Jaldi Quizzing

Hello

Diwali Greetings to one and all.

The Last Month was an eventful one in terms of the limited quizzing accomplishments that I have been able to achieve. Our team managed to get its hands on the Tata Crucible Trophy for Tata Group Companies for the third year in succession.

Well, it may be the only event that we manage to qualify and win. But, then, the Tatas still give us a similar looking trophy and as much the prize money as that our friends, who face competition at least a hundred times more than what we do, do as well. And when three such trophies adorn your drawing room, it gives a good feeling at the end of the day.

Coming back to what I actually started putting this post for. The Question 2 Chew series, is basically an attempt to put together in a question and answer form, some of the stuff picked up during the time I spend surfing around the net or revisit information that was put together in some of the quizzes, I manage to attend.

Therefore, in case you find any resemblance to any of the questions that appear here to those that actually originated in the brilliant brains of the quiz master or his/her team, they may actually be correct. And if some inspired quiz master picks up information from here and presents it to another hundreds attending an event, I would say thank you to have spread my tit bits of trivia around.

So here goes the latest offering. And yes, in case you want to leave your feedback, do drop a line in the Comments Section.

Questions:

1. China has recently deployed 6,781 artillery guns and 4,110 rocket launchers throughout the country to shoot dry ice. Explain purpose.

2. Marc Madnick created "Final Draft" to solve the rigid formatting regulations &sought to create a software for auto formatting.For whom?

3. The Little Banded Goshawk is a small bird of prey with short broad wings and a long tail,adaptations to fast manoeuvrings.Common name?

4. Greek origin. In medieval literature ____ was the term used for a table of content, the first page glued into a manuscript cover.

5. In film shooting, it describes the final shot set-up for the day and is so named because it refers to the post-wrap drink. What term?

6. Which country's national anthem does not end on the same key on which it starts and employs the country's five official languages?

7. What began in 1922 as an editorial project with aims outlined in the article “An Essential Groundwork for a Broad Executive Theory.”

8. Current Affairs. "If ______was a country, it would be one of the largest tourist centers in the world". Words by whom & for what?

9. Created by utilizing Serenity Technology's nano-diamond coating technology,its plans to sell its creation in 18 carat gold. Name.

10. "Inspired qn." Which Group's logo is the "Daisy Wheel" representing the accumulation and concentration of wealth by the Group?

11. Connect -Tibetan for Auspicious & the Inflight magazine of Bhutanese airline Druk Air to a new offering from the world of Tatas.

12. In the only cricket match he played after the end of World War I, he scored a golden duck.He advocated withdrawal of pads & asked for a bigger and harder ball.Who?

13. 1st developed in70s by Nick Sheridon,1st was Gyricon.Consisted of polyethylene spheres, -vely charged black & +vely charged white plastic ones

14. Operating from an inconspicuous property in San Rafael, California till 2006, locals knew it as the "Kerner Company". Whom?

15. Origin in Prussian military drill to keep troops lined up properly as they advanced towards enemy lines,will end in India soon.Where?

16. Established as a patent medical business in 1893,shifted headquarters to Chennai.Lid of the product still has the orig city's name inscribed.

17. In the 1970s,documentary filmmaker Zafar Hai made a promotional film called "To Serve is to Love".Who were the subjects of this film? (The film never released).

18. Connect IEEE Symbol code: IEC 5009 to the world of Condoms.

19. Put funda behind this visual - http://bit.ly/bf6z0F

20. The word surfaced in English and was used as a slang term for "tumult" or "uproar".

21. Which product had a controversial ad campaign in the late 1980's - "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful."?

22. What item of use in families with babies takes its name from "fabric with a repeated pattern of figures" & usage traces back to 1590s?

23. What was first set up in 1937 in Charing Cross Road in London and dubbed the "Penguincubator"?

24. Which subject of the 1960 Best Seller in Latin(featured in the NY Times Best Sellers list) is also the UN "Ambassador of Friendship"?

25. What 1st is reportedly credited to "Anokhelal" around the 1950s after he saw the movie "Highway 301" and came to Mumbai from Delhi?

26. What was the outcome of this pic by Kenneth Adelman as part of the California Coastal Records Project in 2003? http://bit.ly/c9ed4A

27. "Helluuur thurrrr, I’m Lola and this is my first blog entry so it’s kind of like ummmm."-1st blog entry of which Macys Creative Dir.?

Hello

Well. I did not think that I would come back so soon. But, here I am. This is the second set from the Question 2 Chew (Qn2Cw) series questions that appear on Twitter.

The questions are generally inspired from recent occurrences and hence are fairly simple ones.

In case you like them or like to criticize them, do drop a line in the Comments Section.

Once again, do not wait for the Answers to be posted or sending queries to post them. All the answers are well within your reach and will appear as soon as you paste the Questions on a Search Engine.

The 140 word limit on Twitter is solely responsible for the way in which the Questions appear.

So here is the Second set.

1. On 19 Jan,1907- wht did a 7 min comedy film "An Exciting Honeymoon" get, something which is now quite common for all films made?

2. In 1935,wht trm did Walter Winchell coin, as a descrptn of radio announcer Martin Block,who plyd recrds for a show Mk Blve Ballroom?

3. Which key on the cmputer keybrd rarely used now, was used to allow the console to give input to the opertng system in IBM mainframes?

4. Connect "How I want a drink, alcoholic of course, after the heavy lectures involving quantum mechanics" to William Jones from Wales.

5. Which Commonwealth Games venue, first built in 1933, was a gift from the Maharaja of Bhavnagar to the city of Delhi?

6. For a 100 yrs till 1937,which West Asian territory was governed as part of British India under the Bombay Presidency?

7. Who is behind the "TheSmokingJacket.com", which terms itself as a "satirical antidote to the drudgery of the work day"?

8. Connect "Global Public Square" to a recent Padma Bhushan awardee and to the world of news channels.

9. Which legendary Indian singer,born in 1911,was nicknamed George since his birth coincided with King George the 5th's visit to India?

10. Whch music score for a TV show composed by the fathr & son duo Keith & Matthew Strachan had a brief to create mood & tension?

11. What were Ganesh,Chintamaneshwardev,Chintamaneshwaridevi,Suryanarayandev &Laxminarayandev frm Sangli recently denied by Bom High Crt?

12. In Dec'08,Burger King chose Baan Khun Chang Kiean,Thailand, Kulusuk,Greenland & Budesti,Romania fr its taste-test campgn. Name it.

13. In Oct 2009,Burger King in Jap sold burger wth 7 stacked beef patties & was originally planned to be available for 7 days. Promo for?

14. Easy.Who has the UK's Treasury Dept. approached for its "Spending Challenge", on how to make savings in public spending?

15. In the late 1990s,what did ex-England Cricket captains, Ted Dexter and Colin Cowdrey seek to enshrine in the laws of the game?

16. Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, Diana Rait Kerr and Sheila Hill were the first set of Women to be given Life Membership in 1999 of which club?

17. Baul sngrs in Bngl hv thr musical instrmnts made out of it. Amng the 1st cltivted plnts in the wrld, it lends its name to wht in soccer.

18. Sport Billy is an animated cartoon character frm Olympus populated by athletic god-like beings.Cnnect it to the World Cup of Football.

Hello

Its been ages that I posted on this blog. So much so, that it required me to click on a couple of "Forgot Password" links to finally find way back.

However, do not expect that I will ever be regular as I was some 5 years back. Much has changed since then. Jaldi Quizzing was one of the first Quiz Blogs to appear and today there are at least a thousand of them. Each one, bigger and brighter than the other and carries questions far superior in content than what this blog has to offer.

Blogger has now given way to Twitter and most of the trivia that I pick on finds its outlet through Twitter currently.

The Question2Chew or Qn2Cw is how I randomly try to put up questions nowadays. They are random, picked up on what occurs all around us and interests me generally.

This visit to the Jaldi Quiz blog is to present to you the Questions that I posted on Twitter earlier. Well, as for the answers, they can be easily searched up on Google.

So, do not wait for the Answers to be posted or sending queries to post them. Because, the answers are all within your reach...

Here go the Questions. Do not go for the Spellings. Its Twitter's word limit that is solely responsible for the way the Questions appear.

And well, if you have seen these questions appear elsewhere and feel that they were copied / inspired, please bring it to my notice and I will delete them.

So here are the 33 Questions that have appeared so far in the Question 2 Chew series on Twitter.

1. This German footballer is nicknamed "The Insect", and he claims he models his football skills on worker ants. Name him.

2. Evolution Securities makes market on these debentures on LSE.Ground Comp. advertises current prices on FT on first Sat. every mth.What?

3. What communication form is based on somthng dvlpd to meet Napolean's dmnd for soldiers to communicate silently & without light @ night?

4.Which song, with lyrics by Tim Rice was originally titled “It’s Only Your Lover Returning” and was first sung by Julie Covington?

5. This Indian born, with over 1.4 million followers on Twitter, has one of the largest following way ahead of SrBachchan,SRK & SRT?

6. Painter Jacopo Comin's nickname comes from the Italian for the "dyer's boy". His painting was a subject of a 2008 Indian detctive film.

7. Which retailer's famous expert army of Blue Shirts now help customers online and call themselves the "Twelpforce"?

8. Which of our favorite TV shows had Dieter Hallervorden play a detective who is struck by "brilliant" ideas whch turn out disastrously?

9. Which popular game offrs a "Flower Garden" mode after concerns contending that its popular mode is an "offense against the victims"?

10. Which Ind. instn having branches in Kathmandu,Moscow&Tehran has MoUs with Micrsft,Oracle&Intel under Project Shiksha & thinkQuest?

11. FIFA has 208 member associations,16 more than the UN.Which sports body has the highest number of members, 5 more than FIFA?

12. http://www.ghidelli.net/scripophily/pictures/cuba/bnc%201960.JPG Idntfy the President of the Natl Bnk of Cuba's signature(left)?

13. Which recent Member of the British Empire remarked-"A lot of people haven't actually realised we are actual people."?

14. Identify the "Fresh" family - Poppin, wife Poppie and two kids - Popper and Bun Bun.

15. Which word comes frm the Greek words meaning "love" and "free of charge"?Free of charge signifies replcng a cash chrg wth smthng free.

16. This device in the news was invented by William Bridges Adams in May 1842, because of his dissatisfaction with the scarf joints.Wht?

17. The motto taken from the Upanishad literally means a person who is awake in those that sleep. Given by Sri Aurobindo. Identify.

18. Kenneth Clarke:Whisky, Geoffrey Howe:Gin and tonic,Benjamin Disraeli:Brandy and water,Water: Gordon Brown. Explain this tradition.

19. “Candanga” frm Spanish translates into “the devil”,also describes someone who is strong-willed, or fearless. Who in the online wrld?

20. Easy one. Whose enemies are nicknamed Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde?

21. In 1912 at the U.S. Naval Acdmy’s gradtin,newly commssnd grads got officers’ hats replacing their midshipmen’s caps.Wht tradtn srtd?

22. What in the online world is run by "Organizing for America",a Grassroots orgzn and a spl project of the Democratic Natl Committee?

23. TOI in its personals section on 17th May,2010 pblshd a trbute to a certn Mr. Narayan by his great grand nephews Shankar and Chintamani Velkar. Who was Mr. Narayan?

24. Which logo contains a house,adult female,adult male,female child, male child,star with 10 points and symbl fr people's participation?

25. A recent University of Warwick study is considering Star Wars Sound Effects to act as a solution to a problem faced on streets.What?

26. Born Kanaan Warsame, he fired his first gun at the age of 8. At 11, he found a hand grenade, and blew up half his school. Identify.

27. Agricultural economist Leonard Elmhirst set up the Institute for Rural Reconstruction in India in 1921. How do we know it better?

28. Funda behind quote by astrnt Piers Sellers: I'll take it up into orbit and let it float around a bit, which will confuse Isaac.

29. Which union minister born to an ICS father has a Post-Grad Diploma in Spanish Art and Lit from Univ of Havana, Cuba?

30. This ethnic grp gets its name from the Mandarin words for guest and family. Ind. Chnse Cuisine named after is diff frm actual.

31. When launched, Cine Blitz promoted itself with the tagline "C to Z of Hindi Films". Why was it the "C to Z"?

32. In May,2005 Airtel sent Deepak Sharma of Ludhiana a 1411 page bill but didnt charge him more than 99 paise. Explain.

33. MECON began as the Central Engineering and Designing Bureau of the Hindustan Steel Limited in 1959. For what recent "collaboration" was the company in the news?

Hi All,

Yesterday, a good part of the day was spent in South Mumbai. Staying in the northern suburbs, my daily journey ends up at Andheri in Mumbai where work takes me.

So, after close to 2 months, when I got the oppurtunity, I got up early after staying up really late in the night to finish off office work.

A few quizzers had come up with idea of The Bombay Quiz Club. And I surely wanted to check in. The Tea Center in Churchgate was the venue. In attendance were 5 more souls.

Dhoomk2 , NU, Milo ,Dhananjay Shettigar, the Pan Galactic Quiz Blaster and the Badshah of Indian Blogdom Amit Varma.

Though I finished last in the Quiz that followed, the experience was quite enriching.

So, in case you are from Mumbai and want to know more, do visit the Bombay Quiz Club Blog.

And here are the Set of Questions that I carried for the Meet.

PS: Folks not conversant with places in Mumbai - Apologies. Probably this might help.

Mail your answers to: aniruddhadutta@gmail.com

Questions:

1. What is so official/significant about the phrase - "The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human."

Ans:

2. English architect FW Stevens was the man behind the Victoria Terminus building. His son Charles Stevens designed another famous landmark in Mumbai. Which one?

Ans:

3. Connect the Beatles to an accidental activity at the hands of Marie Ana Smith from Australia in 1865.

Ans:

4. In which country is food made at a McDonalds outlet used as reward for prisoners?

Ans:

5. Easy one, What was introduced by the Indian Government bearing code XPGR with the Reserve bank of India (Amendment) Act on May 1st,1959.

Ans:

6. Another Mumbai landmark. Erected in 1864 by the Agri Horticultural Society of Western India out of a donation of Rs.20000 by Cursetjee Fardoonjee Parekh, it is sculpted in imported Portland stone. It was originally to be named after Sir Bartle Frere, the then governor of Bombay.

Ans:

7. What did an advertising man Harvey R Ball design for the State Mutual Life Assurance Company of Worcester, Massachusetts in 1963 for a fee of $45? The brief given was to come up with something cheerful to smooth wrinkled brows and make the whole merger process which the company was contemplating a little more bearable for everyone.

Ans:

8. Named in honor of Sir Appleby, the civil servant in Yes Minister, whose recent passing away led to this tribute from The Times - Political World Mourns a killer named _____".

Ans:

9. When does a British Member of Parliament apply to the King / Queen for the post of the "steward of the Chiltren Hundreds" or the "Steward of the Manor of Northstead"?

Ans:

10. Dhananjay's Question - What did Dr. Kanuga successfully bid for Rs.1600 in an autcion in 1930?

Ans:

Hi All,

The Brand Equity Quiz, the annual corporate Quiz , organized by the Media Behemoth - Benett,Coleman and Company Ltd, is touted as Asia's largest Business Quiz.

Though I have not gone ahead and verified this fact, the event does see participation from almost every Corporate House in the country.

On the 20th of March 2006, when the BEQ Bandwagon came to Mumbai, I left early from office and arrived at the St. Andrews Auditorium in Bandra. Being a bit of a pessimist myself, all I thought is that I will be coming back with a few Gift coupons or T- Shirts.

But at 9:00 PM, when I was trying to get into a second class compartment of the Borivali slow train at Bandra, I realized that I had something heavier to carry back.

Prior to that, Mr. M. Suresh Kumar, my partner, who earned the distinction of becoming the oldest ever participant on stage in the history of the Quiz and yours truly went past 70 odd teams to come Second Best.

It was another thing that after every round, all that I was doing was picking my bag and getting all set to walk off the stage.

Maybe next time, I would have another story to tell.

Mr. M. Suresh Kumar (left) and Yours truly in action at the Brand Equity Quiz, Mumbai. Photo Courtesy: The Economic Times dated 29th March,2006 (Brand Equity - Page 4) .

Hi All,

After a long hiatus, here are the answers. Not many responses this time.

Congratulations to Dipankar Goswami who came up with the maximum correct answers.

To view the answers, drag the mouse over.

1. Waterborne, a film directed by Kanwal Rekhi's son Ben Rekhi and starring Shabana Azmi has to its credit one of the most unconventional firsts. What?

Ans: First film to premiere on Google Video.

2. Supertex Sarex, a company specialising in dyes and chemicals for the textiles industry has been in operation since 1952. However, most parks and railway stations in Mumbai owe a lot to the philanthropic activities of its founder. Name the founder and the activity.

Ans: Mahavir Prasad Saraf. Benches in Railway stations and Parks.

3. What is actually based on on a 19th-century guitar work named "Gran Vals" by Spanish musician Francisco Tarrega?

Ans: The Nokia Tune.

4. Which recent venture by an NRI has the tag line - Your opinion matters... express it?

Ans: Sabeer Bhatia's Blogeverywhere.com.

5. In the year 2001, Dutch animator Michael Dudok de Wit, not only won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film, but also has won a high-definition TV for a special "achievement". What was this achievement?

Ans: Making the Shortest Acceptance Award.

Womens' Day Questions

1. Born Manikarnika to Moropanth Tambey and Bhagirathibai, she was affectionately called Manu. In 1842, she married Raja Gangadhar Rao Niwalkar. Who?

Ans: Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi.

2. Connect: _____ Karen Green, ______ Eustace Geller,________ Buffay-Hannigan

Ans: Rachel, Monica , Phoebe from the hit series Friends.

3. Born in Hyderabad in a Bengali family, she married at the age of 19. Mother to Jayasurya, Padmaja,Randheer and Lakshmi, her famous works include "Golden Threshold", "The Bird of Time" and "The Broken Wing". Who?

Ans: Sarojini Naidu.

4. This movement begun as Jasmeen Patheja's personal reaction to street sexual harassment and has grown to record women's experiences in creative ways. The movement also created raised a storm in blogdom. Name the movement.

Ans: Blank Noise Project.

5. What was achieved in 1893 as a result of the suffragist movement in New Zealand?

Ans: The Right To Vote.

The Breaking News Question: Who is the Manager, Group Sponsorships for Standard Bank in South Africa?

Ans: Jonty Rhodes.

For the Archives:

Its good to be back. On a day when Australia has broken the 400 run barrier in ODIs, Test cricket in India continues as the clock is about to strike 6:00 PM. (The teams walk back at 5:55 PM)

-----------------------BREAKING NEWS---------------------------------------------------
South Africa create history at Bull Ring. Smash 438 to win.
Australia score 434 only to come second best. Mike Lewis goes for 113 off 10 overs.

The Breaking News Question:
Who is the Manager, Group Sponsorships for Standard Bank in South Africa?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Among the Quiz fraternity, it is time for the Brand Equity Quiz juggernaut to roll across the nation. The event this year culminates in Amby Valley, where I believe, Parthiv Patel, Ajit Agarkar and Sanjay Bangar own apartments alongwith those who "played" in the 2003 World Cup.

Well, its Question Time once again and this time apart of the usual 5 questions, there are 5 bonus questions celebrating Womens' Day that went by last week.

Hi All,

Took some time to come out with the answers. But the response as always was more than encouraging. Around 40 odd responses and leaving a handful, most of them all had an all correct response.

Congratulations to all who participated.

Am trying something new this time with the answers. Have used a lighter font color. To view the answers, drag your mouse over.

Answers:

1. In Maldives, it is the all purpose boat built by master carpenters using very few tools. Apart from its use in fishing , inter-island transport and the movement of cargo, they are used as diving boats, live-aboard cruise vessels, passenger ferry boats and deep-sea fishing craft complete with outriggers and fighting chairs. In India, the "name" is a phenomenon. What is the boat called?

Ans: Dhoni.

2. The Official clothing supplier to the ICC, this Pakistani company's logo can be seen on Pakistan's cricket jerseys. The company also supplies the clothing for ICC Umpires and Referees and selected corporate leisure wear for ICC staff. Name the company.

Ans: AJ Sports.

3. The CEO of Harpreet Insurance Agents Pvt. Ltd. is in the news recently for things totally unrelated to the firm. Who is this CEO?

Ans: Priya Sachdev who got married to NY Hotelier Vikram Chatwal.

4. Connect the Pink Ladies Service in the UK and the Project Priyadarshini in India.(Inspired by a NMQ elims question posted on Quinkie).

Ans: Both of them are taxi services. Project Priyadarshini is a drive from ITDC to appoint women cab drivers and Pink Ladies Service is the all women cab service in UK.

5. What is the contribution of Scott Fahlman of Carnegie Mellon University to everyday usage in the world of "communication"?

Ans: Smileys / Emoticons.

Mail your answers to: aniruddhadutta@gmail.com

For the Archives:

Back with Round 2 of this new Series. The Quizzing season in India is truly underway and lots of action happening in the college and corporate circuits.

In my immediate world, H5N1 has rocked Maharashtra and it means people like me become forced vegetarians (its not that I am a die hard Non - Vegan).

Pakistan was rocked by a resurgent Indian team. Jyllands-Posten and their cartoons still rock the rest of the world. In the coming weeks, India play host to the Poms and then to Mr. Bush.

Hi All,

It was after a long gap that I came back and I wondered whether it was "Out of Sight, Out of Mind".

I was mistaken. The response was overwhelming - almost 40 of them in a week's time. Close to 100 hits and normalcy for the time being has been restored.

Jaldi Quiz veterans Suman Mukherjee and Anukriti Pandey, Nitir Sorah, Rohit Nair, Krishna Kumar and Rohan Nair complete the top 6.

Here are the answers:

1. Two firms - Marksman Marketing Services Private Ltd and Vectracom were in the news recently. Why?

Ans: The PCB had granted the exclusive rights to disseminate information relating to scores via SMS on wireless and mobile telephones on a global basis to VectraCom Private Limited. Marksman Marketing Services Private Ltd had obtained exclusive territorial rights for India from the VectraCom.

2. Kyon Ki, Home Delivery, Neal N Nikki, Kisna and James are vying for top honours at this awards. Name this newly launched awards and the publication behind the awards.

Ans: The Outlook Follywood Film Awards (Outlook Magazine).

3. Its been included as an Olympic sport 12 times since 1964.The FIL based in Germany is its governing body. Georg Hackl of Germany has the rare distinction of having a podium finish in 5 consecutive Olympics. Who represents India in this Olympic discipline?

Ans: Shiva Keshavan. The discipline is Luge.

4. Easy One. Connect Ratan Tata - DIN 0001.

Ans: DIN is the Director Identification Number. Ratan Tata is the first executive in corporate india to get a director identification number. This is under a surveillance system introduced by the government to keep an eye on the activites of the directors of companies.

5. The Kadima (meaning Forward) Party formed in the year 2005 is the ruling party of which country? (Its founder has been in the news recently).

Ans: Israel (Founded by Ariel Sharon).

6. CALTECH, FOX, RAFFEYSOD and GO NAVY are some of the many alterations that were made to this famous landmark. Which one?

Ans: The HOLLYWOOD sign.

7. The Essar Group and the Bajaj Group are the Indian partners of these companies. Both these companies have been hogging attention in the Sports pages of the Indian subcontinent. Name the companies.

Ans: Hutchison and Allianz. (Sponsors of the ODI and Test series between India and Pakistan).

8. Which film production company's logo takes its inspiration from the Mahabharata and features Arjun at the Draupadi swayamvar taking aim at the fish?

Ans: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Productions (Rang De Basanti).

9. The Elder Pharma Group (license holders in India of the famous Tiger Balm) is the main sponsors of the Filmfare Awards this year. Which TV personality is the Director of the company?

Ans: Anuj Saxena (Abhay of KKusum and now Jatin of Kumkum).

10. Derek type Question - In which Indian daily would you find Blue, Red, Yellow and Black dots in each of the pages that appear in color.

Ans: Well, its Cyan, Magenta,Yellow and Black (thanks to Rohan Nair). The daily or dailies are those brought out by the Times of India Group. The colors are also visible on the ENIL (Entertainment Network India Ltd. that runs Radio Mirchi).

11. Overdrive is a monthly auto magazine brought out by the Infomedia India Limited. A few months ago it tied up with a more than 140 year old publication in the UK to launch which magazine in India?

Ans: Cricinfo.

12.The President of this Latin American country recently cut his salary by more than half leading to a review of the salaries of all public sector employees in the country as no official can earn more than the President. Which country?

Ans: Bolivia (President: Evo Morales).

For the Archives:

At the outset, I am reminded of the main protagonist of Washington Irving's short story - Rip Van Winkle. This hibernation of mine would have put even him into shame.

Well, part of it was due to my relocation from the United States to Mumbai, India. But mainly, it was laziness (to put it shamelessly).

Thank you to all those who made the Jaldi Quiz Series - 2005 a great success. The 15000+ hits this blog received was all a result of the efforts each one of you took to hit those strokes and clicks to reach out here.

Times have changed. Its debatable whether we have entered the "Endulkar" era. But "Tensex" and "IndiaOne" surely signify the times we are in. Well, without further ado, here's presenting Round 1 of the Jaldi Quiz 2006.

Mail your answers to: aniruddhadutta@gmail.com

Hi All,

A few days back, I was woken up from my slumber by a couple of mails.

My good friend from Hong Kong, Anshuman Das who is singularly responsible for this blog seeing the light of the day, enquired as to when the 25th edition was coming up.

The other, from Murali Duggineni, the man behind the popular Business Quiz group - Quinkie. His mail was an eye opener to the plagiarism that has hit Quizzing in India.

Coming from a seasoned quizzer like Jaspreet Bindra, this one merited a post on this blog.

As I get back to some activity on the blog, let me begin by reproducing one of his mails that he had sent me.

And to Anshuman and everyone else who have been by this blog's side, the Silver Jubilee post is just a few days away.

Regards,

Aniruddha Dutta

The Strategist Quiz link is here.

The Mail:

Hello Aniruddha,

In my earlier mail, I wrote to you about the plagiarism in Business Standard quizzes. When I brought this to the notice of the Editor, she wrote back informing me that she would take action. I have no clue about what action she has taken. I think now it's our turn to see that parasites like Bindra do not flourish at the expense of good quizzers. In the latest quiz in Business Standard (dated 30 Aug 2005), you can see some of your questions. You can see some of your questions.

Let's come forward to make Business Stanadard and Bindra pay a heavy price for what they have been doing for years.

THE STRATEGIST QUIZ

Jaspreet Bindra / New Delhi August 30, 2005

1. Jack Welch is one of several prominent people who have appeared on this three-minute snippet where celebrity-achievers share their concept of management with viewers. The programme, which appears on a business channel, is called Moments of inspiration. Which brand sponsors this programme?

Source: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/quinkie/message/1650 (refer to question 7; Original contributor: Mr Sudip Roy)

2. This company had to change its earlier name due to infringement of rights on the name and adopted its new name by mixing an old French word with a Greek one meaning "beam of lights from the Gods". What is its present name?

Source: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/quinkie/message/1650 (refer to question 9; original contributor: Mr Sudip Roy)

3. His passions are Guinness beer and pistol shooting, but "not mixing them together". And his middle name is Benedict. Who is this software genius?

Source: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/quinkie/message/1650 (refer to question 7; Original contributor: Mr Sudip Roy)

4. Traces of benzene found in this product in 1990 in the US forced the brand to withdraw millions of bottles from the market in the US and Europe. Which brand?

Source: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/quinkie/message/1650 (refer to question 2; original contributor: Mr Sudip Roy)

5. PB Air has been granted permission by the Indian government to begin bi-weekly international charter flights in December 2005, between Bangkok and which Indian city?

Source: http://adquiz.blogspot.com/ and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/quinkie/message/1677

(refer to question 1 in Answers to Round 12; original contributor: Aniruddha Dutta)

6. What is the connection between Montpelier, Vermont, and McDonald's?

Source: http://adquiz.blogspot.com/ and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/quinkie/message/1677 (refer to question 4 in answers to Round 12; Original Contributor: Aniruddha Dutta)

7. What is the common link between the lion, palm tree and Hilton Young?

Source: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/quinkie/message/1684 (Original contributor: Mr Sudip Roy)

8. Who said, "In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield"?

Source:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/quinkie/message/1701 (refer to question 1; original Contributor: Prakash Subbarao of Bangalore Quiz Group)

9. What is a bond issued by an insurance company, linking principal and interest to the company's losses due to natural disasters, called?

Source: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/quinkie/message/1701 (refer to question 9; original contributor: Prakash Subbarao of Bangalore Quiz Group)

10. On January 17, 2002, Yusuf Ratlamwala received two cheques from Bank of Baroda. What was special about them?

Source: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/quinkie/message/1702 (refer to question question 3; original contributor: Sudip Roy)

Hi All,

Playing the second fiddle, it has definitely been quite a long time since I contributed to this Quiz Blog. Anyways was quite busy conducting a few School level Quizzes - one at Shishya School and the other at Hindu Senior, Indira Nagar both in Chennai.

And frankly was quite amazed with the reservoir of knowledge and Trivia the youngsters of the day possess.

Most of the Questions have been compiled from the Quizzing Groups like Quinkie and IBQ. Acknowledgement is due to Sudip Kumar Roy whose BizConnect series has been my biggest source.

Shishya School Quiz : http://quantum.blogdrive.com/archive/1.html
Hindu School Quiz : http://quantum.blogdrive.com/archive/2.html
WIPRO corporate Quiz (PRELIMS) : http://quantum.blogdrive.com/archive/3.html
WIPRO corporate Quiz (Finals) : http://quantum.blogdrive.com/archive/4.html

Deepak Bhaskaran (Alpha)

Hi All,

Answer Time it is.

Amresh Kumar yet again comes up with a superlative performance.

When everyone else failed to connect Anil Ambani with the "queen", it was Amresh who mailed in the Correct connection.

Rakesh Taklikar and Sampreeth Kumar came in a close second.

As always, keep your suggestions, comments and responses flowing at aniruddhadutta@gmail.com.

Questions:

1. The author's preferred title for this book was "Four-and-a-Half Years Of Struggle Against Lies, Stupidity And Cowardice" but the publisher thought otherwise. In its first year in 1925, this book sold only 9000 copies. However in another 8 years time, the book sold an estimated 1.5 million copies. Name the book and its author.

Ans: Mein Kamph by Adolf Hitler.

2. Easy one, why is the company, Global Fuel Management Services in the news recently ?

Ans: It is one of the companies which have been formed as a part of the Reliance de-merger. Is a part of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Enterprises (ADA) Group.

3. Where would you come across this verse -

When Ivo goes back with the urn, the urn;

Studds, Steel, Read and Tylecote return, return;

The welkin will ring loud,

The great crowd will feel proud, Seeing Barlow and Bates with the urn, the urn;

And the rest coming home with the urn.

Ans: The Ashes Urn.

4. The beginnings of this company can be traced back to 1895. The company was then called J.W. Foster and Sons . It rose to fame after the 1924 Olympics and the film Chariots of Fire. The company was in the headlines last week. Name it.

Ans: Reebok.

5. Which television show gets its name from a 1956 Cole Porter song which featured in the soundtrack of the Hollywood movie High Society ?

Ans: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

Visual Questions:

6.1 What connects both of them ?

Ans: The lady in the question is Ada Lovelace, the first lady of computing. The Connection is ADA - Anil Ambani's holding compnay - Anil Dhirubhai Ambani (ADA) Enterprises.

6.2 Identify the connection.

Ans: Adidas buying out Reebok - Reebok gets its name from the African antelope - Rhebok. The logo to the left is Adidas'.

6.3 Identify this Cricket Coach.

Ans: Bennet King, the West Indies coach.

For the Archives:

Till now, a Silver Jubilee was what I associated with Wedding anniversaries or films from the Big B , Shah Rukh Khan or the Chopras. Seeing a self creation turning 25 would be in itself a wonderful feeling, I guess.

Anyway, the world over, rains seem to have subsided and as life picks up and moves on, I guess Mumbai now has enough newspapers for its people to follow.

After the Hindustan Times, it is the Daily News and Analysis (DNA) which has hit the news stands.

Elsewhere, in the telly world, Kaun Banega Crorepati, the show which resurrected Amitabh's career is back for its second innings. This is the show that took quizzing to the pan-wallah and though a seasoned quizzer may have different opinions, no one can get away from the lure of the big bucks.

I still remember waking up in the middle of the night and trying the numbers only to find my fingers going numb after some time.

On the cricket field, the Prince is now a commoner. Whether or not he gets the crown back is another matter. But if Team India needs to have a better season, all its top guns should start firing pretty soon or else the Indian Oil Cup would continue to remain south of the Palk Strait.

Hi All,

Its answer time and this time once again, answers poured in from all corners.

Three people came out on tops beating most of the others buy a solitary point. It was Question 4 which proved to be the decider.

Aravind Ghosh Suri, Vaibhav Jain and Anshuman Das had the answer and therefore win the quiz with an all correct response.

Congratulations to them and hope the Jaldi quizzing tribe continues to grow.

As always, keep your suggestions, comments and responses flowing at aniruddhadutta@gmail.com.

Questions:

1. The author of the following books - "Every Second Counts" and "It's not About the Bike : My Journey Back to Life" was in the news recently. Name him.

Ans: Lance Armstrong.

2. Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam are well-known philanthropists who founded the Omidyar Network. They promote what has come to be called "venture philanthropy", in which foundations are expected to achieve quick results and financial independence. However, Pierre is famous for other reasons too. What is his claim to fame ?

Ans: He founded the auction site E-Bay.

3. In 1935, the then Governor of the US State of Kentucky,Ruby Laffoon made this gentleman born in Henryville, Indiana an honorary Colonel. The Colonel's exploits included not only at the battlefront but elsewhere too. Name him.

Ans: Colonel Harland Sanders of KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken).

4. Wipro, Infosys, Hero Honda, Bajaj Auto, Ranbaxy, German Remedies and Cadilla Health are among the 40 odd companies whose debt does not exceed 33 per cent of the company's market capitalisation and their receivables stay below 45 per cent of the company's total assets. How does this make them unique in the financial markets in terms of investments ?

Ans: They are companies who comply with the Islamic Investment Laws and have broken into the club of the Islamic Equity Fund. They have been considered Shariah compliant by the Islamic fund management company, Parsoli Corporation Ltd.

5. It has happened regularly since 1919 at the NM Rothschild offices at St.Swithin's Lane, London twice each weekday at 10:30am and at 3pm. What are we talking about?

Ans: The world gold and silver prices are determined at these times everyday.

For the Archives:

In less than 8 months, two places , which have played an important role in my little under than three decades of existence, have bore the brunt of nature's wrath. In both cases, among the people who bore the brunt were people I knew, grew up with, went to school or work.

After the killer Tsunami that rocked the Andamans, the place I spent 17 years of my early life, last week saw metropolis Mumbai, the place where I started earning my bread and butter ,coming under torrential downpour.

944 mm would soon find its way to the Record books but what wont be seen or taken into account is the courage and resilience that the people displayed.

In blogdom, be sure to check out CloudBurstMumbai which is as comprehensive a source for the situation back home in Mumbai. Also worth visiting is MumbaiHelp.

Elsewhere, Team India under Chappell and Dravid started season 2005-06 in Sri Lanka. The team may have a new coach and captain but the symptoms it developed last season do not seem to have healed.

On the personal front, with my team in Mumbai, still coping with the Monsoons, it was left to us here to double for them as well. 15-16 hours of workload throughout the week has left me with very little time to do anything else but take the much needed sleep over the weekend.

So its a dry quiz of 5 questions this time. Audio and Visuals would hopefully be back next week.

And before I wind up, the blog recorded its 10,000th visitor last week. Was reminded of Gavaskar taking his 10,000th run in Ahmedabad off Ejaz Fakih. A big Thank you to all who made it possible.

Hi All,

Time to come out with the answers. And this time, we have a four way tie for the top spot.

As we move on, we have new enthusiasts joining in. Hope to have all of you in the regulars list in the days to come.

Aditya Pethe, Amresh Kumar , Sampreeth Kumar and Shovon Chakraborty share the top honours for the round with an identical score of 8.

As always keep your responses and suggestions flowing at aniruddhadutta@gmail.com.

Questions:

1. Officially titled the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002, it was signed into law on July 30, 2002 . It was designed to review the dated legislative audit requirements, and is considered the most significant change to federal securities laws in the United States since the New Deal in the 1930s. How do we popularly know it as ?

Ans: Sarbanes Oxley Act.

2. Cushrow Russy was his first name. How did we better know him as ?

Ans: CR Irani of The Statesman who passed away recently.

3. What is the claim to fame of the company InfoEdge India Pvt. Limited ?

Ans: It runs the portal naukri.com.

4. It was first published in New York in the late 1970s by the specialist puzzle publisher Dell Magazines in its magazine Math Puzzles and Logic Problems, under the title Number Place.The puzzle was introduced in Japan by Nikoli in the paper Monthly Nikolist. Currently, the New York Post and USA Today also publish the puzzle. How do we better know this puzzle ?

Ans: Sudoku.

5. Also referred to as the "hathiwala cream", it is the flagship brand of GD Pharmaceuticals Ltd. On 15th August 1947, it was distributed free to anyone who asked for it during the day from two of its outlets. Name the product.

Ans: Boroline.

6. Visual Questions:

6.1 This was the company's logo prior to its merger in 1998. Identify the company.

Ans: Price WaterHouse prior to its merger withLybrands and Coopers.

6.2 This person's invention is credited for bringing in the era of skyscrapers. Identify him.

Ans: Elisha Graves Otis.

6.3 With which brand would you associate this company.

Ans: They manufacture the Aamar PC / Apna PC / Aamchi PC / Namma PC brand of computers.

7. Audio Questions:

7.1 Identify the singer (Clue: she is however famous for other reasons.)

Ans: Shabana Azmi from the movie Anjuman.

Ans: Satyajit Ray (from the documentary : Tagore).

For the Archives:

Another round of blasts and this time Egypt bore the brunt. With terror creeping in, closer home, the New York Penn Station was evacuated earlier in the day on account of a bomb scare.
But we all live to tell our tales. However, for 27 year old Jean Charles de Menezes, the Brazilian born electrician, that was not to be. Five shots in the back of the head and he was a man wrongly gunned down. All that his near and dear ones got were words of regret.

On the technical front, Windows' Longhorn will now be known as "Vista". For trivia sake, XP was earlier codenamed "Whistler".

In other happenings, blogdom till a few weeks back was up in arms against Parnab Mukherjee. And guess who rose in defence !! Someone who has borrowed all but the first letter of his name. The Great Bong, who has got me addicted to his blog for sure, defends all accusations in a way, only he can. Read it here. If you always believed that Laughter was the Best Medicine, this is where you should head to.

Hi All,

Its time to give out the answers yet again. Lots of new faces this time. Not to take away any credit from the enthusiasm of the regulars which has shown no signs of dying down.

We have a new winner. Amresh Kumar recorded a perfect 10 closely followed by Kiran Kumar Bakka.

Regulars Anukriti Pandey and Sanjeev Mittal were not far behind.

As always keep your responses and suggestions flowing at aniruddhadutta@gmail.com

Answers follow the question yet again. Let me know if you guys require a change in the format in which the answers are given out.

Now the Answers:

1. This annual event was started as a publicity event for the newspaper L'Auto (presently known as the L'Equipe) by its editor and co-founder, Henri Desgrange alongwith jouranlist Géo Lefèvre to rival another event sponsored by a rival journal. The event proved a great success for the newspaper and circulation leapt from 25,000 before to 65,000 after it. The event continues even today and is organised by the Amaury Organisation (ASO), which is a part of the media group that owns l'Équipe. Which event is being talked about ?

Ans: Tour De' France.

2. As a part of a US $100 million agreement, German company Lufthansa Technik is installing a product called Rockwell Collins’ Tailwind 560 on board Qatar Airways' fleet of 15 A330s. What would this result in for the passengers flying Qatar Airways ?

Ans: Lufthansa Technik will install Rockwell Collins’ Tailwind 560 product for onboard live satellite television on the airline’s fleet of 15 A330s. Passengers will be able to watch live TV from selected networks, further enhancing their inflight entertainment options.

3. Why were Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Company Ltd. of England in the news recently in India ?

Ans: They were the ones involved in the construction of the Howrah Bridge. The Bridge was in the news recently when it suffered damages recently after being hit by a barge.

4. The current top of the line models for this sports gear is the Firebolt. Other models include Nimbus 2001, Cleansweep 7s and Nimbus 2000. Which sport are we talking about ?

Ans: They are brands of Brooms. The Game: Quidditch.

5. It was originally a call used in British Army camps to signal the end of the day. Its name derives from the practice of inspecting all the sentry posts around such a camp at the end of the day, and playing a bugle call at each of them. This custom dates from at least the 17th century, and originated with British troops stationed in the Netherlands where it drew on an older Dutch custom, called 'Taptoe'. How do we better know this custom today ?

Ans: The Last Post.

6. Visual Questions:

6.1 This European Bank was set up as a federation of local credit unions primarily for farmers. It also is involved in sponsoring major sports events and even sponsors a professional road cycling team. It also has a presence in India. Identify the bank from its logo.

Ans: Rabobank.

6.2 Identify this logo of a publishing company which is in the news.

Ans: Bloomsbury , publishers of Harry Potter in the UK.

6.3 This South African is in the news more in India than in his native country. Identify him.

Ans: Albie Sachs who will hear Sourav Ganguly's appeal against the ban.

7. Audio Questions:

7.1 This Kannada song set to music by Ilayaraja is said to be the inspiration for a very well known Ad jingle. Identify the Advertisement.

7.2 From the audio piece, identify this poster boy of Adidas.

Ans: Fauja Singh. The grand old man of Marathons.

Audio Courtesy: www.historytalking.com , www.itwofs.com

For the Archives:

The week gone by has been quite an eventful one. While it opened up new challenges at the work front (leading to extra long hours on some days) to something quite refreshing and encouraging on the blog front as well.

The blog reported 100 plus hits on three consecutive days during the week. The number of people linking up to the blog grew and offers to post quizzes elsewhere also came by.

Technorati reports of this blog finding a mention in the Mumbai edition of The Times Of India (Mousetrap section) on the 17th of July,2005. Yours truly searched up the e-Paper but could not locate it. Here is the link that Technorati has fetched for me. If someone among you could officially verify it, that would be good.

The list of quiz blogs and the enlightening on a certain individual also drew people to narrate their personal experiences.

Its time to move on and for the first time this week, the quiz features "Audio" questions in addition to the Visual ones.

Well this week saw HT entering the doorsteps of Mumbaikars with juicy news from Bollywood. I guess some producer must be on his way to registering the title "Maine Phone Kyun Kiya".
Potter Mania overshowed the gloom that had engulfed 7/7 and kids flocked round the world to grab the latest offering from Ms. Rowling.

Ownership of the Taj Mahal and Leadership of the BJP were other issues to hog headlines in India.

Much as we engross ourselves in Politics and Potter, read along the achievements of 9 year old Arfa Karim Randhawa from Pakistan here.

Hi All,

Its time to come out with the answers. Once again, responses flew in from far and near.

And once again, it was the enthusiasm to which I bow. All I can write is to keep up the interest and I would try to bring in my trivial pursuits to your screens (computer screens as of now) periodically.

High fliers with a score of 7 were Chandra Sekhar Sasrula and Rakesh Taklikar.

Seasoned quizzer from Hyderabad Aravind Ghosh Suri wasn't far behind.

So here go the answers.

Answers:

1. In London, they are referred to as "one-unders". In New York, they are known as "track pizzas". Who are we talking about ?

Ans: People who commit suicide by coming under the underground trains.

2. This Arabic word means 'guaranteeing each other' or joint guarantee. LIC's new international joint venture company - Indo-Saudi Insurance Company will be the first to introduce it in India. It can also be described as cooperative insurance where policyholders contribute a certain amount of money to a common pool. Each member pays his subscription (premium) to help those that need assistance. What are we talking about ?

Ans: Takaful.

3. Easy one. 7th July, 2005 in Headingley - Umpire Rudi Koertzen makes a "T" signal. What follows ?

Ans: The first super substitution in One Day Cricket. Vikram Solanki walking in for Simon Jones.

4. C-Sam Inc. offers a suite of secure web-based services that enables users to execute transactions in the real as well virtual worlds using mobile phones and PCs. Which famous Indian is associated with this venture ?

Ans: Sam Pitroda.

5. David Bonderman, James G. Coulter and William S. Price, III founded this firm in 1993 with offices in San Francisco, Washington, New York, Fort Worth, and London. It has significant investments in many important brand-name companies including Burger King, Seagate, J.Crew, Bally, and Ducati. This company hogged the headlines last week on account of an Indian partner. Name the company and the Indian partner.

Ans: The Texas Pacific Group / Vivek Paul who recently quit Wipro.

Visual Questions:

6.1 Dont ask me the names of these ladies. But tell me the name of their Indian counterpart ?

Ans: Malaika Arora. The ladies can be found on the Yahoo Mail home pages.

6.2 An alumnus of the London International College of Business and Technology, has been in the news for his "exploits" elsewhere. Who is he ?

Ans: Junaid Miandad who is set to marry Mahrukh - Dawood Ibrahim's daughter.

6.3 From the world of sports, identify this once world beater in the news again.

Ans: British long distance legend Sebastian Coe.

For the Archives:

Well, the responses to the last weeks quiz was stupendous. Responses flew in from all corners of India and a few from closer New York as well.

Most of the responses I receive are from students mostly pursuing their Engineering or their Masters and sometimes responses come in from 15 and 16 year olds too.

When I was that old , how much did I know !!

But times surely have changed. Was going through blogdom and chanced upon this article on Today's kids.

Also, have been hunting for Blogs that feature quizzes or have posts related to quizzing on a periodic basis. Visitors and fellow Jaldi Quizzers may help me with more.

1. Notes and Stones - From and for the Quizzing fraternity in Pune.

2. IT Mavens - Dig into the archives and you would find some good IT quizzes.

3. Audit Trails of Self - Aaman Lamba's blog features some very good quizzes.

4. Quiz Chakra - from Shovon Chakraborty (again dig into Archives).

5. Bhrigu's Question - No quizzes but Interesting posts from the Quizman.

6. Gautam Ghosh's Quizzes - Not a Blog but Weekly Quizzes nevertheless.

Roaming through the corridors of Blogdom led me to these posts on Quizmaster Parnab Mukherjee. Read this and this and also go through this.

Held high regards for the man before going through the above !!

Anyway, the world over it was 7/7 which hogged the headlines. The London attacks have become another pointer to the world that we live in.