, this round looks like it’s medically related in some way. So I will end with a ‘doctor’ question. Please give me the name of a movie (no TV movies) that has the word ‘Doctor’ or ‘Dr’ in the title, the title should have a minimum of two words.

This round will close on Sunday 11 January at noon FT time. (I'm late again with the round. Will try and do better next time)

Edited to insert "Bits of" 'cos I just read Gats round 5 and realised I had used the same title for my round.

Wednesday January 7th 2009 quiz
Brought to you by the letter B

Q1 A film beginning with B
Q2 A song title beginning with B
Q3 A book title beginning with B
Q4 An eight letter word beginning with B
Q5 Something you can eat beginning with B
This closes over the weekend

Round 2 – The Model UN Round

We had eight great players participating in the Model UN Round. I hope you enjoyed the round.

1. Please tell me one of the last 10 countries to join the UN (please exclude in your count any country that was formed from the dissolution of Yugoslavia).

For 10 Points: Timor-Leste, Switzerland, Nauru, Palau, Andorra, and Kiribati
For 5 Points: Tonga (2)
Not Chosen: Tuvalu, Monaco, and Eritria

2. Please tell me a non-permanent member of the Security Council other than Ghana in either year I attended the Model UN, 1961 or 1962.

For 10 Points: United Arab Republic, Chile, Ireland, Romania, Turkey, and Venezuela
For 5 Points: Ceylon (2)
Not Chosen: Ecuador and Liberia

3. Ghana is politically divided into 10 regions, please tell me the name of one of those regions.

For 10 Points: Ashanti, Central, Upper East, and Greater Accra
For 5 Points: Upper West (4)
Not Chosen: Brong Ahafo, Eastern, Northern, Volta, and Western

4. From the lyrics to the song “Camelot” from the musical, give me one line that tells me specifically how “Camelot simply could not be a more congenial spot.”

For 10 Points: “July and August cannot be too hot”, “By order, summer lingers through September”, and “The rain may never fall till after sundown.”
For 5 Points: “By eight, the morning fog must disappear.” (3) and “By nine p.m. the moonlight must appear.” (2)
Not Chosen: “The climate must be perfect all the year.”, “And there's a legal limit to the snow here”, “The winter is forbidden till December”, “And exits March the second on the dot.”, and “The snow may never slush upon the hillside.”

5. Tell me the name and size of any of the dog paintings shown on the Keane Eyes Gallery web site (if the painting does not have a name please put “No Name”).

For 10 Points: 24 x 30 No Name, 20 x 16 “What do I do now?”, 24 x 30 “Elliott”, and 16 x 20 “Lovable Pug”
For 5 Points: 24 x 18 No Name (2) and 36 x 20 No Name (2)
Not Chosen: 18 x 24 No Name, 18 x 36 “Keeping a low profile”, 20 x 16 No Name, 30 x 20 “Got Milk?”, 30 x 20 “Chili”, 14 x 14 “Pug”, and 11 ¾ x 9 “Untitled”

The Results:

With 45 Points: szabs and brandz_mygirl
With 40 Points: PDAZ, denni19, and Gatsby722
With 35 Points: deputygary, deepakmr, and Mugaboo

It was another hard fought round with the field all bunched up, but taking home the first Trivia Point for January each are szabs and brandz_mygirl. Well done all and welcome to the Trivia Rounds to PDAZ.

In the neighborhood of eighteen hours to go for Round 5 ....

Round 5 - Monday
"Steely Dan"
Six truly fine players

1. Please tell me the first OR last name used by an original member of Spirit (in 1967).

For 10 Points:
Andes, California, Cassidy, Jay
For 5 Points:
Ed (2)

The band members were Randy California, Jay Ferguson, Mark Andes, Ed Cassidy and John Locke.

2. This time, please tell me one of the first ten people to have ever held that position {president} with SAG.

For 10 Points:
Eddie Cantor (1933-1935), Robert Montgomery (1935-1938 & 1946-1947), Walter Pidgeon (1952-1957), Howard Keel (1958-1959)
For 5 Points:
Leon Ames (1957-1958) (2)

Ralph Morgan (who served twice), Edward Arnold, James Cagney, George Murphy and Ronald Reagan were the others.

3. This time I need to know one of the albums spotlighted on "Classic Albums" either four episodes before or four episodes after Steely Dan's "Aja" was originally aired on the show.

For 10 Points:
British Steel (Judas Priest), Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Elton John), Joshua Tree (U2), Metallica (Black Album) (Metallica)
For 5 Points:
Face Value (Phil Collins) (2)

Other topnotch albums selected by the program were 'Number of the Beast' (Iron Maiden), 'Catch A Fire' (Bob Marley & The Wailers) and 'Bat Out Of Hell' (Meat Loaf).

4. Have a look at "Rikki Don't Lose That Number"'s lyrics and tell me a line from it, OK? DO NOT use lines from the chorus.

For 10 Points:
I have a friend in town, he's heard your name; We could stay inside and play games, I dont know
For 5 Points:
But if you have a change of heart (2); We can go out driving on slow hand row (2)

5. No need to give numbers/quantities, but please tell me one of the 'things' categorized under *Proffers Of Objects, Services, or Personal Effects* in Steely Dan's (quite official, I'm sure of it ) Dead Letter Department. Thank you!

For 10 Points:
Clothing, Songs
For 5 Points:
Pictures (2), Web Services (2)

Jokes, The Writer's Girlfriend/Wife/Sister, Drugs, Novels, "Some really neat Flash/Java for your website", Sex -and- Biological Matter were other (um) 'heartfelt' gifts offered ...

The Results!

40 points! .... brandz_mygirl, denni19, maninmidohio, Mugaboo
35 points! .... deepakmr, szabs

Many January points to issue today - congrats to brandz_mygirl, denni19, maninmidohio and Mugaboo for earning theirs this time. I appreciated ALL six of you for playing; great job all-around. Have a good weekend, eh ?

I'm very sorry to have to do this, but I will have to take a break from hosting rounds. I've been just barely keeping up for a while, and work will be even busier for the foreseeable future. I hope to be able to host again soon, but as of right now I'm not sure when that will be. Thanks, and sorry again for leaving a gap on Thursdays.

You will be missed...

I am sure everybody is aware that "life outside FT" still exists and has its demands which cannot be avoided.

You've done a fantastic job taking care of Thursdays all by yourself for such a long time.
Thank you for that and I am hoping we'll see you back again whenever it's possible for you to be here.

Take care!

Round 10 - Saturday 10th January

1. T.S. Eliot and Valerie Fletcher married 52 years ago today. Valarie was Eliot's second wife, with a 37 year age difference. Mrs. Eliot still puts up the prize money for a poetry competition open to poets in the British Isles, indeed on Monday (12th) she'll be handing out the winners cheque. Please tell be any nomination for the 2008 TS Eliot Prize for Poetry.

2. Marie Alexandra Victoria married Ferdinand, King of Romania on this day in 1893 in Germany. This time the age difference was only 10 years. Marie was a member of the Bahá'í Faith, which is a religion founded in 19th Century Persia, believing that Bahá'u'lláh (1817-92) was the lastest in the line of heavenly teachers. Please name any famous person who follows Bahá'í.

3. Sammy Davis Jr. got hitched to his first wife Loray White on this day in 1958. Nine days before, he released an album. Name a track on the album "Mood to Be Wooed" by Sammy Davis Jr.

4. Burgess Meredith married his second wife Margaret Perry on this day in 1936. In the 1950s Meredith was put on the Hollywood blacklist for alleged activities with communism. Name someone else who was on the Hollywood Blacklist at any time, who's surname begins with "M".

5. Now we'll get more up to date,our last marriage we have a North Dakotan actor, Josh Duhamel, who's due to wed Stacy Ferguson today in Los Angeles. Fergie is a member of the Black Eyes Peas. From the official web site, please give me any of the featured items available for sale for the Black Eyed Peas.

You'll have till noon (FT time) Thursday to get your answers to me. In the mean time, if you any queries I will be only too happy to answer.

Round 9 – Friday

This round is dedicated to the Outer Hebrides.

1. The Outer Hebridesare located off the west coast of Scotland, they are also known as the Western Isles stretching for 130 miles. Lying on the edge of Europe with a striking mix of landscapes from windswept golden sands to harsh, heather-backed mountains and peat bogs. An elemental beauty pervades each of the more than two hundred islands that make up the archipelago, only a handful of which are actually inhabited. Could you please give me the name of one of the populated islands on the Outer Hebrides.

2. The Isle of Lewis and Harris form the northernmost island in the Hebrides. Though actually part of the same land mass, they are thought of as different islands and each has its own distinctive culture, traditions and heritage. Lewis in the north is the largest island in the group. It has a large array of world famous archaeological sites, such as the Neolithic 'Callanish Stones,' (which predate the Egyptian Pyramids) the Pictish Carloway Broch (roundhouse), and many more. From this page , give me the name of another historical site on Lewis

3.Harris is home to the world-famous Harris Tweed, which has to be made on these islands if it carries the name, and made out of the local virgin wool. Every length of cloth produced is stamped with the official Orb symbol, trademarked by the Harris Tweed Association in 1909, when Harris Tweed was defined as "hand-spun, hand-woven and dyed by the crofters and cottars in the Outer Hebrides". From their site go to samples and click on “How Harris Tweed is made”, please give me one of the 15 steps of elaboration.(note the red button has to be directly over the number in order to see it properly)

4. Isle of Taransay This island lies about two miles off the West Coast of Harris and was made famous in 2000 for the BBC's fly on the wall production of Castaway 2000. It is deserted now, with the last villagers leaving in the 1970s, but it is an island of such astounding beauty and historical interest that it merits special emphasis. With a natural arch, numerous sandy beaches, machair lands and wildlife, this island is a haven for the stressed. Please give me the name of one of the castaways from the show – note those with the same last name will count as one.

5. Undoubtedly the Outer Hebrides Isles have some beautiful landscapes, if you would be so kind and have a look at these pictures , and give me the title to any one of them, enjoy the views.

This round will finish on Thursday the 15th of January, around noonish FT time, till then have a great weekend wherever you are. (I am sorry these are late, but I've been a bit under the weather this past week).

Round 7 closes tomorrow

Round 6 is closed. Meant to make this post a few hours ago, but fell asleep

Jan 6 Round – Answers

Six Scintillating players for A Bit of This and That


1) From here, please pick one of the top 10 healthiest diets (plans) in America.
For Ten Points: You: On a Diet, Weight Watchers, The Step Diet
For Five Points: The Volumetrics Eating Plan (3)
Not mentioned: The Structure House Weight Loss Plan, The EatingWell Diet, The Best Life Diet, The Solution, The Sonoma Diet, The Spectrum.


2) Please give me any one of the ten points from Louis Lasagna’s version of the Hippocratic oath. Individual points may consist of more than one sentence. Please just provide the first sentence from these points.
For Ten Points:
- I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability.
- I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:
For Five Points:
- will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug. (2)
- I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery. (2)
Not mentioned: You may like to read the other points here.


3) From this list of great TV doctors, please give me any one of the first ten names (numbered 1 to 10 and character names only please) that appear on the list.
For Ten Points: Doug Ross, “Doogie” Howser, Cliff Huxtable, Gregory House, Jennifer Melfi, Derek Shepherd
For Five Points: None!
Not mentioned: James Kildare, Jack Shephard, Michaela Quinn, Hawkeye Pierce.


4) From here, please give me any one of the 16 unusual facts about the human body.
For Ten Points:
#5 - Your nose is not as sensitive as a dog's, but it can remember 50,000 different scents.
#6 - The small intestine is about four times as long as the average adult is tall.
#10 - Blood has a long road to travel: Laid end to end, there are about 60,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body.
#14 - If you're clipping your fingernails more often than your toenails, that's only natural.
For Five Points:
#11 - You may not want to swim in your spit, but if you saved it all up, you could. In a lifetime, the average person produces about 25,000 quarts of saliva -- enough to fill two swimming pools! (2)
Not mentioned: Remaining facts can be found via the link.


5) Please give me the name of a movie (no TV movies) that has the word ‘Doctor’ or ‘Dr’ in the title, the title should have a minimum of two words.
For Ten Points: The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse, Doctor at Sea, Dr. Phibes Rises Again, The Doctor and the Devils, Carry on Again Doctor, The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll
For Five Points: None!
Not mentioned: Dr. No, Doctor Zhivago, Doctor Dolittle, Dr. T and the Women just to name a few.


RESULTS!

Top Place:
50 points: Deputygary Very good effort by Deputygary to win this round with the rest of the players very close behind.

Other Results:
45 points: Denni
40 points: Gatsby, Mugaboo, Deepakmr and Maninmidohio

Many thanks to the players. Shall be back soon with Round 12.

January 7th 2009 results

Q1 A film beginning with B
Q2 A song title beginning with B
Q3 A book title beginning with B
Q4 An eight letter word beginning with B
Q5 Something you can eat beginning with B

Q1 A film beginning with B
FOR TEN POINTS:
Brighton Rock (1947), Bedazzled, Burn After Reading, Boomerang! (1947), Bad Boys. Ben (1972),
FOR FIVE POINTS:
Ten points to All
NOT MENTIONED:
Bambi and more

Q2 A song title beginning with B
FOR TEN POINTS:
Back in the USSR (Beatles), Big Boss Man, Bright Eyes, Begin the Beguine, Blowin’ in the wind (Bob Dylan). "Beth" by KISS,
FOR FIVE POINTS:
Ten points to All
NOT MENTIONED:
Blue velvet and more

Q3 A book title beginning with B
FOR TEN POINTS:
Barnaby Rudge (Charles Dickens), Bat-21, Book of Enchantments by Patricia C. Wrede, Black Beauty (Anna Sewell), Black and White (by Dan Mahoney). "Bride to a Brigand" by Barbara Cartland,
FOR FIVE POINTS:
Ten points to All
NOT MENTIONED:
By the Pricking of my thumbs (Agatha Christie) and more

Q4 An eight letter word beginning with B
FOR TEN POINTS:
Biannual, beautify, Baluster, baseball, Brainiac. Bryology,
FOR FIVE POINTS:
Ten points to All
NOT MENTIONED:
Battered and more

Q5 Something you can eat beginning with B
FOR TEN POINTS:
Black Forest Gateaux, butterscotch, Bavarian cream, blueberry pie, Baked Alaska, Barley,
FOR FIVE POINTS:
Ten points to All
NOT MENTIONED:
Battenberg cake and more


SCORES - 6 people
brandz_mygirl – 50
Deepakmr – 50
DeputyGary – 50
Gatsby – 50
Maninmidohio – 50
Mugaboo - 50

Well done to all!

Monday Jan 12 – Quiz

E is for …..

1) Edinburgh, capital of Scotland, is the 7th largest city (by population) in the U.K. From here, please name another city in the top 15 largest cities in the U.K. A popular tourist spot in Edinburgh is the Greyfriars churchyard where one can find the statue of Greyfriars Bobby, the terrier who sat by his master's grave for years until his own death. Oh, and Edinburgh is home to J.K. Rowling.

2) “The Emperor’s New Groove”, an animated movie released in 2000. It came on local TV a few years ago and I admit that I started watching it with very low expectations, but I ended up enjoying myself a lot. Please name an actor/actress who provided Additional Voices in the film.

3) Egg, probably the most familiar will be the hen’s egg. Eggs can be eaten on their own, mixed with other foods, are highly nutritious and inexpensive. I didn’t realise this but apparently babies can develop an allergy to eggs. From here, please give me any one of the eggs FAQs listed.

4) Eerie – mysterious with some frightening elements thrown in. Please give me a one-word synonym for ‘Eerie’. I think I was around eight, in primary school anyway, when I first learnt the word. I remember finding the word simply fascinating and was mesmerized by how the letters all formed together to make the sounds.

5) Elephant ride – I took my first and only elephant ride in a zoo in Kuala Lumpur during a holiday to Malaysia many years ago. I remember standing on a raised platform, waiting for the elephant to stop beside it and then squeezing into (with my sister and some other kids) a small boxed-in seating area strapped on the back of the elephant and that the whole box shook a lot when the elephant started moving. Singapore did not have its own zoo back then, but now we have the Singapore Zoo, with a 3-star rating from Michelin (the French lifestyle surveyors) awarded in 2008. From the ‘Zoo Map’ on the Singapore Zoo’s website, please name an animal whose name appears WITHIN the section marked by the blue tram line. Please do not name any animal that appears outside that blue line.

This round will close on Saturday 17 January at midnight FT time.

ROUND 13 - Tuesday, december 13th

This one will be the FOX(y) round.
[Have I ever told you that my family name means "Foxy" in our language? ]

1. The name FOX Terrier or Foxy refers primarily to two different breeds of dog, the Smooth Fox Terrier and the Wire Fox Terrier, that were independently bred in England in the mid-19th century. They are fierce fox hunters and adorable looking dogs.
Please visit the American Fox Terrier Rescue and give me the name of a dog 'starring' in one of those success stories.

2. Edward FOX has been one of my favourite actors since I was a kid. "A Bridge Too Far", "The Day of the Jackal", "Gandhi", "The Mirror Crack'd" - I always loved his perfect "British-ness" and the credibility of his characters.
Please name any actor/actress who accompanied Edward Fox in the 1984 film "The Bounty".

3. "FOXY Lady" is a song by Jimi Hendrix from his 1967 album "Are You Experienced". In 2005 the album was selected for permanent preservation in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.
Kindly give me any other recording that made it to the US National Recording Registry in 2005.

4. In many cultures, the FOX appears in folklore as a symbol of cunning and trickery, or as a familiar animal possessed of magic powers. The Moche people of ancient Peru worshiped animals. They believed the fox to be a warrior that would use his mind to fight and never use physical attack, only mental. The Moche often depicted the fox in their art, mostly in ceramic objects which can be seen at Larco Museum (Museo Larco) - a museum which hosts remarkable chronological galleries providing an excellent overview on 3000 years of development of Peruvian pre-Columbian history.
I kindly ask you to visit Larco Museum and pick any International Exhibition that took place between 1996 and 2003.

5. The easiest one for the final - Give me the name of a fictional FOX and the title of the book, movie, cartoon, videogame, etc. where it appears.

This round will be closed, as usual, on Saturday at noon (FT time).

Hope you're all having a mighty fine week.

Round 14 ~ Wednesday

Just an assortment of mostly whatever-popped-into-my-head *stuff* today ...

1. Easily, the high point of my particular week was purchasing a new (and hopefully durable) coffee maker. The last one I only had for three months before I killed it -- the coffee's on, ready and hot, nearly 24/7 at my house, you see. Cool thing about that one, though, was that it only cost me ten bucks new! Which means its life span amounted to a cost of just $3.33 a month. Or only a dime a day? Money's worth gotten, I suppose. My new one is a snappy (and a tad more expensive, too) Mr. Coffee TFX-20. Very slick-looking. It can even be programmed to make coffee if you're a zillion miles away from the on/off button. Yippee. High-tech, high energy heaven? To start, then, please tell me another model of a Mr. Coffee machine I could have bought - but only pick from model 'numbers' starting with *TF* -or- *IS*.

2. Film critic Roger Ebert annually picks his 'Top 10 Films' (at least this was the case as per his television show, which he once shared with Gene Siskel, then later Richard Roeper). For some reason, he found the assortment of movies last year so impressive that he chose 20 *bests*, which he posted on his website AND in his column in the Chicago Sun Times. Not only that, they aren't listed from best to a-little-less-best this time. They're in alphabetical order. Have a look at Roger Ebert's website and tell me the director (NOT the title) of one of the first ten films he chose as 'the best of 2008.' Note: The movies' names begin, then, with the letters A through H ...

3. President-elect Barack Obama made (yet another) national address on January 8, 2009. It highlighted the drastic measures his administration plans to take to attack the dire economic situation in the USA (and the world). The words were tough, the outline ferocious. But don't be too impressed. The only really original thing about it -- aside from the details as they stand in 2009 -- was that he made this speech before he took office. A montage of other presidents, over time, was aired the day after Obama spoke. Every new President since Nixon [maybe before] has made such a speech, with varying differences in text, upon taking over the White House. Either/or, the speech was quite powerful. Kindly tell me one of the last 10 sentences in Barack's speech that day ~ but don't use "Thank you.", "God bless you." or "And may God bless the United States of America." - ten sentences before those, OK? Abbreviated sentences are fine to submit.

4. Helen Gavronsky Suzman died on January 1. She was a South African activist and politician, once a school teacher and elected to Parliament in 1953. She stood alone often - Suzman was noted for her strong public criticism of the National Party's policies of apartheid at a time when it was atypical of white South Africans, and found herself even more of an outsider because she was an English-speaking Jewish woman dominated by Calvinist Afrikaner men. Typical Suzman: she was once accused by a minister of asking questions in parliament that embarrassed South Africa, to which she replied: "It is not my questions that embarrass South Africa; it is your answers." She lived for 91 outstanding and outspoken years. Her New York Times obituary closes with a quote Helen Suzman made, about herself -- it's a short summation of her own life. Tell me a word in that quote (it's just one sentence) that has five or more letters in it.

5. I'm still thinking that, for me, one of the saddest moments of 2008 came upon hearing of the death of one of my all-time favorite "dudes". Just a guy, more than anything else -- but one who had that brittle skill of looking at something, pondering it a minute, and explaining it in such a way that made even the starchiest individuals in earshot laugh. Or at least smile? George Carlin certainly got (and earned) public notice in his lifetime. George Denis Patrick Carlin, born on May 12, 1937 and dying on June 22, 2008, was a stand-up comedian, an actor and an author. He won four Grammy Awards, shared with us the classic "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" and even managed to get arrested with Lenny Bruce once. George Carlin found time to do several specials on HBO, too. Please tell me the title of one of them that first aired in the 20th century.

This'll close up on Sunday, approximately at noon! Enjoy.

Just a quick reminder that Round 9 will be closing in about 24 hours, still plenty of space for more entries.

Answers Round 10 - 7 played

1. Please tell be any nomination for the 2008 TS Eliot Prize for Poetry.
For 10 points: Maura Dooley for Life Under Water; Mark Doty for Theories and Apparitions; Jen Hadfield for Nigh-No-Place; Mick Imlah for The Lost Leader; Stephen Romer for Yellow Studio
For 5 points: Robert Crawford for Full Volume [2]
Not mentioned: Moniza Alvi for Europa; Peter Bennet for The Glass Swarm; Ciaran Carson for For All We Know; Glyn Maxwell for Hide Now

2. Please name any famous person who follows Bahá'í.
For 10 points: Barry Crump (author); Donna Denizé (Poet and Teacher); Omid Djalili (Comedian); Fariborz Sahba (Architect); Luke McPharlin (Australian footballer); Inder Manocha (Comedian); Tierney Sutton (Jazz Singer)
For 5 points: (none)
Not mentioned include : Nelson Évora (Olympic Triple Jumper); Jack Lenz (Composer); Alex Rocco (Actor)

3. Name a track on the album "Mood to Be Wooed" by Sammy Davis Jr.
For 10 points: What is There to Say; Mam'sell; Try a Little Tenderness; This Love of Mine; I've Got a Cruch on You
For 5 points: For All We Know [2]
Not mentioned: Why Shouldn't I; Love Me; Bewitched; I Could Have Told You; Deep in a Dream; I Get Along Without You Very Well

4. Name someone else who was on the Hollywood Blacklist at any time, who's surname begins with "M".
For 10 points: Ruth McKenney; Ben Maddow; Lyn Murray
For 5 points: Bill Meléndez [2]; Meg Mundy [2]
Not mentioned include: Aline MacMahon; Albert Maltz; Jean Muir; Henry Myers

5. From the official web site, please give me any of the featured items available for sale for the Black Eyed Peas.
For 10 points: Don't Phunk with My Heart (t-shirt); Screaming Monkey Racerback Tank; Will.i.am photoprint
For 5 points: Argyle (t-shirt) [2]; Peabody Baseball Cap [2]
Not mentioned include: Bring the Funk Army Jacket; Cartoon Peas Hoody; Photo Tee; Photo Tee with Foil Logo; Peas Sweatshirt

Scores:

45 points: Brandz_mygirl; Deepakmr; Deputygary; Maninmidohio
40 points: Denni19; Gatsby722
30 points: Szabs

Close, close, close and four times close as Brandz, Deepakmr, Deputygary and Maninmidohio, go away with a point for this month. Well done to all of you.

Round 9 is closed, answers will be posted shortly.

Round 9 – Answers

Seven fantastic participants came on a voyage to visit the Outer Hebrides.

1. The Outer Hebridesare located off the west coast of Scotland, they are also known as the Western Isles stretching for 130 miles. An elemental beauty pervades each of the more than two hundred islands that make up the archipelago, only a handful of which are actually inhabited. Could you please give me the name of one of the populated islands on the Outer Hebrides.

For 10 Points : North Uist, Scalpay, Grimsay, Baleshare
For 5 Points : Vatersay (3)
Among Others: Lewis and Harris, Benbecula, Barra, Great Bernera

2. The Isle of Lewis and Harris form the northernmost island in the Hebrides. Though actually part of the same land mass, they are thought of as different islands and each has its own distinctive culture, traditions and heritage. Lewis in the north is the largest island in the group. It has a large array of world famous archaeological sites, such as the Neolithic 'Callanish Stones,' (which predate the Egyptian Pyramids) the Pictish Carloway Broch (roundhouse), and many more. From this page , give me the name of another historical site on Lewis

For 10 Points : Dun Carloway Broch, Teampull Mholuaidh in Ness, The Garenin Blackhouse Village in Carloway,
For 5 Points : Bonnie Prince Charlie's Monument (2), Bragar whale bone arch (2)
Among Others: Callanish Stones, Clach an Truiseil monolith, Butt of Lewis cliffs

3.Harris is home to the world-famous Harris Tweed. Every length of cloth produced is stamped with the official Orb symbol, trademarked by the Harris Tweed Association in 1909, when Harris Tweed was defined as "hand-spun, hand-woven and dyed by the crofters and cottars in the Outer Hebrides". From their site go to samples and click on “How Harris Tweed is made”, please give me one of the 15 steps of elaboration.

For 10 Points : Weaving, The Authority Stamp, Rolling the Fabric,
For 5 Points : BlendedWool (2 ), Quality Control (2)
15 steps all together, among Others: Washing the Wool, Carding, Spinning, Warping, Cropping

4. Isle of Taransay This island lies about two miles off the West Coast of Harris and was made famous in 2000 for the BBC's fly on the wall production of Castaway 2000. It is deserted now, with the last villagers leaving in the 1970s, but it is an island of such astounding beauty and historical interest that it merits special emphasis. Please give me the name of one of the castaways from the show – note those with the same last name will count as one.

Yay 10 Points to all : Ron Copsey, Trish Prater, Padraig Nallen, Gwyneth & Patrick Murphy, Warren Latore, Julie Lowe, Roger & Rosemary Stephenson
23 to chose from among Others: Ray Bowyer ,Gordon and the Carey family , Tanya Cheadle , Sandy Colbeck, Monica Cooney

5. Undoubtedly the Outer Hebrides Isles have some beautiful landscapes, if you would be so kind and have a look at these pictures , and give me the title to any one of them, enjoy the views.

Yay 10 Points to all : Amhuinnsuidhe Castle, Sailing on the West of Harris, Butt of Lewis and the Lighthouse from the air, Harris Hills from the air, Loch An Rathaid, South of Balallan, The rugged North east coast at the Butt of Lewis, Calanais Stones
Among Others: Luskentyre Beach, Carloway Broch, Stornoway Town & Harbour

Scores
We have one sole winner with 50 points : Denni19
With 45 points: Deputygary, Maninmidohio
With 40 points: Deepakmr, Gatsby722 & Mugaboo
With 35 points: Brandz_mygirl

A hearty congratulations goes out to our sole winner in this round with a perfect score of 50 points Denni19 , who will receive one trivia point in the month of January. Thank you to all for playing in this round, and enjoy the rest of your week.

Round 16

I have never been very athletically inclined, but in high school I did recognize that sports were necessary to be considered a well rounded individual. My participation involved me being the manager of the cross country and track teams. Being a manager meant being in charge of the equipment and doing whatever else was necessary to make sure everything ran smoothly. In honor of my sports years in high school, this will be the Cross Country Running Round.

1. Cross Country running is a sport in which runners compete to complete a course over open or rough terrain faster than other teams. Given that no two courses are ever alike and that even the same course can differ radically from one meet to another because of weather conditions, actual times of races are not that important. Instead scoring is done by registering each runner’s placement in crossing the finish line, then the top five placements of each team are added up and the team with the lowest total is the winner. The Wikipedia article on cross country running gives a table illustrating exactly how a sample meet might be scored. From that table tell me the name of one of the fictitious runners in this race.

2. In 1868, members of Thames Rowing Club looking for winter exercise (when rowing did not take place then) formed Thames Hare and Hounds. This was the first cross country running club to be formed and they are still going strong. They have a full schedule of events which they call fixtures. On January 17, they will have a 7.5 mile mob match against the South London Harriers. Tell me a fixture that takes place after this match but before the annual dinner at the end of February.

3. From 1912 until 1924 cross country running was included as part of the athletics competition in the Olympics games both as an individual and a team sport. It was dropped because it was not considered a proper summer activity. Please tell me an individual who won an individual medal or a team (country name) that won a team medal at any of the three Olympics that included cross country running.

4. In more recent times the IAAF has sponsored the World Cross Country Championships and many outstanding runners have distinguished themselves in these meets. One of them is Carlos Lopes who was the first man to win the championship three times. Carlos Lopes has had many distinctions in his career including winning the first ever Olympic gold medal for Portugal. This was done in the marathon event at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and at an Olympic record pace. The Wikipedia page for Lopes lists several records, awards and achievements and sporting positions that Lopes held. Please tell me either a predecessor or a successor to Lopes in any of these positions.

5. The Nikes Cross Nationals were held on December 6, 2008 in Portland Oregon. This is an unofficial high school championship meet for the whole US. At this link you will find the winning results in a table that is much like the one you encountered in question 1. Please tell me the finishing place of a scoring runner on either the winning or the runner up team (the team results are summarized after the individual runner results just as they were in question 1).

I hope you enjoy the Cross Country Runner Round. It will close noonish (FT time) on Wednesday, January 21.