World Quizzing Championships?

[mps4a_mps4a]

Does anyone know anything about this: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/quizbowl/message/15119 ?

I googled it and found a few crappy websites, but was too lazy to really investigate. Does someone know anything about this, or anyone who's done anything with it? And how does one become a "a professional quiz players (sic)"?

[solonqb]

It looks like a competitive outgrowth of Trivial Pursuit, from what I've read, but it's untimed and they write their answers down instead of using buzzers. Seems like Celebrity Shoot writ large. (in terms of format)

[Skepticism and Animal Feed]

I googled and found some sample questions:



Art & Culture
1 - In which century did Arizona, New Mexico & Oklahoma become states of the USA ?
A: 20th (1912, 1912 & 1907)

2 - People found to be speaking which language were persecuted in Japan, Germany & Russia during the 1930s ?
A: Esperanto

3 - What did Ramon Mercador use to kill Lev Bronstein ?
A: Ice pick (Bronstein aka Trotsky)

Civilisation
1 - In which French town near Paris can you find ‘Disneyland Europe’ ?
A: Marne-la-Vallée

2 - In later times the 'Ancient Wonder' the Colossus of Rhodes was identified with many deities, including Apollo, but who was the actual subject of Chares’ great statue ?
A: Helios

3 - The President and Vice President of which country survived an assassination attempt on the eve of their 2004 general election ?
A: Taiwan

Entertainment
1 - Which Icelandic pop group was formed on June 8, 1986, the day that the lead vocalist, Mrs. Gundmundsdottir, gave birth to her son ?
A: The Sugarcubes (vocalist was Björk)

2 - Name the US author on whose book the hit TV-series Sex and the City was based ?
A: (Candace) Bushnell

3 - Truman Capote's famous 1959 crime novel 'In Cold Blood' has a dedication to her. She helped him research the book. As a child he had spent several summers visiting a relative who lived next door to her family. Accordingly, when she wrote her only novel she based the character Charles Barker Harris, called 'Dill' for short, on the young Capote. Name this Pulitzer Prize winning writer, born in Monroeville, Alabama in 1926 ?
A: (Nelle) Harper Lee ('To Kill A Mockingbird')

Lifestyle
1 - The name Jeans (as in ‘Blue Jeans’) is derived from the name of which European city ?
A: Genoa (Fr. Genes)

2 - Ageusia is the technical name for the severe impairment, or complete loss of which of the body’s senses ?
A: Taste

3 - What would a polyandric women have more than one of ?
A: Husband

Physical World
1 - One form of amblyopia develops in 2-3 % of the population before the age of 5. What is this condition’s common name ?
A: Lazy Eye

2 - Which is the brightest planet when viewed from Earth ?
A: Venus

3 - In external appearance these mammals resemble large rabbits, but in internal anatomy (particularly dentition) are related to both horses and elephants. Found in Africa and parts of the Middle East, some species are tree dwellers, while others live on the ground. By what name are they commonly known ?
A: Hyrax(s)

Sport & Leisure
1 - In computer games, what is meant by a ‘F.P.S.’-game, such as ‘Half-Life’ & ‘Doom’ ?
A: First Person Shooter

2 - Who won the Formula 1 world driver’s championship in 1982 although winning only one of his 15 starts ?
A: (Keijo) ‘Keke’ Rosberg

3 - Which action performed with the cape in bullfighting takes its name from an incident which occurred as Jesus of Nazareth was led to his crucifixion in Jerusalem ?
A: Veronica (She wiped the face of Christ)

[bsmith]

I'm sure they mean well, but after getting the same message from the yahoo list, the Canadian list, my university's club list, and to myself personally (twice), I hit the "block sender" button.