Disease
Presently, I am running a new series of quizzes on Quiznet . But somehow, I don't seem to be getting the same number of replies (only 10-20) as I used to get (between 30-40) when I ran the original series in 2002-2003. I started to wonder: Have I lost my sting? Should I stop? But a few other old-timers were also complaining that they too were not getting many responses either. I decided to take a look around.
The cause?
I found that a major change from back then was that there were many more quizzing groups around, as was the recent spurt in the number of blogs. Taking into account the similarity in the nature of the quizzes in my two series, perhaps the lackadaisical response had something to do with the fact that I don't crosspost these quizzes, ie, post the same content in different groups.
A cursory examination of the quizzes receiving 30+ replies backed my hypothesis; those were being crossposted.
I believe there too many quiz groups right now. It is getting a bit difficult to keep track of and manage the content in our Inboxes, with the same content appearing on most of the quiz-groups. It also takes more effort to share the information/make announcements; we need to mark copies to all the quiz-groups.
Evils of the crosspost
I understand that the exponential explosion in the number of groups could be because each group has a philosophy of its own. Or does it? If yes, why does the same content appear in most of them? I feel that many are just egotistical pursuits. The duplication of content leads to -
a) Time wastage (Haven't I read this before?)
b) Unnecessary mail-traffic (read as spam; duplicates are as useless as spam)
This is why I don't crosspost.
The group-proliferation is not for the Greater Common Good; indeed, it did much harm. Take a look at the contrast between :-
(pre-blog/multigroup era)
2003 Quiznet Posts : J104 F123 M127 A130 M154 J113 J117 A114 S127 O117 N99 D72
(post-group explosion)
2005 Quiznet Posts : J64 F66 M69 A31 M55 J66 J52 A45 S70 O81 N80 D101
I am reminded of the days when the chess-world was split into the PCA & the FIDE camps. Lots of duplicated and wasted effort and confusion.
Too many cooks spoil the broth: too many groups spoil the fun:: 1:1. What do you think?
....Maybe a grand unified quiz group is the need of the hour?
History shows us the way to go.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Chance Encounter With A Titan
Yesterday, I happened to be at Crossword bookstore Bangalore when the release of Sharmistha Mohanty's novel New Life took place. The author read out passages from her book: I was not too impressed with either her reading style (which I felt lacked passion) or the content (which was overly descriptive and sentimental). I gave it a few earfuls and decided to browse around for CDs in the store till the Q&A session because I had a few questions to ask. Why does Indian writing in English always have to be about the Western Experience and always by a person who had it? Where was the fiction? The novel, it appeared to me, was largely based directly on her student-life in Iowa.
The Titan
The ceremony also featured UR Ananthamurthy, who was introducing the author. The name was familiar but I could not place it at the time: for the moment he was just a rambling old man who was stealing much of the author's thunder from her. Later, just after the snacks, I asked my neighbour about Mr. URA and he waxed eloquent about URA: his being Kannada literature's titan, his many awards - a mini biography!
Q&A session
TJC: How much of the novel is autobiographical?
URA fielded my question with some philosophical ruminations, not entirely related to the point raised.
SM (taking the mike from URA): Why do you want to know? Why do you care?
(Audience laughs)
TJC: In a Malayalam movie called "Artham", the character played by Mammootty says that any person can write one story - that of his own life. I was wondering: will there be a second novel?
SM: I hope so...Let there be a second, a third and so on! But here's answering your question: even if it is based on one's own life, there can be more than one story. We are ever-changing and the persons that we are take different forms, shaped by the great forces of life.
TJC (impressed): Voyeurism has a certain appeal, you know. That's why I asked.
After the Q&A session, there was a small tea party. I approached URA and made idle conversation with him. We discussed some general points about Indian writing in English for a couple of minutes.
An Impulsive Joke
TJC: I cannot resist it, it just occurred to me, forgive me, but may I crack a joke at your expense?
URA: Go ahead.
TJC:
You were at a function where you had to register your name.
So you went to the person who was taking down the names and
said, "Please add my name too...UR Ananthamurthy".
The other guy asks, "Are you Ananthamurthy?"
You reply, "U R Ananthamurthy!"
To which he says, "No I am not!"
URA laughed, though I do not know whether it was at my joke or at my irreverence. I had to redeem myself. Could not allow the situation degrade into a case of maybe-I-should-have-said-it-too (l’esprit d’escalier, literally “staircase wit”)
TJC: If you would allow me to, I'd like to recite a short poem.
URA (unsure): Er....
TJC (pretentiously): It's short and humorous, and it's profound.
The poem's titled Disposable. The lizard uses its beloved tail/To tickle itself, to scratch its head, to many avail/But when in trouble, trapped by so much as a nail/ Coolly sheds without even a wail!
URA (nodding in appreciation): ...Very clever...I liked the rhyme..Has deep meaning too.
TJC: It's actually about the utilitarian world. Many a time when it's time to say thank you, people often say goodbye!
We talked for a couple of minutes more and I told him that I had to go.
The Titan
The ceremony also featured UR Ananthamurthy, who was introducing the author. The name was familiar but I could not place it at the time: for the moment he was just a rambling old man who was stealing much of the author's thunder from her. Later, just after the snacks, I asked my neighbour about Mr. URA and he waxed eloquent about URA: his being Kannada literature's titan, his many awards - a mini biography!
Q&A session
TJC: How much of the novel is autobiographical?
URA fielded my question with some philosophical ruminations, not entirely related to the point raised.
SM (taking the mike from URA): Why do you want to know? Why do you care?
(Audience laughs)
TJC: In a Malayalam movie called "Artham", the character played by Mammootty says that any person can write one story - that of his own life. I was wondering: will there be a second novel?
SM: I hope so...Let there be a second, a third and so on! But here's answering your question: even if it is based on one's own life, there can be more than one story. We are ever-changing and the persons that we are take different forms, shaped by the great forces of life.
TJC (impressed): Voyeurism has a certain appeal, you know. That's why I asked.
After the Q&A session, there was a small tea party. I approached URA and made idle conversation with him. We discussed some general points about Indian writing in English for a couple of minutes.
An Impulsive Joke
TJC: I cannot resist it, it just occurred to me, forgive me, but may I crack a joke at your expense?
URA: Go ahead.
TJC:
You were at a function where you had to register your name.
So you went to the person who was taking down the names and
said, "Please add my name too...UR Ananthamurthy".
The other guy asks, "Are you Ananthamurthy?"
You reply, "U R Ananthamurthy!"
To which he says, "No I am not!"
URA laughed, though I do not know whether it was at my joke or at my irreverence. I had to redeem myself. Could not allow the situation degrade into a case of maybe-I-should-have-said-it-too (l’esprit d’escalier, literally “staircase wit”)
TJC: If you would allow me to, I'd like to recite a short poem.
URA (unsure): Er....
TJC (pretentiously): It's short and humorous, and it's profound.
The poem's titled Disposable. The lizard uses its beloved tail/To tickle itself, to scratch its head, to many avail/But when in trouble, trapped by so much as a nail/ Coolly sheds without even a wail!
URA (nodding in appreciation): ...Very clever...I liked the rhyme..Has deep meaning too.
TJC: It's actually about the utilitarian world. Many a time when it's time to say thank you, people often say goodbye!
We talked for a couple of minutes more and I told him that I had to go.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Queuriest - VI
-------------------------------------------------------
QUEURIEST - VI
Keep Guessing - Johnnie Guesser
-------------------------------------------------------
1. If James Joyce wrote A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, who wrote A Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man? God knows!
*
2. This one might really whip the bails off you. Who holds the record for the most number of stumpings in Test cricket history?
*
3. Golden Hind: Francis Drake :: Millennium Falcon : _____________?
*
4. What happens when somebody is subjected to defenestration? Linux fans, anyone?
*
5. Easy one. Who led the mutiny onboard the HMS Bounty?
*
6. Codenames! The secret plans for what was called Project Chess?
Crazy Cryptic Clue: A giant that could be royal, Prussian and marine has something to do with it, perhaps? But little to do with Mr. Garik Weinstein though, contrary to what you might think.
*
7. Who, along with superstar pals 'Beatle' George Harrison, 'Heartbreaker' Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison - formed a band called the Traveling Wilburys? The answer, my friend is . . .
*
8. Which month in the calendar is named after Latin for `to open'? You may guess, but think what could be before!
*
9. Surprisingly easy one. What does a thaumatologist do?
*
10. What was codified in a 1942 short story called 'Runaround'? Cryptic Clue: Mt.SinAI !
*
BONUS Question
Q. Can you make 24 out of 4 zeroes only? Use mathematical operations only. ie, make an expression out of 0,0,0,0 such that it evaluates to 24.
*
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A match may start a fire. But once the fire is
started, putting out the match will not be of
any use.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "SonOfDelphi"
Date: Thu Jan 9, 2003 12:18 pm
Subject: Queuriest - VI
Welcome to episode 6 of Queuriest.
a few words about the Queuriest series. I intend these quizzes to be competitive in nature. That's why I toss in a few sitters and also why clues abound, so that there's something for everybody. I don't bury the questions in voluminous prose (obscurification). Neither do I introduce deliberate misspellings or inaccurate info. (Two anti-googling strategies commonly employed). Direct & honest, trust implied. That's what I like...
and if you attempt to answer the Qs honestly, then the answers stay longer in your head when they come. That's the ultimate aim, right? Plus that way it's more fun and satisfying for all involved...and there need be no shame in getting 'just' 1 or 2. And 50% in a set of Qs set by another person is very good indeed.
and in case you do google for a question (when it absolutely CAN't wait!!) , at least indicate that in the answer, I'll give you half the points. CONSCIENCE, not CON-SCIENCE! ;-) That way it would be fair both on googlers (some reward for searching so hard) and on others who attempt the Qs by themselves ...and give me some extra info also please :-)
If, on the other hand, you feel that these quizzes are just google-guides, then please tell me, I'll stop posting the scores, just the answers should do fine then, won't it. . .I feel it's unfair on the genuine, competitive respondents otherwise (sometimes it breaks my heart to place a googler above a genuey :-(. . .also, I need not frame the questions all that carefully then, you would find the errors anyway, huh? :-)
I hope I do not lose my audience because of these lamentations of mine! Not possibly, 'cos it's the other guy that I was complaining about, right? :-)
GET CRACKING NOW!!!!
luv
thomas
ANSWERS
-------------
From: "SonOfDelphi"
Date: Sun Jan 26, 2003 11:00 pm
Subject: Answers to Queuriest - VI
Hi everybody!
45 responses in all. Perhaps this was the cluesiest episode yet. Most questions had clues - used very imaginatively by respondents!
sorry for the LOOOOOOOOOOONG delay in posting the answers. Now, what excuse can I give? ....
"And on the seventh, He Rested."? :-Queuriegenesis 1:18
;-)
luv
thomas
----------------------------------------------
QUEURIEST - VI
Keep Guessing - Johnnie Guesser
----------------------------------------------
1. If James Joyce wrote A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, who wrote A Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man? God knows!
*Joseph Heller, the Catch-22 guy. God knows was the clue. It's another book he wrote.
Dylan Thomas wrote Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog
2. This one might really whip the bails off you. Who holds the record for the most number of stumpings in Test cricket history?
*Bert Oldfield of Australia. He was the wicketkeeper in the middle 20th century. '30s I guess. 52 in career.
Pure statististics. Never mind if you didn't get this one.
3. Golden Hind: Francis Drake :: Millennium Falcon : _____________?
*Han Solo, in Star Wars
AC:Lando Carlrissian is the actual owner, Han Solo gets it only later.
does anybody know whether there's an expansion for R2D2 or C3PO?
4. What happens when somebody is subjected to defenestration? Linux fans, anyone?
*He gets thrown out of the window.
The Linux comment was just a bit of fun from me. I'm not too sure whether it applies to removing windows from computers ...or .... does IT?
refer Defenestration of Prague & Thirty Years also.
5. Easy one. Who led the mutiny onboard the HMS Bounty?
*Fletcher Christian
Some answered Bligh, Bligh is the author/captain.
6. Codenames! The secret plans for what was called Project Chess?
Crazy Cryptic Clue: A giant that could be royal, Prussian and marine has something to do with it, perhaps? But little to do with Mr. Garik Weinstein though, contrary to what you might think.
*Project Chess was the secret plans for the IBM PC, the PC itself I believe was codenamed Acorn.
The clue wasn't called __Crazy___ Cryptic Clue for nothing! Giant=> Big + royal, Prussian,marine=>Blue (shades of) together => Big Blue => IBM. Garik Weinstein =>original name of Garry Kasparov. little to do with him => Project Chess has nothing to do with chess.
7. Who, along with superstar pals 'Beatle' George Harrison, 'Heartbreaker' Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison - formed a band called the Traveling Wilburys? The answer, my friend is . . .
*...blowin' in the wind. The answer,my friend is Bob Dylan.
8. Which month in the calendar is named after Latin for `to open'? You may guess, but think what could be before!
* April. It's not January as many seemed to think.
Guess! What's before MAY?!! ;-)
9. Surprisingly easy one. What does a thaumatologist do?
*Studies miracles.
A lot of answers mentioned magic. Have given marks for that as well.
10. What was codified in a 1942 short story called 'Runaround'? Cryptic Clue: Mt.SinAI !
* The Three Laws of Robotics. Yeah, the story is by Isaac Asimov. Just robot is not good enough, I'm sorry.
About the clue. Mt.Sinai is where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. and AI= Artificial Intelligence. Get it? Mt.SinAI.
BONUS Question
Q. Can you make 24 out of 4 zeroes only? Use mathematical operations only. ie, make an expression out of 0,0,0,0 such that it evaluates to 24.
* (0! + 0! + 0! + 0!)!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The scores (in chronological order)
1. Asish Koshy - 7
2. Sharad Singh - 4
3. Suki - 1.5
4. Shiraz - 9 (0.5 each for 2Qs)
5. Mamatha Balasubramanian - 2 (nice working out)
6. Sujith Vijay - 9 (o yeah,i know to get 8 with two 0s :-p)
7. Ramkumar Sankar - 1
8. Prasun Ratn - 1
9. Kensy Joseph - 3
10. TalonX the Surreal - 2
11. Avinash Iyer - 3 (Bonus qUIZZER?)
12. Madhu M - 2 (Share ur views on Heller)
13. Kunal Malhotra - 8
14. Partha Sengupta - 3
15. Sreeram - 3
16. Syam Prasad - 5
17. Lahar Appaiah - 5 (May <-- Goddess of fertility Maia)
18. Avjit Chaudhuri - 7
19. Devilcat - 4
20. Sukhamaya - 4
21. Santhosh D'Souza - 9 (nice work on April!)
22. Acharya Rajib - 7
23. R.Krishna - 8
24. Suranjan Chakrabarty- 6 (I believe there's more than 1 album though for TW)
25. Navneet Bal - 5
26. Dinesh Krithivasan - 5.5
27. Samrat Sengupta - 2
28. Aniruddha Gupta - 7
29. Anshuman Mishra - 5
30. Debashree Mitra - 4
31. Koushik Vedaraman - 5
32. Hussain Poonawala - 1
33. Paul Ahmitough - 9
34. Satyajit Chetri - 1
35. Vijay Krishnan - 2
36. Pramod R - 1
37. Venkateswar KR - 0 (queery effort!)
38. Anannya Deb - 4
39. Bhaskar Singh - 0
40. Pauline Daniel - 1
41. Prithwiraj Mukherjee - 3.5
42. Thejaswi Udupa - 7
43. Sankle Pradesh - 3
44. Avik Chatterjee - 2
45. Bharat Jayakumar - 1 (may the 44444.. be with U2!)
--------STATS ----------------------------------------------
Funnest!-
Click OK to restart on Defenestration
00:00 = 24 hrs midnight on BonusQ
Plan to kill Bobby Fischer by Soviets on Proj Chess
Guessest!- nice guessing
May, December on April
Phileas Fogg, Frank Poole on Millennium Falcon
Nirad Chaudhuri on Joseph Heller
Picasso,MF Hussain on Artist as Old Man
Turing Test on Runaround
Hitler's submarine fleet on Project Chess
Expectedest!
Removing MSWindows from PC on defenestration
Deep Blue for Project Chess
* Most popular wrong answer: William Bligh has no HMS mutiny
* All questions were answered
* Shiraz,Paul,Santhosh top the quiz with 9 points
* What I realised: Clues are interpreted and used in myriad ways. Sometimes in ways unIMAGINED by framer!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A match may start a fire. But once the fire is
started, putting out the match will not be of
any use.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUEURIEST - VI
Keep Guessing - Johnnie Guesser
-------------------------------------------------------
1. If James Joyce wrote A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, who wrote A Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man? God knows!
*
2. This one might really whip the bails off you. Who holds the record for the most number of stumpings in Test cricket history?
*
3. Golden Hind: Francis Drake :: Millennium Falcon : _____________?
*
4. What happens when somebody is subjected to defenestration? Linux fans, anyone?
*
5. Easy one. Who led the mutiny onboard the HMS Bounty?
*
6. Codenames! The secret plans for what was called Project Chess?
Crazy Cryptic Clue: A giant that could be royal, Prussian and marine has something to do with it, perhaps? But little to do with Mr. Garik Weinstein though, contrary to what you might think.
*
7. Who, along with superstar pals 'Beatle' George Harrison, 'Heartbreaker' Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison - formed a band called the Traveling Wilburys? The answer, my friend is . . .
*
8. Which month in the calendar is named after Latin for `to open'? You may guess, but think what could be before!
*
9. Surprisingly easy one. What does a thaumatologist do?
*
10. What was codified in a 1942 short story called 'Runaround'? Cryptic Clue: Mt.SinAI !
*
BONUS Question
Q. Can you make 24 out of 4 zeroes only? Use mathematical operations only. ie, make an expression out of 0,0,0,0 such that it evaluates to 24.
*
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A match may start a fire. But once the fire is
started, putting out the match will not be of
any use.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "SonOfDelphi"
Date: Thu Jan 9, 2003 12:18 pm
Subject: Queuriest - VI
Welcome to episode 6 of Queuriest.
a few words about the Queuriest series. I intend these quizzes to be competitive in nature. That's why I toss in a few sitters and also why clues abound, so that there's something for everybody. I don't bury the questions in voluminous prose (obscurification). Neither do I introduce deliberate misspellings or inaccurate info. (Two anti-googling strategies commonly employed). Direct & honest, trust implied. That's what I like...
and if you attempt to answer the Qs honestly, then the answers stay longer in your head when they come. That's the ultimate aim, right? Plus that way it's more fun and satisfying for all involved...and there need be no shame in getting 'just' 1 or 2. And 50% in a set of Qs set by another person is very good indeed.
and in case you do google for a question (when it absolutely CAN't wait!!) , at least indicate that in the answer, I'll give you half the points. CONSCIENCE, not CON-SCIENCE! ;-) That way it would be fair both on googlers (some reward for searching so hard) and on others who attempt the Qs by themselves ...and give me some extra info also please :-)
If, on the other hand, you feel that these quizzes are just google-guides, then please tell me, I'll stop posting the scores, just the answers should do fine then, won't it. . .I feel it's unfair on the genuine, competitive respondents otherwise (sometimes it breaks my heart to place a googler above a genuey :-(. . .also, I need not frame the questions all that carefully then, you would find the errors anyway, huh? :-)
I hope I do not lose my audience because of these lamentations of mine! Not possibly, 'cos it's the other guy that I was complaining about, right? :-)
GET CRACKING NOW!!!!
luv
thomas
ANSWERS
-------------
From: "SonOfDelphi"
Date: Sun Jan 26, 2003 11:00 pm
Subject: Answers to Queuriest - VI
Hi everybody!
45 responses in all. Perhaps this was the cluesiest episode yet. Most questions had clues - used very imaginatively by respondents!
sorry for the LOOOOOOOOOOONG delay in posting the answers. Now, what excuse can I give? ....
"And on the seventh, He Rested."? :-Queuriegenesis 1:18
;-)
luv
thomas
----------------------------------------------
QUEURIEST - VI
Keep Guessing - Johnnie Guesser
----------------------------------------------
1. If James Joyce wrote A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, who wrote A Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man? God knows!
*Joseph Heller, the Catch-22 guy. God knows was the clue. It's another book he wrote.
Dylan Thomas wrote Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog
2. This one might really whip the bails off you. Who holds the record for the most number of stumpings in Test cricket history?
*Bert Oldfield of Australia. He was the wicketkeeper in the middle 20th century. '30s I guess. 52 in career.
Pure statististics. Never mind if you didn't get this one.
3. Golden Hind: Francis Drake :: Millennium Falcon : _____________?
*Han Solo, in Star Wars
AC:Lando Carlrissian is the actual owner, Han Solo gets it only later.
does anybody know whether there's an expansion for R2D2 or C3PO?
4. What happens when somebody is subjected to defenestration? Linux fans, anyone?
*He gets thrown out of the window.
The Linux comment was just a bit of fun from me. I'm not too sure whether it applies to removing windows from computers ...or .... does IT?
refer Defenestration of Prague & Thirty Years also.
5. Easy one. Who led the mutiny onboard the HMS Bounty?
*Fletcher Christian
Some answered Bligh, Bligh is the author/captain.
6. Codenames! The secret plans for what was called Project Chess?
Crazy Cryptic Clue: A giant that could be royal, Prussian and marine has something to do with it, perhaps? But little to do with Mr. Garik Weinstein though, contrary to what you might think.
*Project Chess was the secret plans for the IBM PC, the PC itself I believe was codenamed Acorn.
The clue wasn't called __Crazy___ Cryptic Clue for nothing! Giant=> Big + royal, Prussian,marine=>Blue (shades of) together => Big Blue => IBM. Garik Weinstein =>original name of Garry Kasparov. little to do with him => Project Chess has nothing to do with chess.
7. Who, along with superstar pals 'Beatle' George Harrison, 'Heartbreaker' Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison - formed a band called the Traveling Wilburys? The answer, my friend is . . .
*...blowin' in the wind. The answer,my friend is Bob Dylan.
8. Which month in the calendar is named after Latin for `to open'? You may guess, but think what could be before!
* April. It's not January as many seemed to think.
Guess! What's before MAY?!! ;-)
9. Surprisingly easy one. What does a thaumatologist do?
*Studies miracles.
A lot of answers mentioned magic. Have given marks for that as well.
10. What was codified in a 1942 short story called 'Runaround'? Cryptic Clue: Mt.SinAI !
* The Three Laws of Robotics. Yeah, the story is by Isaac Asimov. Just robot is not good enough, I'm sorry.
About the clue. Mt.Sinai is where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. and AI= Artificial Intelligence. Get it? Mt.SinAI.
BONUS Question
Q. Can you make 24 out of 4 zeroes only? Use mathematical operations only. ie, make an expression out of 0,0,0,0 such that it evaluates to 24.
* (0! + 0! + 0! + 0!)!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The scores (in chronological order)
1. Asish Koshy - 7
2. Sharad Singh - 4
3. Suki - 1.5
4. Shiraz - 9 (0.5 each for 2Qs)
5. Mamatha Balasubramanian - 2 (nice working out)
6. Sujith Vijay - 9 (o yeah,i know to get 8 with two 0s :-p)
7. Ramkumar Sankar - 1
8. Prasun Ratn - 1
9. Kensy Joseph - 3
10. TalonX the Surreal - 2
11. Avinash Iyer - 3 (Bonus qUIZZER?)
12. Madhu M - 2 (Share ur views on Heller)
13. Kunal Malhotra - 8
14. Partha Sengupta - 3
15. Sreeram - 3
16. Syam Prasad - 5
17. Lahar Appaiah - 5 (May <-- Goddess of fertility Maia)
18. Avjit Chaudhuri - 7
19. Devilcat - 4
20. Sukhamaya - 4
21. Santhosh D'Souza - 9 (nice work on April!)
22. Acharya Rajib - 7
23. R.Krishna - 8
24. Suranjan Chakrabarty- 6 (I believe there's more than 1 album though for TW)
25. Navneet Bal - 5
26. Dinesh Krithivasan - 5.5
27. Samrat Sengupta - 2
28. Aniruddha Gupta - 7
29. Anshuman Mishra - 5
30. Debashree Mitra - 4
31. Koushik Vedaraman - 5
32. Hussain Poonawala - 1
33. Paul Ahmitough - 9
34. Satyajit Chetri - 1
35. Vijay Krishnan - 2
36. Pramod R - 1
37. Venkateswar KR - 0 (queery effort!)
38. Anannya Deb - 4
39. Bhaskar Singh - 0
40. Pauline Daniel - 1
41. Prithwiraj Mukherjee - 3.5
42. Thejaswi Udupa - 7
43. Sankle Pradesh - 3
44. Avik Chatterjee - 2
45. Bharat Jayakumar - 1 (may the 44444.. be with U2!)
--------STATS ----------------------------------------------
Funnest!-
Click OK to restart on Defenestration
00:00 = 24 hrs midnight on BonusQ
Plan to kill Bobby Fischer by Soviets on Proj Chess
Guessest!- nice guessing
May, December on April
Phileas Fogg, Frank Poole on Millennium Falcon
Nirad Chaudhuri on Joseph Heller
Picasso,MF Hussain on Artist as Old Man
Turing Test on Runaround
Hitler's submarine fleet on Project Chess
Expectedest!
Removing MSWindows from PC on defenestration
Deep Blue for Project Chess
* Most popular wrong answer: William Bligh has no HMS mutiny
* All questions were answered
* Shiraz,Paul,Santhosh top the quiz with 9 points
* What I realised: Clues are interpreted and used in myriad ways. Sometimes in ways unIMAGINED by framer!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A match may start a fire. But once the fire is
started, putting out the match will not be of
any use.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
God Knows - Review
Here's a review of Joseph Heller's God Knows that I posted on epinions.com
King David Catches 22!
May 31 '03
Pros
* Very humorous * Rich language * Fresh perspective
Cons
* Repetitive * Requires knowledge of the Bible * Not an easy read
The Bottom Line
I would recommend this book to anybody who appreciates innovative writing.
Review
Let me start off with a confession. I finished this book only on my 4th attempt. Initially, I had been put off by the theme as well as the plethora of Biblical names - Absalom, Jehoshaphath, for example. But deep inside of me, I had this feeling that there really was 'something' in the book. I had the book re-issued from the library many times over and finally, when I was through reading it, boy, was I glad I did!
Heller is at his inventive best in this book. Heller proves that he is not just a master storyteller but a master story-'re'teller as well. He takes the story of King David (yes, of the Bible!) and paraphrases it, as seen through David's eyes, with lots of spice thrown in for effect. Call it dollops of Biblical ice-cream with chocolate-sauce sex. As King David says in the book, I have the best story in the Bible. Heller just about manages to prove that.
God Knows looks at the Bible from a fresh, if contrary, perspective. In the book, Solomon is portrayed as a moronic mamma's-boy while David is a head-strong womanizer, at loggerheads with God. Bathsheba is the Adam-feminist bloomer-pioneer and Saul is a whimsical maniac.
The David of God Knows is a braggart and makes tall claims. David claims that he is the first everything - poet, musician and what not. He accuses Shakespeare of plagiarism and also stakes claim to Handel's Messiah. Every time he sneaks in an usage or idiom, Heller puts it as if David invented it. Preposterous claims, but one wonders : possibly true? David says that the Proverbs were actually all his and that Solomon really meant it when he ordered the baby to be cut in half to determine the actual mother!
It is always no-holds-barred from David to us. Whether it be about his relationship with his spouses or be it about the conflicts in his mind about what to do with his sinning offspring. David denies accusations of queerness with respect to his relationship with Jonathan, son of Saul whose love for him surpassed the love of a woman and also tries to justify his caprices as logical actions. All this endears him to the reader.
Treat yourself to nuggets of common wisdom. Like, "..there is wisdom in madness and strong probability of truth in all accusations for people are complete and everybody is capable of everything...". Or, "who gives up a life of opulence voluntarily?". And so many more. This is a book you would want to read and re-read.
As in all his other novels, I could catch autobiographical glimpses in Heller's protagonist, King David. The helplessness in old age, the infatuation with the nurse Abishag the Shunnamite and his obsession with his first major feat of killing Goliath all have parallels in Heller's life.
Heller shows his mastery over the language time and again. My strategy worked but my stratagem backfired. When it's adjectives, you have two..inevitably. The metaphors and similes are interesting Jewel of gold in a swine's snout? About Nathan the prophet: ... as vinegar to my teeth, as smoke to my eyes. Compared to him, Polonius was as silent as the Sphinx.
The humour is a key ingredient of the book. About Saul : He forgives and forgets. Then he forgets he's forgiven. Also advice to Solomon about the ephemeral nature about buildings: Man's erections are only temporary. Solomon's cryptic The apple never falls far from the tree is repeated to great effect. Bathsheba's persistence (Let's name him King.) and Joab's irreverence is also amusingly presented. David's dialogues with God are tragically comic. Comparisons between other Biblical characters and David are also highlights.
The storyline is well-known and can be had from the Bible. But it is the way in which the story is told that is most impressive. Heller is more at home explaining the character's thoughts than when explaining the plot though.
If you are a Heller fan, then this is a must-read. If you are not, then this will showcase Heller's versatility for you - prove that there's more to him than Catch-22. But be warned that this is not a novel in the conventional sense. It is a very novel novel.
This is a book that you would want to possess. Once you've read it, you'll want to go back to it. Hey, dust that Bible!
King David Catches 22!
May 31 '03
Pros
* Very humorous * Rich language * Fresh perspective
Cons
* Repetitive * Requires knowledge of the Bible * Not an easy read
The Bottom Line
I would recommend this book to anybody who appreciates innovative writing.
Review
Let me start off with a confession. I finished this book only on my 4th attempt. Initially, I had been put off by the theme as well as the plethora of Biblical names - Absalom, Jehoshaphath, for example. But deep inside of me, I had this feeling that there really was 'something' in the book. I had the book re-issued from the library many times over and finally, when I was through reading it, boy, was I glad I did!
Heller is at his inventive best in this book. Heller proves that he is not just a master storyteller but a master story-'re'teller as well. He takes the story of King David (yes, of the Bible!) and paraphrases it, as seen through David's eyes, with lots of spice thrown in for effect. Call it dollops of Biblical ice-cream with chocolate-sauce sex. As King David says in the book, I have the best story in the Bible. Heller just about manages to prove that.
God Knows looks at the Bible from a fresh, if contrary, perspective. In the book, Solomon is portrayed as a moronic mamma's-boy while David is a head-strong womanizer, at loggerheads with God. Bathsheba is the Adam-feminist bloomer-pioneer and Saul is a whimsical maniac.
The David of God Knows is a braggart and makes tall claims. David claims that he is the first everything - poet, musician and what not. He accuses Shakespeare of plagiarism and also stakes claim to Handel's Messiah. Every time he sneaks in an usage or idiom, Heller puts it as if David invented it. Preposterous claims, but one wonders : possibly true? David says that the Proverbs were actually all his and that Solomon really meant it when he ordered the baby to be cut in half to determine the actual mother!
It is always no-holds-barred from David to us. Whether it be about his relationship with his spouses or be it about the conflicts in his mind about what to do with his sinning offspring. David denies accusations of queerness with respect to his relationship with Jonathan, son of Saul whose love for him surpassed the love of a woman and also tries to justify his caprices as logical actions. All this endears him to the reader.
Treat yourself to nuggets of common wisdom. Like, "..there is wisdom in madness and strong probability of truth in all accusations for people are complete and everybody is capable of everything...". Or, "who gives up a life of opulence voluntarily?". And so many more. This is a book you would want to read and re-read.
As in all his other novels, I could catch autobiographical glimpses in Heller's protagonist, King David. The helplessness in old age, the infatuation with the nurse Abishag the Shunnamite and his obsession with his first major feat of killing Goliath all have parallels in Heller's life.
Heller shows his mastery over the language time and again. My strategy worked but my stratagem backfired. When it's adjectives, you have two..inevitably. The metaphors and similes are interesting Jewel of gold in a swine's snout? About Nathan the prophet: ... as vinegar to my teeth, as smoke to my eyes. Compared to him, Polonius was as silent as the Sphinx.
The humour is a key ingredient of the book. About Saul : He forgives and forgets. Then he forgets he's forgiven. Also advice to Solomon about the ephemeral nature about buildings: Man's erections are only temporary. Solomon's cryptic The apple never falls far from the tree is repeated to great effect. Bathsheba's persistence (Let's name him King.) and Joab's irreverence is also amusingly presented. David's dialogues with God are tragically comic. Comparisons between other Biblical characters and David are also highlights.
The storyline is well-known and can be had from the Bible. But it is the way in which the story is told that is most impressive. Heller is more at home explaining the character's thoughts than when explaining the plot though.
If you are a Heller fan, then this is a must-read. If you are not, then this will showcase Heller's versatility for you - prove that there's more to him than Catch-22. But be warned that this is not a novel in the conventional sense. It is a very novel novel.
This is a book that you would want to possess. Once you've read it, you'll want to go back to it. Hey, dust that Bible!
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
20-Point Me
Labels:
Memory
I have been tagged by Binu Ninan. Now I have to write 20 Random Things about myself. Well, here goes...
1* I am frank to a fault; I believe in telling the truth always because the truth will out sooner or later. I remember once I had been to a dinner and the host asked me whether I was bored and I replied, much to my parents' shock, that I was in face very bored!!! This has gotten me into trouble on many occasions and has also saved me trouble on a few. But a lot of people have told me that this is the one trait that they appreciate in me.
2* I like to lie when it is of no consequence. Meet me on a train or bus and I will assume a fictitious identity. It can be loads of fun, trying to keep up with your own lies! It's kind of hard, you should check it out. I term these endeavours "experiments in human behaviour" and these serve as a release for all the pent-up truth-pressure.
3* Most embarassing moment: When I was in the eighth standard, I hid under the desk before the English class started. I used to sit in the middle of the class. Halfway through the class, the teacher who had been sitting at his desk all the while, said "OK Thomas, now you can stand up." Everybody just stared at me and I did an ostrich- sitting down and pretending that nothing had happened.
4* I like making stupid jokes - punning. My mind (I consider it to be separate from "me") thinks literally, which a few people find impressive and many (more!) people find annoying, Literal thinking as opposed to lateral thinking but it's surprising how often the literal thinking leads to lateral.
5* Thing I find most annoying about me: I take the things I say, even the things I say in jest, too seriously somens and try to follow them. Though I crack a lot of jokes, I am really a very serious person.
6* Things I buy impulsively - books and music. I have burnt my fingers and my pockets many a time though, especially with music CDs. I believe naively that the possibility of discovering a gem outweighs the risk of the investment.
7* Pronounciation Blues. I remember that I was mighty impressed when I learnt that "rendezvous" was pronounced "rondevoo". Youth - I used to pronounce it as "yow-th" till I was 7. Whore (encountered often in Sidney Sheldon) is another word I used to mispronounce - woar.
8* First English sentence I said. I was 3 at the time. "It's Hot. Fan. Fan." My cousin Reeba keeps telling me (almost) each time we meet.
9* I wrote and directed a play for my school's Annual Day in 1998. The story was adapted (rip-off?) from the TV series "Small Wonder". I was criticized for this but I still maintain that the dialogue and the adaptation are what are most important. What was the ending of the last novel you read? I remember it featured a woman-lawyer who said "I am Mr. Lightfoot's woman-lawyer!" - the then-me's take on female chauvinism.
X* I don't drink and drive because I don't drive. A freakish bike accident nipped my driving career in the bud. I was never much of a driver in any case and I didn't much enjoy it, but my hand may be forced in the near future...so pedestrians better watch out!
Y* My current passions are watching the so-called 'art-house movies" and making cocktails. I am a big fan of Akira Kurosawa's movies. The best cocktails I make are Captain's Blood, Long Island Iced Tea and Brandy Alexander. It is absolutely essential to have a passion or two to make life somewhat meaningful.
Z* I tend to philosophize a lot. I am an inductive (from particular facts to a general conclusion)reasoner and often I frame wild theories. My thoughts fly off on tangents too. I guess this is why my writing is full of parentheses and why I can't drive for nuts! There I go again!
A* Life is a progression from one addiction to the next. These addictions make you "sin" or do things that you wouldn't have otherwise. My life==Coffy Bite--Pepsi--Chewing Gum--Beer--Cigarettes--Cocktails--- ?
B* Books are my WINE: I don't much fancy the alcoholic variety. Reading==Classics(Abridged)--Sheldon--Crichton--Grisham--SciFi---Heller---Classics(Unabridged)--Kafka--Award novels---Light fiction--?
C* WOMEN. Thus far, I have led a "Wine, Women And Song" lifestyle minus the women. I haven't had any romances or affairs yet. No one has ever fallen in love with me either...
D* SONG==Film songs--Carnatic Music--Country Music--Michael Jackson--Eagles--Iron Maiden---Black Sabbath--Heavy metal--Tom Petty--Country Music--?
E* I am a stickler for grammar and spelling. I hate it when people make mistakes in their writing and pretend that it was because "We haven't checked it. Why are you so pedantic?" or say "but this is also acceptable"
Pet Peeves (cause for irritation - I know): Perennial/Perpetual, Me/I, Its/It's, Missing '-'s
Pet Hounds (cause for confusion - I doubt): Did I use to do that?, India wins/India win THE MATCH
F* I love dogs. The day my dog Krypto died was the saddest day of my life. I have recently adopted (loosely) a stray; we call him "Gorby".
G* All-time Favourite lyric: "I know you won't let me down...because I'm already standing on the ground." from the Eagles' "Peaceful Easy Feeling." Favourite quote for the moment. "Drinking to get drunk is like having sex to get pregnant." from a site on cocktails.
H* Sports. Badminton. I used to play badminton right from my childhood. I have represented my college in University and District Badminton Association tournaments. I haven't won any tournaments but I have won a few matches at the district level. Cricket. I used to be a leg-spinner in my school days. This was before the Warne-Kumble-induced frenzy. My hero was Clarrie Grimmett and like him I used to bowl at one stump! But alas I could not bat or field. Chess. I used to live and breathe chess in my eleventh and twelfth. Only managed to get rid of the dangerous addiction: I even used to have dreams of queens and knights moving on unbounded chess boards. Haven't played chess professionally.
1* I am frank to a fault; I believe in telling the truth always because the truth will out sooner or later. I remember once I had been to a dinner and the host asked me whether I was bored and I replied, much to my parents' shock, that I was in face very bored!!! This has gotten me into trouble on many occasions and has also saved me trouble on a few. But a lot of people have told me that this is the one trait that they appreciate in me.
2* I like to lie when it is of no consequence. Meet me on a train or bus and I will assume a fictitious identity. It can be loads of fun, trying to keep up with your own lies! It's kind of hard, you should check it out. I term these endeavours "experiments in human behaviour" and these serve as a release for all the pent-up truth-pressure.
3* Most embarassing moment: When I was in the eighth standard, I hid under the desk before the English class started. I used to sit in the middle of the class. Halfway through the class, the teacher who had been sitting at his desk all the while, said "OK Thomas, now you can stand up." Everybody just stared at me and I did an ostrich- sitting down and pretending that nothing had happened.
4* I like making stupid jokes - punning. My mind (I consider it to be separate from "me") thinks literally, which a few people find impressive and many (more!) people find annoying, Literal thinking as opposed to lateral thinking but it's surprising how often the literal thinking leads to lateral.
5* Thing I find most annoying about me: I take the things I say, even the things I say in jest, too seriously somens and try to follow them. Though I crack a lot of jokes, I am really a very serious person.
6* Things I buy impulsively - books and music. I have burnt my fingers and my pockets many a time though, especially with music CDs. I believe naively that the possibility of discovering a gem outweighs the risk of the investment.
7* Pronounciation Blues. I remember that I was mighty impressed when I learnt that "rendezvous" was pronounced "rondevoo". Youth - I used to pronounce it as "yow-th" till I was 7. Whore (encountered often in Sidney Sheldon) is another word I used to mispronounce - woar.
8* First English sentence I said. I was 3 at the time. "It's Hot. Fan. Fan." My cousin Reeba keeps telling me (almost) each time we meet.
9* I wrote and directed a play for my school's Annual Day in 1998. The story was adapted (rip-off?) from the TV series "Small Wonder". I was criticized for this but I still maintain that the dialogue and the adaptation are what are most important. What was the ending of the last novel you read? I remember it featured a woman-lawyer who said "I am Mr. Lightfoot's woman-lawyer!" - the then-me's take on female chauvinism.
X* I don't drink and drive because I don't drive. A freakish bike accident nipped my driving career in the bud. I was never much of a driver in any case and I didn't much enjoy it, but my hand may be forced in the near future...so pedestrians better watch out!
Y* My current passions are watching the so-called 'art-house movies" and making cocktails. I am a big fan of Akira Kurosawa's movies. The best cocktails I make are Captain's Blood, Long Island Iced Tea and Brandy Alexander. It is absolutely essential to have a passion or two to make life somewhat meaningful.
Z* I tend to philosophize a lot. I am an inductive (from particular facts to a general conclusion)reasoner and often I frame wild theories. My thoughts fly off on tangents too. I guess this is why my writing is full of parentheses and why I can't drive for nuts! There I go again!
A* Life is a progression from one addiction to the next. These addictions make you "sin" or do things that you wouldn't have otherwise. My life==Coffy Bite--Pepsi--Chewing Gum--Beer--Cigarettes--Cocktails--- ?
B* Books are my WINE: I don't much fancy the alcoholic variety. Reading==Classics(Abridged)--Sheldon--Crichton--Grisham--SciFi---Heller---Classics(Unabridged)--Kafka--Award novels---Light fiction--?
C* WOMEN. Thus far, I have led a "Wine, Women And Song" lifestyle minus the women. I haven't had any romances or affairs yet. No one has ever fallen in love with me either...
D* SONG==Film songs--Carnatic Music--Country Music--Michael Jackson--Eagles--Iron Maiden---Black Sabbath--Heavy metal--Tom Petty--Country Music--?
E* I am a stickler for grammar and spelling. I hate it when people make mistakes in their writing and pretend that it was because "We haven't checked it. Why are you so pedantic?" or say "but this is also acceptable"
Pet Peeves (cause for irritation - I know): Perennial/Perpetual, Me/I, Its/It's, Missing '-'s
Pet Hounds (cause for confusion - I doubt): Did I use to do that?, India wins/India win THE MATCH
F* I love dogs. The day my dog Krypto died was the saddest day of my life. I have recently adopted (loosely) a stray; we call him "Gorby".
G* All-time Favourite lyric: "I know you won't let me down...because I'm already standing on the ground." from the Eagles' "Peaceful Easy Feeling." Favourite quote for the moment. "Drinking to get drunk is like having sex to get pregnant." from a site on cocktails.
H* Sports. Badminton. I used to play badminton right from my childhood. I have represented my college in University and District Badminton Association tournaments. I haven't won any tournaments but I have won a few matches at the district level. Cricket. I used to be a leg-spinner in my school days. This was before the Warne-Kumble-induced frenzy. My hero was Clarrie Grimmett and like him I used to bowl at one stump! But alas I could not bat or field. Chess. I used to live and breathe chess in my eleventh and twelfth. Only managed to get rid of the dangerous addiction: I even used to have dreams of queens and knights moving on unbounded chess boards. Haven't played chess professionally.
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