Search found 220 matches

by Coelacanth
Mon Feb 19, 2024 1:37 pm
Forum: Quizbowl History Forum
Topic: Periodization of quizbowl history: An initial attempt
Replies: 7
Views: 16760

Re: Periodization of quizbowl history: An initial attempt

The standardization on 20-20 was well-established by 1987. What was *not* standard until closer to the first ACF Nats was a standardization on the total points available on bonuses. The totals could and would regularly range from 20 to 30 points (with even 35 points being rare but not unheard of in...
by Coelacanth
Thu Aug 17, 2023 3:53 pm
Forum: Collegiate Announcements & Results
Topic: 2023 UMN Open Weekend (COOT + Super ACRONYM 4 + Side Events)
Replies: 18
Views: 6196

Re: 2023 UMN Open Weekend (COOT + Super ACRONYM 4 + Side Events)

At the risk of being laughed out of the forum, is it possible to know roughly when the various events will be starting/ending?

I have some free time on Saturday and might want to float past Blegen Hall.
by Coelacanth
Mon Nov 21, 2022 9:37 pm
Forum: Trash
Topic: ACRONYM 16: Global Announcement
Replies: 20
Views: 10259

Re: ACRONYM 16: Global Announcement

We've also redefined the cut off for "old" things to 2015 instead of 2010.
A.D.???????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by Coelacanth
Sat Mar 26, 2022 3:53 pm
Forum: Trash
Topic: ACRONYM 15 Online: May 1 and June 26
Replies: 19
Views: 8011

Re: ACRONYM 15 Online: May 1 and June 26

Cheynem wrote: Fri Mar 18, 2022 4:11 pm I am probably interested in playing of these (likely May 1st) if no in person mirrors pop up (but I'd totally be interested in that). I'd like some teammates who actually know things about recent popular culture.
This also goes for me in every respect.
by Coelacanth
Wed Oct 20, 2021 2:53 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Super ACRONYM 3 Online: Sunday, December 5
Replies: 11
Views: 5547

Re: Super ACRONYM 3 Online: Sunday, December 5

I'm just never going to get to play this set, am I?
by Coelacanth
Thu Oct 07, 2021 2:20 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Super ACRONYM 3 @ Macalester - Sunday, October 17
Replies: 5
Views: 2881

Re: Super ACRONYM 3 @ Minnesota - Sunday, October 17

Really, one whole team signed up? Don't those ACF Fall people know good quizbowl when they see it?

I'll put myself down as a free agent if any more teams sign up.
by Coelacanth
Wed Feb 19, 2020 11:26 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACRONYM 13 @ Macalester (MN) - 2/23/20
Replies: 8
Views: 2611

Re: ACRONYM 13 @ Macalester (MN) - 2/23/20

InvadErGII wrote: Wed Feb 19, 2020 8:53 pm the sign up sheet
So I thought I'd put my team on there weeks ago, but evidently not. Is the field closed or can we still get in?
by Coelacanth
Sat Aug 24, 2019 10:57 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Best Film Player
Replies: 44
Views: 27983

Re: Best Film Player

ValenciaQBowl wrote: Tue Aug 20, 2019 7:57 pm Ugh, since none of you punks is ever going to mention me, I'm going to have to. I saw The Star Wars in the theater in 1977.
I saw it in the theater in 1977 six times.

I'm still the worst film player I know by a wide margin.
by Coelacanth
Tue Jul 30, 2019 3:04 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Super ACRONYM 2 @ Minnesota - 9/7/2019
Replies: 2
Views: 4012

Re: Super ACRONYM 2 @ Minnesota - 9/7/2019

Yay! I'm actually in town on this day, and so is the rest of my team.
by Coelacanth
Wed Jun 12, 2019 10:46 am
Forum: Quizbowl History Forum
Topic: The Deep Bench Format
Replies: 6
Views: 10992

Re: The Deep Bench Format

My memory is that this format was invented by Carleton College, but we definitely hosted a few iterations at Minnesota. It's a challenge to staff when all the singles and doubles matches are going. It's also hard to get enough good tossups. I think the best model is to housewrite some of the tossup-...
by Coelacanth
Fri Apr 19, 2019 11:39 am
Forum: Quizbowl History Forum
Topic: Let's tell the kids stories about CBI
Replies: 33
Views: 38685

Re: Let's tell the kids stories about CBI

The one CBI NCT I played in (1993) and the two I staffed (1995-96) used a full round robin for the sixteen teams, and a best-of-three final for the top two teams. So at some point, they figured out that the format sucked, and they implemented a format that was much more reasonable. 1991 was the fir...
by Coelacanth
Tue Apr 16, 2019 2:31 pm
Forum: Quizbowl History Forum
Topic: Let's tell the kids stories about CBI
Replies: 33
Views: 38685

Re: Let's tell the kids stories about CBI

I think, as a result, CBI required that schools could only have old questions for like a year or something and then they had to get rid of them. IIRC the rule wasn't quite that strict, but yes, officially you were required to destroy any packets you had once they were N years old, with N being a so...
by Coelacanth
Wed Apr 03, 2019 10:14 pm
Forum: Quizbowl History Forum
Topic: Let's tell the kids stories about CBI
Replies: 33
Views: 38685

Re: Let's tell the kids stories about CBI

Andrew's post is very good but I'm afraid it gets several Pinocchios, which I will present in Andrew's absolute favorite forum-post style. Our team name, or perhaps it was Rob's, was "Coetzee.cx"; it was my joke either way, ok? It was both my team's name and, I'm willing to swear on a sta...
by Coelacanth
Fri Feb 08, 2019 1:53 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACRONYM 12 @ Macalester College (Open) - 2/17/19
Replies: 2
Views: 6628

Re: ACRONYM 12 @ Macalester College (Open) - 2/17/19

InvadErGII wrote: Thu Nov 29, 2018 12:24 pm Exact time and building info will be available as we get closer to the event.
We got closer to the event.
by Coelacanth
Mon Feb 26, 2018 3:20 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACRONYM 11 @ UMN, again (03.04.18)
Replies: 22
Views: 8837

Re: ACRONYM 11 @ UMN, again (03.04.18)

Can we get a starting time and meeting location for this?
by Coelacanth
Thu Jan 28, 2016 6:00 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: MACRONYM: an ACRONYM IX Mirror @ Macalester
Replies: 11
Views: 5841

Re: MACRONYM: an ACRONYM IX Mirror @ Macalester

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo! I can't make that date.

I will forward this on to my non-forum-reading teammates, however.
by Coelacanth
Wed Nov 11, 2015 12:20 am
Forum: Best of the Best
Topic: Just what is "business casual" dress, and how do I wear it?
Replies: 52
Views: 53762

Re: Just what is "business casual" dress, and how do I wear

Also, do not forget a decent undershirt. Especially in classrooms where there are a lot of people in a small space, it can get hot pretty quickly, and the last thing you want is for others to see sweat stains in your armpits. Anti-perspirant will only go so far. Even if a decent button-down is too ...
by Coelacanth
Mon Oct 12, 2015 4:53 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Missouri Open - UMN (11/14)
Replies: 14
Views: 7614

Re: Missouri Open - UMN (11/14)

Open as in Open?

If so I'd like to play; put me down as a free agent.
by Coelacanth
Thu Jul 23, 2015 9:52 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Call for Submissions: Minnesota Trash Day (August 22nd)
Replies: 7
Views: 4324

Re: Call for Submissions: Minnesota Trash Day

A specific timeline for submission would help motivate me to do this.
by Coelacanth
Tue Feb 24, 2015 10:12 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACRONYM Mirror
Replies: 10
Views: 5499

Re: ACRONYM Mirror

Cheynem wrote:you could get a lot more people by making it an open tournament and allowing anyone, including non college students, to play.
Mike is right about this. My teammates and our money would like to play this.
by Coelacanth
Sun Feb 08, 2015 3:53 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: 2015 SCT: Trash
Replies: 16
Views: 5025

Re: Trash

(the "Funny Girl" one and the random 1950s duo that I have never heard of before were excellent examples of ones that had no easy part). The Funny Girl bonus was enthusiastically 30'd in the DII room I was reading. Honestly, if the "random 1950s duo" of which you've never heard ...
by Coelacanth
Thu Sep 11, 2014 9:02 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Texas Quizbowl Camp Tournament mirror at UMN (09.13.14)
Replies: 20
Views: 8138

Re: Texas Quizbowl Camp Tournament mirror at UMN (09.13.14)

Ukonvasara wrote:pretty early Saturday and run DUST first
I am all in favor of a Saturday-only event and running DUST first, but I'm not sure what your idea of 'pretty early' is. Can you provide more specificity? I'll probably have to rearrange stuff for that morning. Thx
by Coelacanth
Wed Sep 03, 2014 9:25 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Texas Quizbowl Camp Tournament mirror at UMN (09.13.14)
Replies: 20
Views: 8138

Re: Texas Quizbowl Camp Tournament mirror at UMN (09.13.14)

Bumping in search of a logistics/timing update.

It may be relevant that the 14th is a Vikings home game. Impacts on campus traffic and parking will not be non-trivial, even on the West Bank.
by Coelacanth
Thu Aug 21, 2014 3:59 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: The Mike Cheyne Memorial Battle Royal
Replies: 47
Views: 20060

Re: The Mike Cheyne Memorial Battle Royal

Cheynem wrote:To clear up any confusion:

*The (in person) playing of this tournament will take place on August 24 on the Sunday following Minnesota's VCU Open mirror. Packets should hopefully be in by then.
Do we know when this is going to happen on Sunday? I might wander by.
by Coelacanth
Wed Aug 06, 2014 10:32 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Texas Quizbowl Camp Tournament mirror at UMN (09.13.14)
Replies: 20
Views: 8138

Re: Texas Quizbowl Camp Tournament mirror at UMN (09.13.14)

Ukonvasara wrote:How many people is this? It may be worth looking into doing DUST in teams. I'll set up actual sign-up sheets for the two weekends tonight.
I may also have other folks wanting to play DUST. I'll get an email circulating and see if there's any interest.
by Coelacanth
Mon Aug 04, 2014 1:43 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Texas Quizbowl Camp Tournament mirror at UMN (09.13.14)
Replies: 20
Views: 8138

Re: Texas Quizbowl Camp Tournament mirror at UMN (09.13.14)

I might show up for the DUST thing, although I find it frustrating to play trash questions on things that happened before the question author was born but which are right in my college-years wheelhouse. Are you planning on the TQBA thing being open? This is another way of me asking if I can play des...
by Coelacanth
Fri Jul 04, 2014 9:51 pm
Forum: Trash
Topic: Clearinghouse for Random Packet Announcements
Replies: 577
Views: 455481

Re: Clearinghouse for Random Packet Announcements

I will be reading a packet of tossups on the TV show Archer on Sunday night at 11p Eastern. It will be read on the IRC in #archer. Please note that the questions will only contain content from the first four seasons, as I have not seen the fifth season yet. If you spoil anything for me (or anybody ...
by Coelacanth
Mon Jun 02, 2014 10:30 am
Forum: Trash
Topic: Clearinghouse for Random Packet Announcements
Replies: 577
Views: 455481

Re: Clearinghouse for Random Packet Announcements

I would have thought that the intersection of {pop of the last decade} and {things I like} would be very close to the null set for anyone born before 1990 or so.
by Coelacanth
Mon Jun 02, 2014 10:26 am
Forum: Quizbowl History Forum
Topic: All-time all-state teams
Replies: 61
Views: 53367

Re: All-time all-state teams

I don't know much about the Minnesota College Bowl teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s, but maybe some of them could warrant discussion as being members of a B team. Your most likely candidate would be Ben Weiss, and I think Matt Marta graduated from Shattuck even though he's not a native Minne...
by Coelacanth
Mon May 05, 2014 9:14 am
Forum: Quizbowl History Forum
Topic: Quiz Bowl Survivor: 50 Buzz, 49 Neg
Replies: 169
Views: 139278

Re: Quiz Bowl Survivor: 50 Buzz, 49 Neg

a general description of how a quizbowl season worked before the Internet First off, there were far fewer tournaments. I know the southeast had a much more well-developed circuit when I started playing (late 80s), but here in the Midwest the most non-CBI tournaments I ever played in a YEAR was thre...
by Coelacanth
Wed Apr 30, 2014 8:31 am
Forum: Quizbowl History Forum
Topic: Quiz Bowl Survivor: 50 Buzz, 49 Neg
Replies: 169
Views: 139278

Re: Quiz Bowl Survivor: 50 Buzz, 49 Neg

Oh yeah, that's right: mACF bonuses used to come in a wide variety of formats. It always added to 30, but you had the [10] [5], where for all three parts you got a hard clue and an easy clue if you didn't get it on the hard clue, the [5] [10] [15] where the easy clue was worth 5 and the hard 15, th...
by Coelacanth
Tue Apr 29, 2014 3:03 pm
Forum: Quizbowl History Forum
Topic: Quiz Bowl Survivor: 50 Buzz, 49 Neg
Replies: 169
Views: 139278

Re: Quiz Bowl Survivor: 50 Buzz, 49 Neg

The one and only good thing I will say about CBI nats is that it always featured an "all-star game," which pitted the #1, 3, 5, and 7 overall scorers at the tournament against the #2, 4, 6, and 8 scorers. This was a lot of fun, and allowed for some very interesting combinations of teammat...
by Coelacanth
Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:42 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Driving to FAR AWAY Tournaments
Replies: 25
Views: 8655

Re: Driving to FAR AWAY Tournaments

Not really germane to this thread, but we once had a player with a fear of flying. He traveled from St Paul to Los Angeles by TRAIN, which requires going via Chicago.

Not driving, I know, but had the train option not been available he would have gone by Greyhound bus.
by Coelacanth
Sun Apr 13, 2014 4:18 pm
Forum: Quizbowl History Forum
Topic: Quiz Bowl Survivor: 50 Buzz, 49 Neg
Replies: 169
Views: 139278

Re: Quiz Bowl Survivor: 50 Buzz, 49 Neg

Ukonvasara wrote:Also because no one will have anything useful or interesting to say about 1988 Georgia Tech!
Well, some of us are old enough to have played against them. If you need to get this year's UVA in (hint: you probably do), I would suggest removing one of the 90s teams.
by Coelacanth
Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:39 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Revised protest rules
Replies: 18
Views: 6526

Re: Revised protest rules

Another scenario that came up at CHB was the following: A team buzzed early in the question (still in power) with an answer that I did not accept or prompt on. The other team converted the tossup at the end. The team protested that they should have been prompted, and the protest was upheld. The sce...
by Coelacanth
Fri Jan 31, 2014 4:58 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Should "Shakespeare" be prompted if looking for "Hamlet?"
Replies: 35
Views: 7823

Re: Should "Shakespeare" be prompted if looking for "Hamlet?

I think that's the best way of looking at what happens when people can't follow pronouns--if you don't know the pronoun, blitz. This reinforces my conundrum rather than solve it. If indeed as stated earlier: "If the answer does not fit the pronoun, it's wrong. That's why pronouns are important...
by Coelacanth
Fri Nov 08, 2013 11:41 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Parking Information
Replies: 3
Views: 1575

Re: Parking Information

The link to the map is obviously helpful, but specific instructions to go with it are recommended. "We suggest parking in Ramp X which is free on weekends". "Note that Lot Q will not be available due to a football game/construction project/crime scene investigation/whatever." Som...
by Coelacanth
Tue Jun 04, 2013 10:18 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: "How to Host a Tournament" Discussion - All Commentary Here!
Replies: 17
Views: 6533

Re: "How to Host a Tournament" Discussion - All Commentary Here!

Susan said just about everything I was going to say about how to recruit staffers. A further point of emphasis: I (your potential staffer) like quizbowl. Really, it doesn't take much to get me to come help staff your tournament. A free lunch and a sincere thank you would probably do it. But I also h...
by Coelacanth
Thu Nov 15, 2012 11:19 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Minnesota 2012-2013
Replies: 7
Views: 2909

Re: Minnesota 2012-2013

I am a HS KB coach in outstate MN... I didn't know quizbowl existed in MN... What is quizbowl, and why should I convert? Welcome aboard! There's a brief introduction to quizbowl here , and of course there is plenty of additional information throughout this forum. There is a thriving Minnesota circu...
by Coelacanth
Wed Nov 07, 2012 2:39 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: MO Side Event: Oh You Didn't Know...This Was Vanity?
Replies: 32
Views: 12283

Re: MO Side Event: Oh You Didn't Know...This Was Vanity?

With the cancellation of Amazing Planet, can this be played on Saturday night now? I think that's the best plan, and I'm tentatively going to slot it in for Saturday night. Can you answer these two hopefully-related questions: 1) What time is MO proper beginning, and how many rounds will be played?...
by Coelacanth
Fri Sep 28, 2012 5:22 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: IFT at the University of Minnesota (10/13/2012)
Replies: 3
Views: 1792

Re: IFT at the University of Minnesota (10/13/2012)

This is Homecoming Saturday and the mighty undefeated Northwestern Wildcats are coming to town, so get your hotel rooms early!

And plan for more traffic the day of the event. 11 am kickoff means tailgate lots start filling up at about 8.
by Coelacanth
Wed Sep 26, 2012 9:31 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Minnesota 2012-2013
Replies: 7
Views: 2909

Re: Minnesota 2011-12

Just curious: In Illinois, the bulk of teams playing quiz bowl are in the Chicago metro area with pockets in Rockford and Carbondale. We are always trying to do outreach with the downstate teams. Is any outreach being done in, say, Pipestone, Bemidji or Twin Ports to convert them from KB to Quiz Bo...
by Coelacanth
Wed Sep 19, 2012 3:28 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: MO Side Event: Oh You Didn't Know...This Was Vanity?
Replies: 32
Views: 12283

Re: MO Side Event: Oh You Didn't Know...This Was Vanity?

I will definitely play this.

I would need to clear out by about 3 on a Sunday, so the earlier the better.
by Coelacanth
Tue May 29, 2012 2:20 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Never Say Never: Anything Goes (5/4 - 5/27)
Replies: 12
Views: 6464

Re: Never Say Never: Anything Goes (11/18/12)

I'd like to play this.

If there is "something else" happening on the Sunday, I'd prefer that the Trash be played first. I could then stick around for awhile and staff whatever the other thing is.
by Coelacanth
Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:05 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Reminisce about moderator mishaps here
Replies: 31
Views: 8196

Re: Reminisce about moderator mishaps here

Kyle wrote:"Austrian aborigines"
I was once subjected to the opposite; we were asked about an Australian composer which turned out (I think) to be Mozart.
by Coelacanth
Sun Sep 18, 2011 10:03 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: VCU Open Trash Mirror at Minnesota
Replies: 12
Views: 3168

Re: VCU Open Trash Mirror at Minnesota

Thanks to Mike and the folks and Minnesota for hosting this.

I wish I'd been able to stay for the whole thing.

Was this the final mirror? (iow will the set be posted somewhere soon?)
by Coelacanth
Tue Sep 06, 2011 3:26 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Minnesota 2011-12
Replies: 44
Views: 12248

Re: Minnesota 2011-12

mtimmons wrote: It seems like quitting knowledge bowl would solve most if not all of every team's problems.
Fixed that for you.
by Coelacanth
Thu Jul 28, 2011 2:12 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Collegiate Novice at Minnesota (9/24)
Replies: 10
Views: 4086

Re: Collegiate Novice at Minnesota (9/24)

If you are running this on the 24th, I'd strongly encourage you to run it as early in the day as possible. Campus will start to be overrun by Bison in the mid-to-late afternoon.
by Coelacanth
Wed Jul 27, 2011 1:30 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: COLT - University of Chicago - 7/31/2011
Replies: 66
Views: 20950

Re: COLT - University of Chicago - 7/31/2011

Mike Bentley wrote:reliable trash stats
This phrase has perhaps never been used before.

Anecdotally, it looks like you have a lot of ridiculously-good trash players in Bracket 1.

Wish I could come down and play this!
by Coelacanth
Wed Jul 27, 2011 1:16 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: The thirty-or-zero problem (80s trash)
Replies: 51
Views: 9741

Re: The thirty-or-zero problem (80s trash)

For 10 points each - identify the following pop and soul artists of the 70's and 80's: A. This artist of "What's Going On" and "Let's Get It On" was notably assailed by his father one day before his 45th birthday. answer: Marvin _Gaye_ B. This British pop artist of "Shadow ...