Bricker Challenge 2005, Edition # 3 ($100)

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Following, please find the questions for the Bricker Challenge 2005, Edition # 3.

Please note that the prize for this contest is a $100 Amazon gift certificate.

The rules, as always, are simple: I have posted a list of … stuff. You, the contest participant, must identify each item and/or answer each question. For example, if one item were: “Is the quality of mercy strained?” you might answer, “No. It falleth as gentle rains from the heavens,” which would show you recognize the classic speech from Portia in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice. You should also add that the speech came from Portia in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, just to be safe.

“What is NaCl?” Your answer might be, “The chemical symbols for sodium chloride, common table salt.”

An answer that shows you get the reference is fine, as long as it explains every element in the question. If it’s a joke, explain the joke. Leave no stone unturned. Be the party know-it-all that explains why the malaprop is funny, and what the speaker MEANT to say. Some questions may contain deliberate errors of spelling, or of meaning. Correct the misapprehension or the mistake. “What’s that movie where Shelley Duvall says ‘I love the smell of napalm in the morning?’” needs to be answered with “Apocalypse Now” but ALSO a note that the actor was Robert Duvall, not Shelley Duvall.

I’m phrasing questions ambiguously in an effort to cut down on the help that search engines can provide, although there’s no getting around it … many will be answerable by search engine anyway. There is no rule against using search engines (or any other reference) although I would appreciate if, just for curiosity’s sake, you note that you got the answer by search engine as opposed to simply knowing it.

I am awarding a $100 gift certificate from Amazon.com as the prize to the winner.

The winner is the person that answers the most questions correctly by post here dated on or before Saturday, July 23th, at 11:00 PM EST, or the first person to answer all questions correctly before that time. I reserve the right to substitute another prize of comparable value for any reason. My decisions are final as to the accuracy of all answers. I may, or may not, provide intermediate feedback as to the number of correct answers each entrant has, but if I make any errors in doing so, it’s your tough luck. I won’t score posts with less than five correct answers. Only the single post with the most correct answers by the deadline qualifies you as a winner. In the unlikely event of a tie, which would occur if two or more posts have the same date/time stamp and both have the highest number of correct answers, the prize will be split amongst each tied contestant.

The next post has the questions. Good luck!

  • Rick
2
  1. How far apart are the two vertices of the curve described by 4x[sup]2[/sup]-y[sup]2[/sup]=36 ?
  2. I’m muddled about the difference between muggles and mudbloods.
  3. If only Violetta Valery had access to a decent healthcare system, things might have been different.
  4. Giving a pearl necklace means vastly different things to a jeweler and a porn star.
  5. Traditionally, what ended a DO loop in Fortran?
  6. If x and y are real numbers, what is the maximum value of y for y=x-2x[sup]4[/sup] ?
  7. What was the first song this century to debut at #1 on Billboard’s Hot Hundred singles chart?
  8. Alien and Ganymede are not from Jupiter, but they do secrete themselves in the forest of Arden, and if you ran a routine fingerprint check on them, what might you discover?
  9. Oddly, Hilda didn’t mention anything about safety equipment to Halvard.
  10. Who is the beautiful widow responsible for the defeat of Nebuchanezzar II?
  11. Luckily, Mr. McComber reversed his decision, and Richard Miller was allowed to take Muriel out for dinner and a movie.
  12. Why was everyone convinced that Willow was a vampire?
  13. Reeder or elucidator might disagree, but Sinclair Lewis insisted that it can’t happen here.
  14. Why was Reggie so intent on making sure Ganz was caught and sent back to prison?
  15. What’s bundling, to a Loonie?
  16. Hah! Odin’s wife is a frigging idiot.
  17. Today, Thesus would be required to register as a sex offender.
  18. So, I guess Dorr was a little upset over the RI constitution?
  19. Blowing so hard that your head explodes was not a problem for Monica Lewinsky, but then again she wasn’t fighting for Charlemagne or betrayed by her stepfather.
  20. What shape is formed by the equations x = cosecant [symbol]t[/symbol], y = cotangent [symbol]t[/symbol] ?
  21. Med student humor: William Rubin is full of bile?
  22. A box contains two green balls, one white ball, and one orange ball. What’s the probability that two balls chosen at random are white and orange?
  23. To the nearest whole percentage, what is the efficiency of a machine that uses 1000 Joules to lift a 5 kilogram object 2 meters into the air?
  24. Commodore Decker lost his own ship, and almost lost Kirk’s ship too.
  25. I bet now Bobby Taylor wishes he hadn’t asked Mrs. Johnson out quite so often.
  26. Alice had an uncle that thought he was St. Jerome.
  27. Hey, look at him, Mrs. Draba. A failing geometry student, and now a King - if only the bomb doesn't go off.
  28. What’s the difference between trunking and channeling, in the world of switches?
  29. It’s a light, slightly sweet bread made into a round, rich bun with fluted sides, from a rich yeast dough.
  30. One angstrom unit (A.U.) is the distance from the Earth to the Sun.
3

  1. It Can’t Happen Here is a novel by Sinclair Lewis about a fascist takeover of the US government.

  2. So angry that he rebelled against it, declaring himself Governor, with the support of the large hunk of the RI population that didn’t meet the property qualifications to be eligible to vote.

4

  1. ST: TOS “The Doomsday Machine”

  2. Is this 10[sup]-10[/sup]m or 10[sup]11[/sup]m?

5

Adding on…

  1. A pearl necklace is just that to the jeweler, but an oral sex act to the porn star.

  2. 2 out of 12, or 1/6th.

6
  1. 6
  2. It’s all Greek to me.
7
  1. 10% (I had to Google the definition of a Joule.)
8

Thank you, Bricker, for giving me something to do at work today. :slight_smile: Answers forthcoming.

9

1.) 6 (Stolen)

2.) Mudbloods are wizards born to Muggle families; Muggles are plain old non-wizards.

4.) A pearl necklace is just that to the jeweler, but an oral sex act to the porn star. Specifically referring to the grand finale of the sex act. (Partly Stolen)

12.) Buffy, Doppelgangland. They were convinced because… well, she WAS a vampire - at least, the alternate copy of her was.

13.) It Can’t Happen Here is a novel by Sinclair Lewis about a fascist takeover of the US government. (Stolen)

16.) Despite what Napoleon Dynamite might think, her name is Frigga.

  1. ) So angry that he rebelled against it, declaring himself Governor, with the support of the large hunk of the RI population that didn’t meet the property qualifications to be eligible to vote. (Stolen)

22.) 2 out of 12, or 1/6th. (Stolen, but I coulda done it)

23.) 10% (Stolen, but I coulda done it)

24.) ST: TOS “The Doomsday Machine” (Stolen, but I coulda done it)

26.) “Well, I’d say that’s a big yes.” - Dr. Venkman.

30.) You’re confusing the Angstrom (itty bitty measurement) with the Astronomical Unit. (Big measurement)

10

Here I go …

  1. I’m muddled about the difference between muggles and mudbloods.
    Hermione Granger, who comes from a non-magical family, would be considered a Mudblood (and watch your language!) because she has manifested power aplenty. Her parents, with no magical powers at all, would be considered Muggles.

  2. If only Violetta Valery had access to a decent healthcare system, things might have been different.
    Alas, the consumption took her, and her beloved Alfredo was left alone … La Traviata or Moulin Rouge!—you make the call.

  3. Giving a pearl necklace means vastly different things to a jeweler and a porn star.
    One’s a decoration, the other’s an ejaculation.

  4. Alien and Ganymede are not from Jupiter, but they do secrete themselves in the forest of Arden, and if you ran a routine fingerprint check on them, what might you discover?
    That they are, in fact, Rosalind and Celia, cousins and daughters of Dukes. Dressing in disguise, however, is just As They Like It.

  5. Oddly, Hilda didn’t mention anything about safety equipment to Halvard.
    Which is surprising, given that Halvard was not the first man to fall from the church vane. (I’ll admit to looking this one up—I read A Doll’s House in high school, but never The Master Builder.)

  6. Luckily, Mr. McComber reversed his decision, and Richard Miller was allowed to take Muriel out for dinner and a movie.
    Ah, Wilderness, it’s very difficult to come up with something witty here, so I’ll just be happy I recognized the names.

  7. Why was everyone convinced that Willow was a vampire?
    Because she was. Of course, it was an alternate Willow from a universe where Buffy never came to Sunnydale, but it was still Willow.

  8. Why was Reggie so intent on making sure Ganz was caught and sent back to prison?
    If Ganz is in jail, then Reggie can take all the money. Or something. Gimme a break, that’s an old, old movie. :slight_smile: And I haven’t watched it in at least 48 Hours.

  9. Hah! Odin’s wife is a frigging idiot.
    She may be dumb, but ‘round these parts, we say “Thank Frigga it’s Friday!”

  10. Today, Theseus would be required to register as a sex offender.
    For many reasons. The rape of Perigune would be one, but I’m guessing that Ariadne was underage.

  11. A box contains two green balls, one white ball, and one orange ball. What’s the probability that two balls chosen at random are white and orange?
    Zero. None of the balls are white and orange. (Was that too smartass for ya?)

  12. Commodore Decker lost his own ship, and almost lost Kirk’s ship too.
    Carbon Unit Decker sacrificed himself to V-Ger in order to save the Enterprise. Then went on to be a parent on Seventh Heaven, along with the whale expert who helped save the Enterprise a few years later—or earlier. (Everyone else seems to think this is “The Doomsday Machine”, and it probably is, but I’m hoping for points just for getting the wrong Decker completely. :slight_smile: )

  13. Alice had an uncle that thought he was St. Jerome.
    “I’d call that a big yes.” Alice, an employee of the New York Public Library, was questioned by the Ghostbusters after witnessing a free-floating, full-torso, vaporous apparition.

11

  1. How far apart are the two vertices of the curve described by 4x[sup]2[/sup]-y[sup]2[/sup]=36 ?
    6

  2. I’m muddled about the difference between muggles and mudbloods.
    Muggles are non-wizards. Mudbloods are wizards born to (at least one) muggle parents.

  3. Giving a pearl necklace means vastly different things to a jeweler and a porn star.
    But it’s part of the job for each one.

  4. If x and y are real numbers, what is the maximum value of y for y=x-2x[sup]4[/sup] ?
    3/8

  5. Hah! Odin’s wife is a frigging idiot.
    Frigga’s smarter than you give her credit for.

  6. Blowing so hard that your head explodes was not a problem for Monica Lewinsky, but then again she wasn’t fighting for Charlemagne or betrayed by her stepfather.
    Nor was she named Roland.

  7. Med student humor: William Rubin is full of bile?
    Call him Billy (or her Bili).

  8. A box contains two green balls, one white ball, and one orange ball. What’s the probability that two balls chosen at random are white and orange?
    1/6

  9. To the nearest whole percentage, what is the efficiency of a machine that uses 1000 Joules to lift a 5 kilogram object 2 meters into the air?
    10%

  10. One angstrom unit (A.U.) is the distance from the Earth to the Sun.
    One Angstrom is 10[sup]-10[/sup] m.

12

CandidGamera: 11
Draelin: 10
Enginerd: 9

13

Correction.

Enginerd: 8

14

1.) 6 (Stolen)

2.) Mudbloods are wizards born to Muggle families; Muggles are plain old non-wizards.

3.)Alas, the consumption took her, and her beloved Alfredo was left alone … La Traviata or Moulin Rouge!—you make the call. (Stolen)

4.) A pearl necklace is just that to the jeweler, but an oral sex act to the porn star. Specifically referring to the grand finale of the sex act. (Partly Stolen)

6.) 3/8 (Stolen)

8.) That they are, in fact, Rosalind and Celia, cousins and daughters of Dukes. Dressing in disguise, however, is just As They Like It. (Stolen)

9.) Which is surprising, given that Halvard was not the first man to fall from the church vane. (Stolen)

11.) Ah, Wilderness, it’s very difficult to come up with something witty here, so I’ll just be happy I recognized the names. (Stolen)

12.) Buffy, Doppelgangland. They were convinced because… well, she WAS a vampire - at least, the alternate copy of her was.

13.) It Can’t Happen Here is a novel by Sinclair Lewis about a fascist takeover of the US government. (Stolen)

14.) If Ganz is in jail, then Reggie can take all the money. Or something. Gimme a break, that’s an old, old movie. And I haven’t watched it in at least 48 Hours. (Stolen)

16.) Despite what Napoleon Dynamite might think, her name is Frigga.

17.) For many reasons. The rape of Perigune would be one, but I’m guessing that Ariadne was underage. (Stolen)

  1. ) So angry that he rebelled against it, declaring himself Governor, with the support of the large hunk of the RI population that didn’t meet the property qualifications to be eligible to vote. (Stolen)

19.) Nor was she named Roland. (Stolen)

21.) Call him Billy (or her Bili). (Stolen)

22.) 2 out of 12, or 1/6th. (Stolen, but I coulda done it)

23.) 10% (Stolen, but I coulda done it)

24.) ST: TOS “The Doomsday Machine” (Stolen, but I coulda done it)

26.) “Well, I’d say that’s a big yes.” - Dr. Venkman.

30.) You’re confusing the Angstrom (itty bitty measurement) with the Astronomical Unit. (Big measurement)

15

HEY! Stop stealing my stuff! :stuck_out_tongue:

16

That’s how it works! :wink:

17

  1. La Dame aux Camélias, dying of consumption. (thought this was right, but checked via google)

  2. ENDDO (google)

  3. Frigga was Odins wife

  4. Billy Rubin = Bilirubin, the pigment that gives colour to poo. An alias used by Hanibal Lekter, among others.

  5. Brioche, the cake that Marie Antoinette didn’tsuggest they should eat. (discussed in a recent Cecil’s column, and SDMB thread.)

18

CandidGamera :19

19

1.) 6 (Stolen)
2.) Mudbloods are wizards born to Muggle families; Muggles are plain old non-wizards.
3.) She was struck down by consumption (AKA Tuberculosis) - Verdi’s La Traviata (Stolen)
4.) A pearl necklace is just that to the jeweler, but an oral sex act to the porn star. Specifically referring to the grand finale of the sex act. (Partly Stolen)
5.) ENDDO (Stolen, after I couldn’t remember from my five minutes of Fortran experience)
6.) 3/8 (Stolen)
7.) Clay Aiken — “This Is The Night” (Wiki)
8.) You mean Aliena, and Ganymede, of course. They are, in fact, Rosalind and Celia, disguised dames in Shakespeare’s As You Like It. (Stolen)
9.) Which is surprising, given that Halvard was not the first man to fall from the church vane; from Ibsen’s Master Builder. (Stolen)
10.) Nebuchadnezzar II was defeated by the Egyptian Necho (Nekau) II in 601 BC, according to Wiki. Inexplicably, Necho was neither cat nor wafer.
11.) O’Neil’s Ah, Wilderness (Stolen)
12.) Buffy, Doppelgangland. They were convinced because… well, she WAS a vampire - at least, the alternate-universe copy of her was.
13.) It Can’t Happen Here is a novel by Sinclair Lewis about a fascist takeover of the US government. (Stolen)
14.) Ganz is going after the money Reggie had stashed in a trunk, in 48 Hours. (Stolen)
15.) A Canadian wallet, I’d imagine.
16.) Despite what Napoleon Dynamite might think, her name is Frigga.
17.) For many reasons. The rape of Perigune would be one, but I’m guessing that Ariadne was underage. (Stolen)
18.) So angry that he rebelled against it, declaring himself Governor, with the support of the large hunk of the RI population that didn’t meet the property qualifications to be eligible to vote. (Stolen)
19.) Roland, peer of Charlemagne, was quite the horn player. (Stolen)
20.)
21.) Billy Rubin = Bilirubin, a waste product excreted into the Bile by the Liver.
22.) 2 out of 12, or 1/6th. (Stolen, but I coulda done it)
23.) 10% (Stolen, but I coulda done it)
24.) ST: TOS “The Doomsday Machine” (Stolen, but I coulda done it)
25.)
26.) “Well, I’d say that’s a big yes.” - Dr. Venkman.
27.) The musical, King of Hearts, about a fellow with a disarming smile.
28.)
29.) Brioche.
30.) You’re confusing the Angstrom (itty bitty measurement) with the Astronomical Unit. (Big measurement)

20

YOINKED, with the following additions:

  1. “Bundling” and “Loonie” are lunar slang from Robert Heinlein’s “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress”; they mean “sleeping together” and “lunar native” respectively. The question “What’s bundling, to a Loonie?” could also be answered “not a big deal,” because in the novel, a premium on available space and a less-Puritanical attitude toward sex have removed the taboo on sleeping together.

  2. I’m sure it has a special name, but it is essentially hourglass-shaped. It looks like a special case of lemniscate… but that’s probably wrong.

  3. “Trunking” splits one high-volume information stream into several streams, each of which fills a cable; “channeling” combines several smaller streams so that their combined bandwidth will fill a cable (via Wikipedia). Both have analogies to nature: as a tree trunk splits into branches, so does a trunk switch divide a signal; as tributaries flow together into one river, so does a channelizer merge disparate signals.