Search found 286 matches

by Terrible Shorts Depot
Sun May 10, 2015 12:11 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Where Are You Going Next Year? (2015 College)
Replies: 47
Views: 29904

Re: Where Are You Going Next Year? (2015 College)

I will be attending law school at Penn and, if the envelopes filled with cash are thick enough, could probably be convinced to play a bit.
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Thu Oct 18, 2012 10:32 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: The Logic of an Upper Midwest ACF Regionals Site
Replies: 11
Views: 3897

Re: The Logic of an Upper Midwest ACF Regionals Site

Tees-Exe Line wrote:I just want to say that if the young innocents of the prairie want to come to the big city for a weekend of drinking, whoring, and generalized vice, I would be happy to act as host and tour guide.
If there's anything that will get me to drive to Chicago in the dead of winter, it's this.
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Thu Aug 18, 2011 5:43 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: History Questions in Modern Quizbowl
Replies: 16
Views: 4106

History Questions in Modern Quizbowl

Over in the VCU Open discussion thread, there's been a lot of discussion about a certain social history question that may or may not have been awful. However, the discussion gets at what I see as a major flaw in the history questions that are written these days: simply, there isn't enough social his...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:39 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Split topic on CO science
Replies: 104
Views: 23562

Re: Split topic on CO science

Seemingly after every hard tournament does a wave of opposition to one or several world literature questions come through the forums. Several people come in and say that a tossup on Onetti or a tossup on Guimarães Rosa is categorically too hard, as "no one" reads or has heard of these auth...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Fri Jul 29, 2011 7:50 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Buying Quizbowl Books Really Cheap!!!!
Replies: 11
Views: 3433

Re: Buying Quizbowl Books Really Cheap!!!!

An Incomplete Education , while pretty enjoyable to read, isn't actually that good for quizbowl, since, for example, the good sections (I remember the section with profiles of various countries being very informative) are horribly out of date. Oh yeah, there's also an extended section on types of b...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Tue Dec 14, 2010 1:35 am
Forum: Best of the Best
Topic: A Moderator's Guide to Pronunciating Foreign Words
Replies: 49
Views: 63945

Re: A Moderator's Guide to Pronunciating Foreign Words

A more efficient way of imagining how ä, ë, ö, and ü are pronounced is to say "beeeeeeeeeeeeeee" and then replicate that mouth shape, since the umlaut is a stand in for an e (ä=ae). Also, s isn't always a "z" sound. It's only a "z" at the beginning of syllables and, eve...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:41 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Brief Announcement: Slapdash Carleton Mirror of TERP (10/30)
Replies: 15
Views: 3941

Re: Brief Announcement: Slapdash Carleton Mirror of TERP (10/30)

I'm going to commit with 75% certainty to playing this, as opposed to frisbee (in costumes! in Winona!). Mike, does your Facebook based offer still stand?
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Mon Oct 04, 2010 12:10 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Eligibility
Replies: 39
Views: 8098

Re: Eligibility

My original intention was to have Rob lead one team and Mike Cheyne lead another when Mike first contacted me Are you serious? This is completely absurd. There's not a meaningful ability difference between Rob and Andrew and they also graduated high school together! Just because Rob isn't technical...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Sat Sep 11, 2010 11:56 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ANNOUNCEMENT: Minnesota Open III (11.20.10-11.21.10)
Replies: 125
Views: 38147

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Minnesota Open III (11.20.10-11.21.10)

Ukonvasara wrote:The field and announcement have been updated; as you can see, we've chosen to move the tournament to the later date. We hope to see you then!
I hate you guys.
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Wed Jul 28, 2010 10:18 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Chicago Open thanks and discussions
Replies: 126
Views: 36625

Re: Chicago Open thanks and discussions

I have no idea how this happened, but Juan Carlos Onetti has twice as many google results (257000 to 108000) as Kobo Abe. I eat my shoe and declare myself wrong.
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Wed Jul 28, 2010 8:36 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Ideal Trash Distribution
Replies: 23
Views: 5256

Re: Ideal Trash Distribution

One argument against video games that I find particularly resonant is that you are capitally screwed on most video game questions if you don't have primary knowledge, i.e. you've played the game. If I read a video game review, I'm not generally going to get the sort of detail that allows me to buzz ...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Wed Jul 28, 2010 7:51 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Chicago Open thanks and discussions
Replies: 126
Views: 36625

Re: Chicago Open thanks and discussions

I thought this tournament was incredibly well written, if too hard. It was very clear that Jerry et al. put a huge amount of work into it and it showed. The bonuses definitely seemed much easier than the tossups, which was pretty nice, especially in contrast with ACF Nationals, where a Carleton team...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Wed Jul 28, 2010 9:51 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Ideal Trash Distribution
Replies: 23
Views: 5256

Re: Ideal Trash Distribution

Jamnman23 wrote:20% Movies, 20% Music, 20% TV, 20% Sports, and 20% Other.
Having that much TV leads to tossups on Love Monkey and Inside Schwartz.
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Tue Jul 27, 2010 11:46 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Ideal Trash Distribution
Replies: 23
Views: 5256

Ideal Trash Distribution

In order to prevent the CO Trash thread from getting gummed up, I'm starting this to discuss the ideal distro for trash. I personally lean towards something that looks like 25% music, 25% sports, 30% movies/TV, and 20% other/interdisciplinary. This is probably a bit heavy on the other and a bit ligh...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Mon Jul 26, 2010 9:13 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Goodman CO Trash discussion
Replies: 33
Views: 6511

Re: Goodman CO Trash discussion

This tournament was an absolute joy to play. Probably the most fun I've had playing quizbowl recently. I was thrilled by several answer questions, most notably cyber sex, Joe Strummer (nothing like 3 people buzzer racing on the leadin), Don Larsen's perfect game (there should be more tossups on indi...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Fri Jul 23, 2010 8:40 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Vote on CO Lit 2010 format
Replies: 12
Views: 2175

Re: Vote on CO Lit 2010 format

Quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaads.
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Thu Jul 22, 2010 1:49 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: CO Lit 2010
Replies: 124
Views: 46956

Re: CO Lit 2010

I am intrigued by literature triples or quads. It'd be interesting.
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Thu Jul 22, 2010 10:05 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Announcement: Paul Goodman Memorial Open
Replies: 157
Views: 59568

Re: Announcement: Paul Goodman Memorial Open

grapesmoker wrote:Autobiography of a Lungworm (Dan Passner, Joe Hansen, Jacob Durst, Kirun) - no packet, $120
Unless Joe is, for some reason, not coming to CO despite having the above team for the main event, we are playing with Joe.
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Wed Jul 21, 2010 6:26 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: CO Lit 2010
Replies: 124
Views: 46956

Re: CO Lit 2010

EncyclopediaCDRom wrote:I understand that Charlie Rosenthal and Eric Kwartler have done so likewise.
Yeah, Eric and I are playing together.
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Wed Jul 21, 2010 12:07 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Chicago Open predictions
Replies: 12
Views: 3122

Re: Chicago Open predictions

ahmad ragab once saved baby seals from being clubbed. and then he cured cancer.
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Fri Jul 16, 2010 4:24 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Post-Nationals Poll - Congrats State College!
Replies: 48
Views: 11002

Re: Post-Nationals Poll - Congrats State College!

It just seems to me that the pollsters as a whole did have a bias in favor of the results at the NSC. Whether or not that bias has merit or is reasonable is a different question for another thread, perhaps. But, what do others think---have I perceived something here that seems fairly accurate, or a...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Fri Jul 16, 2010 2:55 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: CO Side Event: The Jean-Baptiste Lully Memorial
Replies: 275
Views: 116078

Re: CO Side Event: The Jean-Baptiste Lully Memorial

I'll probably be able to staff at least part of this on either Friday or Sunday depending on start times.
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Sun Jul 11, 2010 5:28 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: First-Time Tournament Help
Replies: 109
Views: 20957

Re: First-Time Tournament Help

I've made this point before elsewhere on the board, but it's important to not lose sight of your tournament audience. You've said you want to use short questions which can be answered quickly. I can guarantee you that the fall novice set will be nothing like that. While I'm sure the fall novice set...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Thu Jul 08, 2010 9:47 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Announcement: Paul Goodman Memorial Open
Replies: 157
Views: 59568

Re: Announcement: Paul Goodman Memorial Open

tetragrammatology wrote:
ieppler wrote:I'd like to play this tournament. I'm decent at music, non-football sports, and movies I've seen.
Ian, let's do this.
I'm excited!
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Sun Jul 04, 2010 5:56 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Original Foreign Language Titles
Replies: 8
Views: 2482

Re: Original Foreign Language Titles

One approach I've seen is using the original language title of a work as an early clue, and its better known translation closer to the end. This is a terrible idea. You are privileging someone who speaks a language, but has not read a book, over someone who has read that particular book, but doesn'...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Fri Jun 18, 2010 2:48 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: NAQT distribution change 2010-11
Replies: 28
Views: 6241

Re: NAQT distribution change 2010-11

It strikes me as questionable, if not outright unfair, to play Nationals on a different distribution from its qualifying and affiliated tournaments. Would you also apply that to HSNCT vs. IS sets, and even more problematically, to NSC vs. all its qualifying tournaments? PACE is fundamentally differ...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Fri Jun 18, 2010 2:39 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: NAQT distribution change 2010-11
Replies: 28
Views: 6241

Re: NAQT distribution change 2010-11

Echoing every player's consensus that there's too much trash. Please reduce to at most 1/1 for general use and eliminate completely for Nationals (ICT/HSNCT.) Of course, this is hardly the first time I've asked for this, but it is the first time in this thread. I don't have any new arguments and wi...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:37 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: CO Side Event: The Jean-Baptiste Lully Memorial
Replies: 275
Views: 116078

Re: CO Side Event: The Jean-Baptiste Lully Memorial

I'll staff this, I guess, unless someone really wants to play with me, in which case I'll play.
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Fri Jun 11, 2010 6:25 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Chicago Open matchmaking thread
Replies: 57
Views: 16399

Re: Chicago Open matchmaking thread

Charlie Rosenthal and I both still want to play, but we've decided to dissolve ourselves in some combination to shorthanded teams. Neither of us have much preference for where we go, so if you're interested in having us play for you, let us know. I have, unless I was sorely misinformed, joined the ...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Wed Jun 09, 2010 12:21 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Music Theory Help
Replies: 11
Views: 5189

Re: Music Theory Help

After taking a very introductory music class this term, I can safely say that merely knowing terminology and having a basic understanding of the common things that composers do, e.g. Haydn used tons and tons of strings and Bruckner had great drum parts, allows one to really increase their skill at m...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Sun May 30, 2010 9:41 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: List places you'd like to see the 2011 HSNCT
Replies: 127
Views: 26085

Re: List places you'd like to see the 2011 HSNCT

Nashville or Atlanta would be awesome... "Southern hospitality" goes a long way... in most cases (but not all) you can get free internet at a LOT of hotels in the south AND most of your restaurants, even McDonald's, give you free refills on your drinks...can't find that in Chicago!!! Migh...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Sun May 30, 2010 9:39 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2010 HSNCT discussion thread
Replies: 194
Views: 51159

Re: 2010 HSNCT discussion thread

"grafiti" I obviously wasn't at HSNCT (what up, finals?), but this strikes me as a perfectly fine answer line. Graffiti is pretty important in contemporary arts and there's a lot you could say about Basquiat and Haring. This isn't really a "complaint" as much as it is just somet...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Sun May 30, 2010 11:59 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Getting Good at History
Replies: 41
Views: 12162

Re: Getting Good at History

The American Pageant , while filled with some corny language (e.g. "All farmers had to do was tickle the earth with a hoe, and it would laugh back a harvest."), is a decent US textbook. It tends to wax verbose when discussing non-quizbowl history, such as social change without names, but ...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Thu May 27, 2010 8:48 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Pre-Nationals Poll
Replies: 58
Views: 12882

Re: Pre-Nationals Poll

Nationally competitive quizbowl team from Pittsburgh or Pirates winning season? I'd say our fifth place HSNCT finish your junior year would be suitable to call "nationally competitive." As far as it ever happening again, I'll say that the Pirates have a better chance. They've got until 20...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Mon May 24, 2010 5:00 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2010 HSNCT Fiesta!
Replies: 31
Views: 7184

Re: 2010 HSNCT Fiesta!

At ICT, we really annoyed everyone by tossing a disc in the big auditorium. It was a good call.
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Mon May 24, 2010 4:47 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Studying for Trash... if There Is Such a Thing
Replies: 31
Views: 6842

Re: Studying for Trash... if There Is Such a Thing

Studying for trash is sort of impossible. Either you're the sort of person who watches a lot of sports, sees a lot of movies, and listens to a lot of music, or you're not. To get really, really good at any trash subcategory, you sort of need to live the lifestyle. That means not only listening to mu...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Thu May 13, 2010 10:34 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: GSAC XVII Discussion
Replies: 18
Views: 3858

Re: GSAC XVII Discussion

Yeah, but how many high schools offer basic astronomy classes? What other context would most high schoolers have to learn these things? I doubt a ton of schools have a "History of Art" class either, and yet we ask a lot of art questions. Also, my main point was that you wouldn't find vari...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Mon Apr 19, 2010 2:34 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Minnesota '09-'10
Replies: 139
Views: 24984

Re: Minnesota '09-'10

Hope to see people around at the Carleton tourney... When is this happening? I had thought that I posted to let you all know that we wouldn't be hosting anything, but, clearly, I didn't. Sorry about this. Additionally, if any of you happen to be visiting Carleton for Accepted Students Weekend, you ...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Thu Apr 15, 2010 10:40 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Trash in National Tournaments... Again
Replies: 81
Views: 11617

Re: Trash in National Tournaments... Again

For a little example, consider these three modern "musicians". Phillip Glass - mostly minimalism music that is innovative, unique musical styles, yet not typical classical music. George Gershwin - composed jazz music that was innovate, pioneer of American music, yet not typical classical ...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Tue Apr 13, 2010 2:55 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Trash in National Tournaments... Again
Replies: 81
Views: 11617

Re: Trash in National Tournaments... Again

Some of these arguments seem to go against the main point. If you are for putting Trash topics in Fine Arts or for combining Trash and Fine Arts to make a Big Four, then you are not in favor of getting rid of Trash--you are basically in favor of the status quo, though possibly eliminating a subset ...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Wed Apr 07, 2010 8:51 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: CO Lit 2010
Replies: 124
Views: 46956

Re: CO Lit 2010

Yeah, I'm down, but I'm not much special. I can answer tossups on books I've read and stuff.
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Tue Apr 06, 2010 10:50 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: CO Side Event: The Jean-Baptiste Lully Memorial
Replies: 275
Views: 116078

Re: CO Side Event: The Jean-Baptiste Lully Memorial

If I'm at CO, I could see myself playing this. Be wary that I have very spotty knowledge of all things that aren't jazz and architecture. Anybody want to play this?
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Sun Mar 28, 2010 10:02 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Buzzerfest discussion
Replies: 41
Views: 8995

Re: Buzzerfest discussion

Didn't play and won't be playing.
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Sat Mar 27, 2010 1:46 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: DWI - University of Delaware - 03/06/2010
Replies: 54
Views: 11059

Re: DWI - University of Delaware - 03/06/2010

During the Trash set that UD wrote for the annual Blue Hen trash round, this happened too. It did happen in the BHI tracket, but only twice (TUs 7 and 12) and only because the BHI trash packet was mostly recycled from the unread generic DWI trash packet. (The person who was in charge of the BHI tra...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Mon Mar 22, 2010 5:40 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: List places you'd like to see the 2011 HSNCT
Replies: 127
Views: 26085

Re: List places you'd like to see the 2011 HSNCT

Switching buildings is a terrible idea. Don't even attempt it. I see no reason to move HSNCT from Chicago. Two massive airports, good public transportation, a really central location, and bushels of local staff make it a better site than any other city in the country. Stop complaining about the tour...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Mon Mar 22, 2010 12:46 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: GAUGING INTEREST: Spring Tournament at Carleton
Replies: 6
Views: 1546

Re: GAUGING INTEREST: Spring Tournament at Carleton

I sent an email to a list of Minnesota coaches last night, so we'll have a more definite answer as to whether this will happen soon.
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Sun Mar 14, 2010 1:01 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Universal Pronunciation Guide
Replies: 51
Views: 13890

Re: Universal Pronunciation Guide

I swear to God, if someone tries to make me learn IPA for this, I'll start throwing things.

That's an angry way of telling the linguists not to touch this.
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Sat Mar 13, 2010 1:32 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Announcement: Paul Goodman Memorial Open
Replies: 157
Views: 59568

Re: Announcement: Paul Goodman Memorial Open

I'll probably play this. According to most sources, I know "horrible" trash. Also, Frank will probably play this and want to win. He's actually good at trash. Carsten has the worst taste in stuff. Expect tons of good buzzes on tossups about nurses, pop music my 15 year old sister wouldn't...
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Sat Mar 13, 2010 1:29 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Getting Better at Philosophy
Replies: 7
Views: 4497

Re: Getting Better at Philosophy

Both Antony Flew (he's craaaaaazy) and Bertrand Russell wrote very highly regarded histories of Western philosophy. I've read neither, but Amazon reviews are both overwhelmingly positive and they seem to be both broad and deep. Otherwise, there are a non-zero number of works of philosophy that are a...