Search found 862 matches

by Sir Thopas
Thu Jun 18, 2009 11:53 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Math Computation, Round 23748234
Replies: 125
Views: 28175

Re: Math Computation, Round 23748234

However, some learning took place on that question. I gotta say, I preferred having our math teacher advisor teach us about Lebesgue integrals at HFT than I would if he had taught us a parlor trick for adding consecutive numbers quickly. One is actually useful in the real world; the other, kinda ne...
by Sir Thopas
Thu Jun 18, 2009 11:30 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Math Computation, Round 23748234
Replies: 125
Views: 28175

Re: Math Computation, Round 23748234

However, some learning took place on that question. I gotta say, I preferred having our math teacher advisor teach us about Lebesgue integrals at HFT than I would if he had taught us a parlor trick for adding consecutive numbers quickly. One is actually useful in the real world; the other, kinda ne...
by Sir Thopas
Thu Jun 18, 2009 6:32 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Math Computation, Round 23748234
Replies: 125
Views: 28175

Re: Math Computation, Round 23748234

kldaace wrote:What's up with people against tricks? Do people really like doing things the nitty gritty way?
No, the problem with tricks is that they do not in any way signify actual mathematical knowledge and understanding, merely trivial shortcuts.
by Sir Thopas
Thu Jun 18, 2009 4:44 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Math Computation, Round 23748234
Replies: 125
Views: 28175

Re: Math Computation, Round 23748234

But I just want to know, what is wrong with having a couple of math tossups, sometimes zero, that appear in a round of quizbowl. I mean, there are going to be like 18 others that people can still answer and can learn information from. Well, since you've already admitted that math questions are ofte...
by Sir Thopas
Thu Jun 18, 2009 3:46 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Math Computation, Round 23748234
Replies: 125
Views: 28175

Re: Math Computation, Round 23748234

SaveComputationalMath wrote:To all- It seems to me that some of the arguments against math computation do not involve intrinsic error, but rather just poor question writing.
Perhaps it is more germane to address those that do involve intrinsic error, then.
by Sir Thopas
Thu Jun 18, 2009 3:37 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Math Computation, Round 23748234
Replies: 125
Views: 28175

Re: Math Computation, Round 23748234

Guy, While it is true that other quizbowl subjects test factual knowledge while computational questions test applied knowledge, I don't think that should disqualify them from consideration. As was pointed out in this very thread earlier, you don't find it unfair that only one form of applied knowle...
by Sir Thopas
Thu Jun 18, 2009 11:41 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Math Computation, Round 23748234
Replies: 125
Views: 28175

Re: Math Computation, Round 23748234

Some people in quizbowl, including me, believe that including computational questions makes quizbowl do a better job of approximating curricula and rewards students who have a better understanding of math. This still sidesteps the issue everyone else has brought up, which is that quizbowl tests pra...
by Sir Thopas
Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:44 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Quizbowl and the curriculum
Replies: 17
Views: 3557

Re: Quizbowl and the curriculum

I don't think that lit and fine arts is more difficult only for freshmen with no intellectual curiosity--it's more difficult for the majority (though not all) of people new to the game at any age. Even for experienced teams, lit specialists are often in demand. What does that mean? Anything special...
by Sir Thopas
Sun Jun 14, 2009 4:09 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Writing Literature Tossups
Replies: 25
Views: 5404

Re: Writing Literature Tossups

everyday847 wrote:The fact that Meursault calls her Maman is important.
Confirm; the translator's note in my copy (which used Maman) told me so.
by Sir Thopas
Sat Jun 13, 2009 9:32 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Writing Literature Tossups
Replies: 25
Views: 5404

Re: Writing Literature Tossups

I think the difficulty you describe is in dropping a name too soon, which can and should be creatively avoided if it's a sufficiently famous character (say, Salamono). Yeah, writing that clue as "The protagonist walks up the staircase to his apartment where he meets his neighbor, who spends ti...
by Sir Thopas
Wed Jun 10, 2009 10:36 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: CaTO/TaCO at VCU August 9
Replies: 67
Views: 23159

Re: CaTO/TaCO at VCU August 9

Am looking for team, yes sir.
by Sir Thopas
Wed Jun 10, 2009 1:07 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: CO Lit announcement
Replies: 80
Views: 29900

Re: CO Lit announcement

I like quizbowl. I like books.
by Sir Thopas
Tue Jun 09, 2009 5:51 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: VETO 2009 SW ONTARIO MIRROR
Replies: 80
Views: 12694

Re: VETO 2009 SW ONTARIO MIRROR

cvdwightw wrote:Tossup 1: both teams play charades on Soseki's I Am a Cat
Hannah, Shantanu, you've read this book, haven't you? I have two ideas so far. Get on Skype sometime.
by Sir Thopas
Tue Jun 09, 2009 5:47 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Junior NAC 2009 Results
Replies: 28
Views: 5989

Re: Junior NAC 2009 Results

scquizbowl wrote:Some of those questions are so high level. What middle schooler has read Princess Bride?
Erm. Yeah...
by Sir Thopas
Tue Jun 09, 2009 4:32 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Junior NAC 2009 Results
Replies: 28
Views: 5989

Re: Junior NAC 2009 Results

Prof.Whoopie wrote::chip: is a common tool.....
Awesome.

Also, CABINET was probably about the executive branch, not furniture. At least, I hope so.
by Sir Thopas
Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:47 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Next Year
Replies: 74
Views: 12799

Re: Next Year

The sophomores of State College and the all-non-graduating kids of Gov and Matt Jackson all put up superb performances at this year's NSC, and I would be very surprised if they are not similarly impressive in the future. This, plus, Hunter also has a pretty young core to support them in the coming ...
by Sir Thopas
Sun Jun 07, 2009 7:51 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: VETO 2009 SW ONTARIO MIRROR
Replies: 80
Views: 12694

Re: VETO 2009 SW ONTARIO MIRROR

If you manage to pull off a three-part bonus with a genuine easy, middle, and hard part that tested something important and academic that involved tasting something, then I will give you one hundred very real American dollars. Paging Susan... (note: I'm also not sure this can be done, but I'm incli...
by Sir Thopas
Fri Jun 05, 2009 7:19 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: VETO 2009 SW ONTARIO MIRROR
Replies: 80
Views: 12694

Re: VETO 2009 SW ONTARIO MIRROR

vetovian wrote:
Ukonvasara wrote: you have been given a pair of chopsticks and the head of elisha otis. for 6 points each:
Actually, a VETO bonus from 2007 was: given a pair of chopsticks and a box of Gobstoppers, pick up as many Gobstoppers as you can.
He knows. He is mocking you.
by Sir Thopas
Thu Jun 04, 2009 10:24 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Discussion of using power matching at NSC
Replies: 42
Views: 12534

Re: PACE NSC: format changes, 2010 information

If that's the biggest objection, then my proposals can be adjusted so that half-games are used. You have 15 teams and nine spots, so the top six can play half games with the winners getting three of the spots, and the three losers can then go in a pool with the nine other teams, who would play half...
by Sir Thopas
Wed Jun 03, 2009 9:17 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: PACE NSC: format changes, 2010 information
Replies: 287
Views: 133895

Re: PACE NSC: format changes, 2010 information

but I'm pretty sure the end result will be frustration for the writer and a lot of "that was worth 20??!?" complaints from those playing it. This is basically the response i was anticipating from my original question of "why 20-point powers?" I've always thought 20 points was mu...
by Sir Thopas
Wed Jun 03, 2009 6:37 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: PACE NSC: format changes, 2010 information
Replies: 287
Views: 133895

Re: PACE NSC: format changes, 2010 information

I like the idea of 20-point powers that require really deep knowledge to get. And the rest of these changes.
by Sir Thopas
Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:37 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2009 HSNCT question discussion
Replies: 262
Views: 49300

Re: 2009 HSNCT question discussion

Oh snap, there was a Laurence Sterne question? Awesome, can I see? Thanks.
by Sir Thopas
Tue Jun 02, 2009 8:05 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2009 HSNCT question discussion
Replies: 262
Views: 49300

Re: 2009 HSNCT question discussion

Let me make my point exactly clear: there are several people, of whom Guy Tabachnick has now convinced me he is one, who have some kind of innate anti-NAQT bias such that any possible mistake made by any writer writing for NAQT, regardless of whatever respect he may or may not have within the large...
by Sir Thopas
Tue Jun 02, 2009 7:27 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2009 HSNCT question discussion
Replies: 262
Views: 49300

Re: 2009 HSNCT question discussion

If my (possibly poor) decision to write a hard bonus part on something you deemed too difficult for high school nationals means that I am "so out of touch with quizbowl in general, especially in high school, that I would advise for them not to write ever again," then I will (effective imm...
by Sir Thopas
Mon Jun 01, 2009 10:16 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2009 HSNCT question discussion
Replies: 262
Views: 49300

Re: 2009 HSNCT question discussion

Anti-Climacus wrote:I suppose it could have been salvaged with an extra two lines, but I don't know enough bio to be sure.
No it couldn't, because it's a horrible idea for a tossup, because nobody will actually know scientific clues about it, so they have to resort to silly ones.
by Sir Thopas
Mon Jun 01, 2009 10:04 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2009 HSNCT question discussion
Replies: 262
Views: 49300

Re: 2009 HSNCT question discussion

Tetralogy of Fallot? Cri du chat? Whoever decided to make these answer choices is so out of touch with quizbowl in general, especially in high school, that I would advise for them not to write ever again.
by Sir Thopas
Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:59 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2009 HSNCT question discussion
Replies: 262
Views: 49300

Re: 2009 HSNCT question discussion

Mitchell Szczepanczyk Who is that? A guy with a masters in linguistics from Chicago, actually. :smile: And just what does that have to do with quizbowl? That, if I'm not mistaken, was Chris's entire point. Just because someone knows some stuff doesn't mean he is qualified to edit what are supposed ...
by Sir Thopas
Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:56 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2009 NAQT HSNCT
Replies: 349
Views: 102545

Re: 2009 NAQT HSNCT

The Encyclopedia Britannica entry surprised the hell out of me by referring to Brahman primarily as brahma. No other source I've read has done that out of respect for the confusion of the reader. But even then, you'll notice that the final 'a' in the Britannica's "brahma" lacks the horizo...
by Sir Thopas
Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:43 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2009 HSNCT question discussion
Replies: 262
Views: 49300

Re: 2009 HSNCT question discussion

"When doing a Google search for 'Wikipedia', this group's language is the first non-English result." Is this any way to start a tossup on the Sami? It's not that much worse than the cuneiform lead-in. Was this an actual leadin at a tournament? haha no of course not i made it up save your ...
by Sir Thopas
Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:14 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2009 HSNCT question discussion
Replies: 262
Views: 49300

Re: 2009 HSNCT question discussion

In Welsh this {diacritical} indicates a {long vowel}. In Esperanto it differentiates letters pronounced as "ts" [T-S] and "ch" [C-H]. In French it often indicates that an 's' was once present after the vowel, as in the word (*) ~h\^opital~ [oh-pee-tahl]; it is also the only mark...
by Sir Thopas
Mon Jun 01, 2009 6:13 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2009 HSNCT question discussion
Replies: 262
Views: 49300

Re: 2009 HSNCT question discussion

This system has been used for the Turkic language Karakalpak [KAR-ah-KAHL-pahk] as well as the Sinitic language Dungan, and the informal Volapuk encoding is one way to represent it in ASCII. It contains a "hard sign" and a "soft sign," as well as a vowel resembling an (*) I-O li...
by Sir Thopas
Sun May 31, 2009 10:30 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2009 NAQT HSNCT
Replies: 349
Views: 102545

Re: 2009 NAQT HSNCT

Brian Ulrich wrote:some foreign language stuff in linguistics.
Tossups on the circumflex are categorically not linguistics!
by Sir Thopas
Sat May 30, 2009 8:54 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: HSAPQ National All Star Academic Tournament in 2010
Replies: 161
Views: 64639

Re: HSAPQ National All Star Academic Tournament in 2010

Jeremy Gibbs wrote:Please stop saying that MACA promotes bad quiz bowl.
But it's true.
You know my feelings on this.
I wish I didn't.
It is tough to call what we do quizbowl
Fixed that for you.
by Sir Thopas
Thu May 28, 2009 7:21 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: NAC schedule info/tournament thread
Replies: 217
Views: 44679

Re: NAC schedule info/tournament thread

What really threw me off from even presenting our qualification to NAC to the rest of the team was the price pre guaranteed game at around $100, which was in addition to the hotel and transport. Unless you're a long-time Chip partisan who has vowed never to come back, of course; a coach, who can ou...
by Sir Thopas
Thu May 28, 2009 5:41 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: NAC schedule info/tournament thread
Replies: 217
Views: 44679

Re: NAC schedule info/tournament thread

Wild10 wrote:Maybe as an adition to NAC.
lolz

EDIT: I'm sure when you join the quizbowl team at Swarthmore next year they'll talk to you about this.
by Sir Thopas
Thu May 28, 2009 4:26 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2009 PACE NSC
Replies: 59
Views: 43541

Re: 2009 PACE NSC

Anti-Climacus wrote:Will the academic all-star round be made availabe along with the rest of the set?
That was just the second packet for the bracket advantaged final.
by Sir Thopas
Thu May 28, 2009 3:36 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Letter to Questions Galore
Replies: 22
Views: 8980

Re: Letter to Questions Galore

Anti-Climacus wrote:My only quibble is that you did not mention that the clue cited in the last footnote, " inscripction written in three languages" is not even uniquely identifying.
EDIT: Granted, there's only one trilingual inscription that could be asked about in high school, but still.
Heh.
by Sir Thopas
Thu May 28, 2009 1:09 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: NAC schedule info/tournament thread
Replies: 217
Views: 44679

Re: NAC schedule info/tournament thread

ColJade wrote:Also, I fail to see how tossups about a blender reward applied knowledge.
I see SOMEONE is bitter that his soufflés always collapsed in home ec.
by Sir Thopas
Thu May 28, 2009 12:04 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: NAC schedule info/tournament thread
Replies: 217
Views: 44679

Re: NAC schedule info/tournament thread

Guy, I certianly did not kill my argument. How can we say that Charter was better than Booker T? They lost! And here I am reading that Booker T was the 24th best team in the Nation. Well hold on a second! They beat Charter, arguably one of the best teams in the country. Booker T won! So they were t...
by Sir Thopas
Thu May 28, 2009 11:39 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: NAC schedule info/tournament thread
Replies: 217
Views: 44679

Re: NAC schedule info/tournament thread

And to say that the winner of NAC is not a National Champion is simply outrageous. Last year, Wilmington Charter finished second at NAQT Nationals. Where did they finish at NAC? Second as well. You've killed your own argument here—Wilmington Charter was objectively far, far, FAR better than the tea...
by Sir Thopas
Thu May 28, 2009 8:03 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: NAC schedule info/tournament thread
Replies: 217
Views: 44679

Re: NAC schedule info/tournament thread

pain Would PACE ever consider awarding something akin to the purple heart for quizbowl players permanently scarred by stuff like this? Players perhaps. There are also the coaches who have all gotten screwed somehow by Chip. No, it's the coaches' choice to go. The kids are just strung along most of ...
by Sir Thopas
Wed May 27, 2009 9:04 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Tossups about works
Replies: 15
Views: 2341

Tossups about works

While reading old literature questions in preparation for PACE, I noticed several appearances of a trend I really don't like: having a tossup about a work that leads in with a clue or two not about the work itself. Admittedly, this doesn't happen very often, but I'd like to make the point that it sh...
by Sir Thopas
Tue May 26, 2009 7:21 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: DC/MD/VA Date Claim 09-10
Replies: 83
Views: 16497

Re: DC/MD/VA Date Claim 09-10

sir negsalot wrote:Richard Montgomery is planning to host a house written tournament tentatively on Sep. 19.
It might help teams if they knew what format this would be in (speed or pyramidal 20/20, etc.)
by Sir Thopas
Fri May 22, 2009 10:52 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: PACE NSC Prediction Contest - 2009 Edition
Replies: 21
Views: 3552

Re: PACE NSC Prediction Contest - 2009 Edition

Predict the 16 playoff teams (two points each) Charter Chaska DCC GDS Gonzaga Hunter Brookwood Gov New Trier Carbondale Stow-Munroe Falls Dorman WJ State College RB TJ Predict which teams will go undefeated and untied in the preliminaries (one point each) Gov WJ Hunter Dorman SC Charter GDS Chaska P...
by Sir Thopas
Mon May 18, 2009 7:11 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: NAC schedule info/tournament thread
Replies: 217
Views: 44679

Re: NAC schedule info/tournament thread

They've done that for quite a few years. It allows their readers to give more of a game show mentality to things. It's just not quizbowl without a dude in a cerulean shirt and a maroon suit addressing imaginary crowds before reading you tossups on "a chest of drawers ". Would that I could...
by Sir Thopas
Mon May 18, 2009 7:09 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Bad Negs Again
Replies: 494
Views: 113988

Re: Bad Negs Again

jonpin wrote:Just wondering, when do NAQT sets become live? After HSNCT?

From Goldfish...
Correct answer: Yttrium
Not an element: Yibittrium
I blame NAQT for having a tossup on yttrium.
by Sir Thopas
Mon May 11, 2009 8:39 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: The Relative Importance of Art and Sports
Replies: 79
Views: 17400

Re: The Relative Importance of Art and Sports

Andrew, the post about SS, Science, etc is a response to why people need those subjects more than Fine Arts and Sports. It starts talking about Quiz Bowl when it says "Again, this is Quiz Bowl" Let may be very specific about this: I believe everything has academic value. The amount of val...
by Sir Thopas
Mon May 11, 2009 8:14 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: The Relative Importance of Art and Sports
Replies: 79
Views: 17400

Re: The Relative Importance of Art and Sports

I still don't see why you're exalting these few subjects over fine arts. My 6-year school requires 5 years of English, 5 of science, 5 of social studies, 4 of arts, 4 of foreign language, 2 of theater, and 2 of health. Social Studies: explains our society and allows people to understand why things e...
by Sir Thopas
Sun May 10, 2009 9:33 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: The Relative Importance of Art and Sports
Replies: 79
Views: 17400

Re: The Relative Importance of Art and Sports

Anti-Climacus wrote:Actually, Donald Taylor's satirical proposal for more buisness tossups would be better-found than your defense of sports,since historical buisiness-related laws are discussed in basic history classes.
As are the Nika Revolts, dude. And probably Jackie Robinson as well.