Question for Dec 24, 2010

Sorry for the ridiculously late post. This is a make-up for missing my turn on Monday. This is the last question this year. We'll resume again in January.

The _______ is a whimsical economic theory presented by George Taylor in the 1920s. The theory says that _______ fluctuate with the economy, measured by stock prices or gross domestic product. When the economy is flourishing, _______ increase, meaning one would see more _______ (such as in the 60s), and when the economic situation is deteriorating the _______ drop, perhaps even to the floor (such as during the great depression). Incredibly, recent research from the Erasmus School of Economics showed empirical evidence of this theory. What am I talking about?

Note: The blanks don't contain the same word.

Serendipity for December 22nd

1. Gula, of Afghan (Pashtun) ethnicity, was orphaned during the Soviet Union's bombing of Afghanistan and sent to the Nasir Bagh refugee camp in Pakistan in 1984. Gula was one of the students in an informal school within the refugee camp when she met Steve McCurry.

2.

"a photograph that inspired countless young men to hunch their shoulders, look distant, and let the girl do the clinging"

3. Lois Gibson, a forensic artist with the Houston Police Department, is claiming that she has conclusively determined that __ is Glenn McDuffie, 80, a North Carolina native who played semiprofessional baseball and worked in construction and for the Postal Service. “She measured his ears, facial bones, hairline, wrist, knuckles and hand, and compared those to enlargements __,” The A.P. reported. Alas, Ms. Gibson’s claims will probably not settle the matter. In 1980, Life Magazine counted 11 men — not including Mr. McDuffie — who said they were ___. As of 1995, three women had stepped forward saying they were the ___.

Connect the three clues above and also identify them all.

Question for Sunday Dec 19th

Sorry for the Late post!

"Where we're going, We don't need roads"

Eric Stoltz was first cast as the lead in this 1985 comedy film before being replaced, 2 weeks into shooting , by Y, a diminutive actor now afflicted with Parkinson's . The featured invention in the movie was first set to be a laser device fixed in a room. This was scrapped in favor of a refrigerator, however this too was discarded because Producer Spielberg didn't want children climbing into refrigerators and getting trapped. Finally a gull-wing doored sports car popular in the 80's was selected. The film went on to be a huge hit, spawning two sequels, an animated series and several video games. The film was back in the news recently for its 25th anniversary and the incorrect internet brouhaha of the arrival of a date featured prominently in the second film of the series. In fact several trends shown in the second film have now become more or less reality.
Identify this Film

Qn. for Dec. 17th.

Sorry for the late post...

What is being demonstrated in the following sequence of images?

Question for Dec 13

Identify the multi award winning (in 2010) doubles duo shown in the visual.

Identify the guy - 10th December 2010

The wife of X was "a child actress who never made it, and now she's really ambitious. Mostly she's into negotiating her contract. Every time she sleeps with X she gets an extra $10,000". Who's X? 


Hint: X is a fictional character
Hint 2: X was not the one who paid her the money.

Stich the clues together- Decmber 8th 2010

Connect the following clues. Blanks are not the connect but are giveaway clues. Bonus points for identifying the different blanks.

1.

The land that became ___ was obtained from the Cherokee Indians and Creek Indians by white settlers and their armies in 1822, with the first white settlement established in the area being Decatur. ___ achieved prominence through being a transportation hub, first for the railroad and then for airlines.

2.

Latham was enchanted with ___, and asked her if she had ever written a book. ___ demurred. "Well, if you ever do write a book, please show it to me first!" Latham implored. Later that day in 1935, a friend of ___, having heard this conversation, laughed. "Imagine, anyone as silly as Peggy writing a book!" she said. ___ stewed over this comment, went home, and found most of the old, crumbling envelopes containing her disjointed manuscript. She arrived at The ___ Terrace Hotel, just as Latham prepared to depart ___. "Here," she said, "take this before I change my mind!"

3.

"___ was not beautiful, but...," she had an effect on men, especially when she took notice of them. It is the day before the men are called to war, ___  having been fired on already.

4.

... and Katharine Hepburn, who went so far as demanding an appointment with producer David ___and saying, "I am ___! The role is practically written for me." David replied rather bluntly, "I can't imagine ___ chasing you for ten years."

Question for Dec 6, 2010

The following list is exhaustive, but not ordered. Identify the missing name(s).

• Dr Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purtscheller
• Nicholas Clinch et. al.
• Paweł Edmund Strzelecki*
• Florence Crauford Grove, Frederick Gardner, Horace Walker, Peter Knubel and Ahiya Sottaiev
• Matthias Zurbriggen
• Hudson Stuck, Harry Karstens, Walter Harper and Robert Tatum
• ____________

* Depending on which list you subscribe to, the correct entry here can also be "Heinrich Harrer et. al.".

Hint: The missing entry has the most famous name(s) in this list. Even if you have never heard of any of these names, you have certainly heard of the missing one(s).

"Current" Affairs : Question for Sun, Dec 5

The rivalry between X & Y over the use of DC or AC as the primary form of distribution of Electric Power came to be known as the "War of Currents". DC was the standard in the USA and X who was a famed inventor of the time, whose various patents worked with DC, promoted DC. Y threw his hat in the ring after partnering with the Austrian born Z aka the Wizard of the West to commercialize Z's work in generating and transmitting AC. Fierce campaigning by both parties followed to set the new standard, with X promoting the hazardous effects of AC by publically electrocuting stray dogs and cats and even horses. X even went on to invent the first Electric Chair which worked with AC. Finally Y's successful bid for the construction of the Niagara Falls power plant sealed the fate in favor of AC. However the companies they both started to distribute Electric Current still survive today.

Identify X & Y.

Qn. for Dec. 3rd.

Connect the following:

1. Joan found Mark and Mike jumping Janet and Susan outside Nora's drugstore.

2. How I want a drink, alcoholic of course, after the heavy lectures involving quantum mechanics. All of thy geometry, Herr Planck, is fairly hard.

3. Here He Lies Beneath Bed Clothes, Nothing On, Feeling Nervous. Naughty Margaret Always Sighs, "Please Stop Clowning Around."

Reader Question

This question is courtesy Shiva Gopalan.

Below is an ordered but non exhaustive list of names:

John Fenwick, Walt Whitman, Woodrow Wilson, Joyce Kilmer, Thomas Edison, Grover Cleveland, Alexander Hamilton.

What is this list about?