• QFTCIUA26 Current Events 9-10

    From msb@msb@vex.net (Mark Brader) to rec.games.trivia on Tue Mar 24 05:24:51 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.trivia

    These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on the dates
    indicated, and should be interpreted accordingly. If any answers
    have changed due to newer news, you are still expected to give
    the answers that were correct on that date.

    On each question you may give up to two answers, but if you give
    both a right answer and a wrong answer, there would be a small
    penalty if the questions were being scored. Please post all your
    answers in a single followup to the newsgroup, based only on your
    own knowledge. (In your answer posting, quote the questions and
    place your answer below each one.) I will reveal the correct
    answers in about 3 days.

    All questions were written by members of Unnatural Axxxe, and are
    used here by permission, but have been reformatted and may have
    been retyped and/or edited by me. The posting and tabulation of
    current-events questions is independent of the concurrent posting
    of other rounds. For further information please see my recent
    companion posting on "Questions from the Canadian Inquisition
    (QFTCI*)".


    * Game 9 (2026-03-16), Round 1 - Current Events

    1. A judge in the US federal court for the District of Columbia
    overruled 1,000 mass layoffs that occurred last year at a
    federally funded broadcast operation. Name that news group.

    2. "Well, it's 1... 2... 3... What're we fighting for? Don't ask
    me, I don't give a damn, the next stop is Viet Nam." The man
    who sang those words at Woodstock died last week of Parkinson's
    at age 84. Name him.

    3. On Friday, the Toronto Zoo allowed visitors their first chance
    to view one of the attraction's newest members, born Feb. 22.
    There's also an online poll to name the baby. What kind of
    animal is it?

    4. What goes up... On Thursday NASA announced all systems were Go
    for the launch of Artemis 2, the first spacecraft to take humans
    beyond Earth orbit and all the way to the Moon (without landing)
    since 1972. Within a day, what is the earliest date on which
    the rocket will launch?

    5. Must come down! A fireball streaked across northwestern Europe
    during twilight last Sunday. Where it fell, it caused some
    property damage, with the largest piece crashing through the
    roof of a house. In which country did it fall?

    6. On Tuesday, Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat scored 83 points,
    the second-most ever in an NBA game. Then on Thursday, Canada's
    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma Thunder broke an NBA
    record by scoring 20 or more points in each pf 127 consecutive
    regular-season games. What deceased player still holds the
    first record, but no longer the second?

    7. Last Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced three
    byelections for April 13 that could give his government
    a majority. Name *any one* of the three Liberal *candidates*.

    8. And speaking of majorities, the 4-year-old Rastriya Swatantra
    Party (RSP), led by 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician Balendra
    Shah, has achieved a sweeping majority in this Asian country,
    its electoral commission announced Thursday. Name the country.

    9. As the war in the Middle East rages on -- or is already over,
    as Trump has said -- the price of oil is on the rise, and many
    countries have released some of their emergency oil reserves.
    Canada is the only G7 nation not to have one. We're exempt: why?

    10. A delegation of chiefs from Canada's Treaty 6 First Nations
    met last week with someone to discuss, among other things,
    the threat of Alberta separatism. Who did they have an
    audience with?


    * Game 10 (2026-03-23), Round 1 - Current Events

    1. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre sat down for a more than
    2-hour-long interview of the "Joe Rogan Experience" this week.
    Poilievre gave the prodcast host a gift painted with a maple
    leaf. What was it? Be sufficiently specific.

    2. This actor, who starred in the TV series "Walker, Texas Ranger",
    died last week at age 86. Name him.

    3. The Ontario government announced plans to introduce measures
    affecting the sale of tickes for sports and entertainment events.
    What is the change?

    4. Kraft Heinz announced it is launching a new version of Kraft
    Dinner that will roll out in the US in the spring, and in Canada
    at some unspecified date. What is different about this version?

    5. What appropriate and adorable animal was found last week amid
    the plush toys at an airport gift shop in Hobart, Australia?

    6. William Shatner, who turned 95 on Sunday, last week released
    a video urging his fans to change their diet. What was Shatner
    recommending we boldly stop consuming?

    7. The Strait of Hormuz has been all over the news this past week.
    The natural chokepoint through which 1/5 of the world's oil
    flows, it connects the Persian Gulf on one side with what gulf
    on the other?

    8. Last week, Health Canada issued a recall notice for a Tim
    Hortons product, of which more than 25,000 had been sold
    in Canada. What product?

    9. Last week marked the release of the annual World Happiness
    Report from the Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford University.
    Canada's happiness ranking slipped again, down to #25 from #18
    last year (and #5 back in 2014). What country ranked #1 for
    the 9th year in a row?

    10. Two people were charged Saturday after they tried to enter
    His Majesty's Naval Base Clyde in Scotland. Which British
    naval asset does the base house?

    After completing these rounds, please decode the rot13: Ba gur
    ynfg dhrfgvba, vs lbh fnvq "fhoznevar" be "fhoznevarf", cyrnfr tb
    onpx naq or zber fcrpvsvp.
    --
    Mark Brader, Toronto | "If you wish so, we write your consummations
    msb@vex.net | on your bill." --Swiss hotel services handbook

    My text in this article is in the public domain.
    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Erland Sommarskog@esquel@sommarskog.se to rec.games.trivia on Tue Mar 24 16:55:12 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.trivia

    Mark Brader (msb@vex.net) writes:
    * Game 9 (2026-03-16), Round 1 - Current Events

    8. And speaking of majorities, the 4-year-old Rastriya Swatantra
    Party (RSP), led by 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician Balendra
    Shah, has achieved a sweeping majority in this Asian country,
    its electoral commission announced Thursday. Name the country.

    Nepal

    * Game 10 (2026-03-23), Round 1 - Current Events

    7. The Strait of Hormuz has been all over the news this past week.
    The natural chokepoint through which 1/5 of the world's oil
    flows, it connects the Persian Gulf on one side with what gulf
    on the other?

    Gulf of Oman

    9. Last week marked the release of the annual World Happiness
    Report from the Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford University.
    Canada's happiness ranking slipped again, down to #25 from #18
    last year (and #5 back in 2014). What country ranked #1 for
    the 9th year in a row?

    Finland


    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From tool@tool@panix.com (Dan Blum) to rec.games.trivia on Tue Mar 24 23:28:54 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.trivia

    Mark Brader <msb@vex.net> wrote:

    * Game 9 (2026-03-16), Round 1 - Current Events

    1. A judge in the US federal court for the District of Columbia
    overruled 1,000 mass layoffs that occurred last year at a
    federally funded broadcast operation. Name that news group.

    Voice of America

    8. And speaking of majorities, the 4-year-old Rastriya Swatantra
    Party (RSP), led by 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician Balendra
    Shah, has achieved a sweeping majority in this Asian country,
    its electoral commission announced Thursday. Name the country.

    Nepal

    * Game 10 (2026-03-23), Round 1 - Current Events

    2. This actor, who starred in the TV series "Walker, Texas Ranger",
    died last week at age 86. Name him.

    Chuck Norris

    5. What appropriate and adorable animal was found last week amid
    the plush toys at an airport gift shop in Hobart, Australia?

    koala; quokka

    7. The Strait of Hormuz has been all over the news this past week.
    The natural chokepoint through which 1/5 of the world's oil
    flows, it connects the Persian Gulf on one side with what gulf
    on the other?

    Gulf of Aden
    --
    _______________________________________________________________________
    Dan Blum tool@panix.com
    "I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't just made it up."
    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Joshua Kreitzer@gromit82@hotmail.com to rec.games.trivia on Tue Mar 24 21:02:17 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.trivia

    On 3/24/2026 12:24 AM, Mark Brader wrote:

    * Game 9 (2026-03-16), Round 1 - Current Events

    1. A judge in the US federal court for the District of Columbia
    overruled 1,000 mass layoffs that occurred last year at a
    federally funded broadcast operation. Name that news group.

    Voice of America

    2. "Well, it's 1... 2... 3... What're we fighting for? Don't ask
    me, I don't give a damn, the next stop is Viet Nam." The man
    who sang those words at Woodstock died last week of Parkinson's
    at age 84. Name him.

    Country Joe McDonald

    6. On Tuesday, Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat scored 83 points,
    the second-most ever in an NBA game. Then on Thursday, Canada's
    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma Thunder broke an NBA
    record by scoring 20 or more points in each pf 127 consecutive
    regular-season games. What deceased player still holds the
    first record, but no longer the second?

    Wilt Chamberlain

    8. And speaking of majorities, the 4-year-old Rastriya Swatantra
    Party (RSP), led by 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician Balendra
    Shah, has achieved a sweeping majority in this Asian country,
    its electoral commission announced Thursday. Name the country.

    Nepal; Sri Lanka

    * Game 10 (2026-03-23), Round 1 - Current Events

    2. This actor, who starred in the TV series "Walker, Texas Ranger",
    died last week at age 86. Name him.

    Chuck Norris

    5. What appropriate and adorable animal was found last week amid
    the plush toys at an airport gift shop in Hobart, Australia?

    koala

    6. William Shatner, who turned 95 on Sunday, last week released
    a video urging his fans to change their diet. What was Shatner
    recommending we boldly stop consuming?

    meat

    --
    Joshua Kreitzer
    gromit82@hotmail.com
    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Dan Tilque@dtilque@frontier.com to rec.games.trivia on Tue Mar 24 21:48:22 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.trivia

    On 3/23/26 22:24, Mark Brader wrote:


    * Game 9 (2026-03-16), Round 1 - Current Events

    1. A judge in the US federal court for the District of Columbia
    overruled 1,000 mass layoffs that occurred last year at a
    federally funded broadcast operation. Name that news group.

    Voice of America


    2. "Well, it's 1... 2... 3... What're we fighting for? Don't ask
    me, I don't give a damn, the next stop is Viet Nam." The man
    who sang those words at Woodstock died last week of Parkinson's
    at age 84. Name him.

    3. On Friday, the Toronto Zoo allowed visitors their first chance
    to view one of the attraction's newest members, born Feb. 22.
    There's also an online poll to name the baby. What kind of
    animal is it?

    4. What goes up... On Thursday NASA announced all systems were Go
    for the launch of Artemis 2, the first spacecraft to take humans
    beyond Earth orbit and all the way to the Moon (without landing)
    since 1972. Within a day, what is the earliest date on which
    the rocket will launch?

    April 1


    5. Must come down! A fireball streaked across northwestern Europe
    during twilight last Sunday. Where it fell, it caused some
    property damage, with the largest piece crashing through the
    roof of a house. In which country did it fall?

    Germany


    6. On Tuesday, Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat scored 83 points,
    the second-most ever in an NBA game. Then on Thursday, Canada's
    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma Thunder broke an NBA
    record by scoring 20 or more points in each pf 127 consecutive
    regular-season games. What deceased player still holds the
    first record, but no longer the second?

    Wilt Chamberlain


    7. Last Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced three
    byelections for April 13 that could give his government
    a majority. Name *any one* of the three Liberal *candidates*.

    8. And speaking of majorities, the 4-year-old Rastriya Swatantra
    Party (RSP), led by 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician Balendra
    Shah, has achieved a sweeping majority in this Asian country,
    its electoral commission announced Thursday. Name the country.

    9. As the war in the Middle East rages on -- or is already over,
    as Trump has said -- the price of oil is on the rise, and many
    countries have released some of their emergency oil reserves.
    Canada is the only G7 nation not to have one. We're exempt: why?

    Canada produces way more oil than it uses.


    10. A delegation of chiefs from Canada's Treaty 6 First Nations
    met last week with someone to discuss, among other things,
    the threat of Alberta separatism. Who did they have an
    audience with?


    * Game 10 (2026-03-23), Round 1 - Current Events

    1. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre sat down for a more than
    2-hour-long interview of the "Joe Rogan Experience" this week.
    Poilievre gave the prodcast host a gift painted with a maple
    leaf. What was it? Be sufficiently specific.

    2. This actor, who starred in the TV series "Walker, Texas Ranger",
    died last week at age 86. Name him.

    Chuck Norris


    3. The Ontario government announced plans to introduce measures
    affecting the sale of tickes for sports and entertainment events.
    What is the change?

    4. Kraft Heinz announced it is launching a new version of Kraft
    Dinner that will roll out in the US in the spring, and in Canada
    at some unspecified date. What is different about this version?

    5. What appropriate and adorable animal was found last week amid
    the plush toys at an airport gift shop in Hobart, Australia?

    6. William Shatner, who turned 95 on Sunday, last week released
    a video urging his fans to change their diet. What was Shatner
    recommending we boldly stop consuming?

    7. The Strait of Hormuz has been all over the news this past week.
    The natural chokepoint through which 1/5 of the world's oil
    flows, it connects the Persian Gulf on one side with what gulf
    on the other?

    Gulf of Oman


    8. Last week, Health Canada issued a recall notice for a Tim
    Hortons product, of which more than 25,000 had been sold
    in Canada. What product?

    9. Last week marked the release of the annual World Happiness
    Report from the Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford University.
    Canada's happiness ranking slipped again, down to #25 from #18
    last year (and #5 back in 2014). What country ranked #1 for
    the 9th year in a row?

    Finland


    10. Two people were charged Saturday after they tried to enter
    His Majesty's Naval Base Clyde in Scotland. Which British
    naval asset does the base house?

    After completing these rounds, please decode the rot13: Ba gur
    ynfg dhrfgvba, vs lbh fnvq "fhoznevar" be "fhoznevarf", cyrnfr tb
    onpx naq or zber fcrpvsvp.

    --
    Dan Tilque
    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From msb@msb@vex.net (Mark Brader) to rec.games.trivia on Fri Mar 27 06:00:11 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.trivia

    Mark Brader:
    These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on the dates
    indicated, and should be interpreted accordingly. If any answers
    have changed due to newer news, you are still expected to give the
    answers that were correct on that date... For further information
    please see my recent companion posting on "Questions from the
    Canadian Inquisition (QFTCI*)".


    * Game 9 (2026-03-16), Round 1 - Current Events

    1. A judge in the US federal court for the District of Columbia
    overruled 1,000 mass layoffs that occurred last year at a
    federally funded broadcast operation. Name that news group.

    Voice of America. 4_for Dan_Blum, Joshua, and_Dan_Tilque.

    2. "Well, it's 1... 2... 3... What're we fighting for? Don't ask
    me, I don't give a damn, the next stop is Viet Nam." The man
    who sang those words at Woodstock died last week of Parkinson's
    at age 84. Name him.

    "Country Joe" McDonald. 4_for Joshua.

    3. On Friday, the Toronto Zoo allowed visitors their first chance
    to view one of the attraction's newest members, born Feb. 22.
    There's also an online poll to name the baby. What kind of
    animal is it?

    (Masai) giraffe.

    See: http://www.torontozoo.com/!/img/event/26/giraffe-3.webp

    4. What goes up... On Thursday NASA announced all systems were Go
    for the launch of Artemis 2, the first spacecraft to take humans
    beyond Earth orbit and all the way to the Moon (without landing)
    since 1972. Within a day, what is the earliest date on which
    the rocket will launch?

    April 1 (accepting March_31 - April 2). 4_for Dan_Tilque.

    5. Must come down! A fireball streaked across northwestern Europe
    during twilight last Sunday. Where it fell, it caused some
    property damage, with the largest piece crashing through the
    roof of a house. In which country did it fall?

    Germany (in Koblenz, to be specific). 4_for Dan_Tilque.

    6. On Tuesday, Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat scored 83 points,
    the second-most ever in an NBA game. Then on Thursday, Canada's
    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma Thunder broke an NBA
    record by scoring 20 or more points in each pf 127 consecutive
    regular-season games. What deceased player still holds the
    first record, but no longer the second?

    Wilt Chamberlain (100 points in one game). 4_for Joshua
    and_Dan_Tilque.

    7. Last Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced three
    byelections for April 13 that could give his government
    a majority. Name *any one* of the three Liberal *candidates*.

    Tatiana Auguste in Terrebonne, Doly Begum in Scarborough Southwest,
    Dr. Danielle Martin in University-rosedale.

    8. And speaking of majorities, the 4-year-old Rastriya Swatantra
    Party (RSP), led by 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician Balendra
    Shah, has achieved a sweeping majority in this Asian country,
    its electoral commission announced Thursday. Name the country.

    Nepal. 4_for Erland and_Dan_Blum. 3_for Joshua.

    9. As the war in the Middle East rages on -- or is already over,
    as Trump has said -- the price of oil is on the rise, and many
    countries have released some of their emergency oil reserves.
    Canada is the only G7 nation not to have one. We're exempt: why?

    Canada is a net exporter of oil. 4_for Dan_Tilque.

    10. A delegation of chiefs from Canada's Treaty 6 First Nations
    met last week with someone to discuss, among other things,
    the threat of Alberta separatism. Who did they have an
    audience with?

    King Charles III.


    * Game 10 (2026-03-23), Round 1 - Current Events

    1. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre sat down for a more than
    2-hour-long interview of the "Joe Rogan Experience" this week.
    Poilievre gave the prodcast host a gift painted with a maple
    leaf. What was it? Be sufficiently specific.

    Kettlebell.

    2. This actor, who starred in the TV series "Walker, Texas Ranger",
    died last week at age 86. Name him.

    Chuck Norris. 4_for Dan_Blum, Joshua, and_Dan_Tilque.

    3. The Ontario government announced plans to introduce measures
    affecting the sale of tickes for sports and entertainment events.
    What is the change?

    Resale of tickets above the original price (scalping) will be
    illegal again.

    4. Kraft Heinz announced it is launching a new version of Kraft
    Dinner that will roll out in the US in the spring, and in Canada
    at some unspecified date. What is different about this version?

    More protein and more fiber. (Accepting either part.)

    5. What appropriate and adorable animal was found last week amid
    the plush toys at an airport gift shop in Hobart, Australia?

    Possum.

    I might argue with both "appropriate" and "adorable", but in context...
    see: http://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/62/2026/03/Possum-found-in-airport.jpeg

    6. William Shatner, who turned 95 on Sunday, last week released
    a video urging his fans to change their diet. What was Shatner
    recommending we boldly stop consuming?

    Meat. 4_for Joshua.

    7. The Strait of Hormuz has been all over the news this past week.
    The natural chokepoint through which 1/5 of the world's oil
    flows, it connects the Persian Gulf on one side with what gulf
    on the other?

    Gulf of Oman. 4_for Erland and_Dan_Tilque.

    The Gulf of Aden is next to the *other* south corner of the Arabian
    Peninsula.

    8. Last week, Health Canada issued a recall notice for a Tim
    Hortons product, of which more than 25,000 had been sold
    in Canada. What product?

    Pink and white color-changing doughnut coffee mug.

    It can crack when being filled, presenting a burn hazard.

    9. Last week marked the release of the annual World Happiness
    Report from the Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford University.
    Canada's happiness ranking slipped again, down to #25 from #18
    last year (and #5 back in 2014). What country ranked #1 for
    the 9th year in a row?

    Finland. 4_for Erland and_Dan_Tilque.

    10. Two people were charged Saturday after they tried to enter
    His Majesty's Naval Base Clyde in Scotland. Which British
    naval asset does the base house?

    Nuclear-armed (accepting nuclear) submarines.


    Scores, if there are no errors:

    GAMES-> 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 BEST EIGHT Joshua Kreitzer 12 24 25 20 30 28 20 16 15 8 178
    Dan Tilque 16 12 8 12 26 19 12 12 20 12 129
    Pete Gayde 15 16 4 16 23 24 12 12 -- -- 122
    Dan Blum 0 16 12 4 19 12 12 8 8 4 91
    Erland Sommarskog 8 8 8 12 8 24 12 4 4 8 88 "Gallaxial" -- -- 0 0 -- -- -- -- -- -- 0
    --
    Mark Brader | I fear what might happen if, like Skynet, the
    Toronto | Republican Party ever became self-aware.
    msb@vex.net | --D.F. Manno

    My text in this article is in the public domain.
    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2