Ramblings of a Quiz Junkie

2009-05-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

Quinkie Sixth Anniversary Quiz

Dear All,

This May 13 marks the sixth anniversary of Quinkie. I sincerely thank all the members who kept the group going with their postings.

Here’s a quiz, marking the occasion. Mail me your answers within a week.

1. Inspired by the phrase "poetry in motion" which was used to describe a football player, Mike Lazaridis named his company on similar lines. Which company would you associate Mike with?

2. The company was founded in 1945 as a tube voltmeter manufacturer. Later it diversified into microphones. Today, it is world’s leading brand providing integrated solutions for electro-acoustic products. The name of this company is derived from the name of its founder. Name this company/brand.

3. What word has been chosen as the top word of the year by the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2008?

4. An accessories editor at the magazine Vogue UK, sensed a real demand for stylish but wearable shoes and approached this person, who was a shoe-maker based in the East End of London, recognized for his excellent craftsmanship. Later the editor launched a company on the name of the shoe-maker. The shoe-maker was of Malay descent. Today, this name is famous for glamorous accessories and is favored by international stars worldwide. This company was launched in 1996. The brand was promoted in the Bollywood film Fashion in 2008. Name the brand.

5. This company was founded in 1992 by Daymond John with a line of hats made in his house in Hollis, Queens. The name of the company is a backronym for "For Us, By Us", indicating that the product line was produced by black Americans for a primarily black American market. Which company?

6. Connect the two visuals

7. Who is the inspiration for these dolls?

8. What famous beverage would you associate with this animal?

9. Identify the advertiser.

10. Name the birds and where would you find them immortalized in the world of computing?

11. Identify the advertiser.

12. Which famous outdoor product company's logo was inspired by this rock formation?

Happy Learning,

Murali Duggineni.

2008-04-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Quinkie Fifth Anniversary Quiz

Dear All,
This May 12th marks the Fifth anniversary of Quinkie. Thanks to all those forces that kept the group going with your contributions. Let’s celebrate the occasion by posting quizzes.

May I request all those members who are not able to contribute regularly, to chip in? Please give it a thought.

To set the ball rolling, here’s a quiz from me:

1. Which famous brand was named so because the founder felt it’s easy to pronounce in any European language, and it’s also short enough to fit on the product.

2. Wishing his son should be as strong and sharp as himself, the father ensured the son would gulp a glass of blood daily. To fortify the mental faculties, the father ordained the son consume calf brains washed down with a bottle of beer, three times a week . How do we know this legendary `son’ in the world of advertising? Interestingly, his autobiography was named appropriately.

3. Coming from the French for `to be free from servitude’, which popular practice in today’s business traces its origin to the feudal times when the head of the Roman Catholic Church gave his clergy the permission to collect church taxes locally?

4. As a young boy, he developed a keen acumen for business and began by selling matches to neighbors from his bicycle. He realized that he could buy matches in bulk at a cheap price from Stockholm and sell them individually at a very low price but still make a good profit. From matches, he expanded his business to selling fish, Christmas tree decorations, seeds, ballpoint pens and pencils. Who?

5. Connect:
American Cotton Oil, American Sugar, American Tobacco, Chicago Gas, Distilling and Cattle Feeding, General Electric, Laclede Gas, National Lead, Tennessee Coal & Iron, North American, U.S. Leather, and U.S. Rubber.

6. Identify the logo.

7. Identify the advertiser.

8. Who is this famous Indian?

9. What is the claim to fame of the visual shown below?

10. Connect the following visuals.

11. What does the following visual represent?

12. Identify the advertiser.

13. Where would you find this building, and what does it showcase?

14. Identify the advertiser.

Mail your answers to me at muraliduggineni@gmail.com.

Cheers,

Murali Duggineni.

2008-01-25T10:16:00.000-08:00

Biz Quiz 260108

Hi:

Before I present the quiz, let me take a moment in congratulating my friend Rajeev Kondapalli who has taken his Biz Quizzard series to the 200th week on Quinkie - a business quizzing group I started in 2003. Probably, Rajeev's Biz Quizzard is the longest running quiz series on business-related news and events. Thank you Rajeev for going through all major newspapers and magazines and sharing the key information, week after week, in the form of quizzes.

This quiz is dedicated to Rajeev on whose contributions Quinkie has thrived.

1. Which company gets its name from the Latin for `truth’ and `horizon’?

2. The advertising legend David Ogilvy preferred the discipline of knowledge to the chaos of ignorance and codified knowledge into presentations. What did he call this knowledge as?

3. Which automobile company’s logo features a circle with an arrow, which is a symbol for iron used by alchemists? The logo, representing a strong and powerful metal, combined with the company name signifies the company’s brands that are known for their rolling power.

4. Fill in the blanks:
Andy Warhol was one of the artists chosen by Absolut to create a series of print
ads for its famous vodka. When asked why he had helped endorse Absolut if he himself was not a drinker, Warhol justified his stand by saying that he used it as a ________

5. Between 1688 and 1807, one of the key sources of business for Lloyd’s was the insurance of ships. What was the business these ships were engaged in?

6. In stock market jargon, who is a lamb?

7. Which company’s logo was inspired by this Greek sculpture dating back to 450 BC? The sculpture represents “human factor”.

8. Before switching over to its current proprietary font, which world-famous company used to have the logo shown below? The company's products are a kind of ubiquitous these days.

9. Identify the advertiser. (If you can't read the words on the body, here go some of them: Wallet, Belt, Gloves; the ad tries to convey that all animals have the same skin)

10. Whose workshop is this?

11. Who is she and where would you find her immortalized?

Happy Learning,
Murali Duggineni.

2007-10-06T00:41:00.000-07:00

Biz Quiz 061007

Hi:

Posting a quiz, as usual, after a long time. Mail your answers to me at muraliduggineni(at)gmail.com.

1. In business, what’s often referred to an Aurangzeb Syndrome?

2. Ardeshir Godrej once introduced a soap under the name No. 2. Later he introduced No. 1. When asked about why he introduced No. 2 first, what logic did he give?

3. Sun Microsystems has changed its NASDAQ ticker symbol from SUNW to what?

4. Founded in 1975 by John Trimble, it’s an 18-room facility located at Esternwick, a southern suburb of Melbourne. It generates an annual profit of over $2 million. What am I talking about?

5. Recently, Harrods launched the diamond-encrusted Rene Caovilla collection of sandals, priced at over 62,000 British Pounds per pair. What unique security measure did Harrod’s use during the launch, to draw attention?

6. She broke a tradition that’s over 550-year-old in Sept 2007. What’s her claim to fame?

7. What’s the contribution of this person to the computing world? (If you are reading this question, you probably have the answer right in your hand).

8. Identify the logo.

9. What message is this ad trying to convey? One more point if you can name the advertiser.

10. A tribute to a recently-held biz quiz ;). Name the vehicle.

Cheers,

Murali Duggineni.

2007-05-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

Quinkie Fourth Anniversary Quiz

Dear All,

May 13th marks the 4th anniversary of Quinkie. I’m inspired to break my aestivation and post a quiz. Mail me your answers within 10 days.

1. Which SUV is named after South American wild cats?

###

2. It all began in 1927, when the editors of the TIME magazine contemplated what they could write about during a sluggish news week. Actually, they were seeking a remedy to an editorial embarrassment from earlier that year when the magazine did not put aviator Charles Lindbergh on its cover following his historic trans-Atlantic flight. At the end of the year, what idea did TIME come up with?
###

3. Recently, Juan Valdez and his faithful mule `Cochita’ took permanent coffee break as the icons of which brand?
###

4. Which Unilever brand has established a programme for aesthetics and well-being at Harvard University, which will examine the way we think and talk about beauty in popular culture and the effect that this has on women’s well-being?
###

5. Connect the following: Bikaneri Bhujia, Goa’s Feni, Madhuban style of painting, Darjeeling Tea, Kondapalli Toys,…..(note:the list is not limited to only these)
###

6. In India, Train No 5645 UP/NTT Guwahati does not belong to the Railways, and is probably the fastest goods train in the India. Whom does the train belong to?
###

7. What is the contribution of G S Edwards Company of Norwalk, Connecticut to the New York Stock Exchange?

###

8. In 1946, driven by a desire to bring out beauty in every woman, which enterprising lady started her company with a jar of skin cream developed by her chemist uncle?
###

9. One more question on Fashion: The founder of this fashion house was responsible for designing many of the company's most notable products. In 1947, he introduced the bamboo handle handbag, which is still a company mainstay.Who?
###

10. In the corporate world, who is a Clockroach?
###

11. Connect the two visuals.

12. Identify the person on the cover of TIME.

13. Headquarters of which famous institution?

14. Identify the advertiser.

15. Identify the logos.

Happy Learning,

Murali Duggineni.

2006-12-01T20:37:00.000-08:00

Hi,

A great response to Biz Quiz 211106. 37 quizzers took the quiz.

Here are the answers. For questions, you can check the previous post available at http://quizjunkie.blogspot.com/2006/11/biz-quiz-211106-hi-presenting-biz-quiz.html

Answers:

1. Fruit of the Loom

2. Wrigley

3. Underwriting/Underwriters

4. Mumbai Dabbawallahs

5. Adi Dassler

6. NECC

7. Leo Burnett

8. Guinness

9. Pidilite Industries (the makers of Fevicol)

10. Sony Playstation

Scores:

1. Praneeth Reddy - 5
2. Sachin Kadam - 7
3. Sushil Kumar Vashishta - 4
4. Jitaditya Narzary - 4
5. Abhinav Kishore - 3
6. Sudheer Moro - 5
7. Santanu Dey - 6
8. Jeevesh Gupta - 5
9. Manoj Reena Vaibhav - 5
10. Chandan Shahi - 5
11. Rajiv D'Silva - 7
12. Sairam Iyer - 5
13. Sadashiv N - 5
14. Nikhil Kumar Verma - 5
15. Nikhil Narayanan - 3
16. Brijesh K Nair - 2
17. Harish Mopur - 6
18. Shiv Das - 1
19. Mahendra Singh Chauhan - 7
20. Aniruddh Sankaran - 3
21. Varadha - 5
22. Jayendra Bisnek - 3
23. Arijit Mukhopadhyay - 5
24. Divyanshu Srivastava - 3
25. Balaji Krishnan - 1
26. Sriharsha Bhat - 3
27. Kamal Raju - 3
28. Rajat Padhi - 2
29. Aniruddha Biswas - 4
30. Shrinidhi Rai - 2
31. Sangeeta Banerjee - 6
32. Debjit Das - 4
33. Mugdho Debnath - 3
34. Sukrit - 2
35. Harshith Ajila - 1
36. Priyambad - 7
37. Jagan Pillarisetti - 4

Happy Learning,
Murali Duggineni.

2006-11-20T22:18:00.000-08:00

Biz Quiz 211106

Hi,

Presenting a biz quiz with a mix of dry and visual questions. I hope you like it. Mail your answers to me at muraliduggineni@gmail.com within a week.

1. Purple grapes, green grapes, apple and gooseberries are the characters from which apparel company?

2. Fill in the blanks.

William ________ Jr. came to Chicago in 1891. He was 29 and had only $32 in his pocket. But he had lots of energy and immense talent as a salesman. He started out selling soap. As an extra incentive to shoppers to carry _______'s soap, he offered them free baking powder. When baking powder proved to be more popular than soap, he switched to the baking powder business. One day, _______ got the idea to offer merchants free chewing gum with each can of baking powder. The rest is history.

3. The rich at Edward Lloyd’s coffee house would take a share of a risk by signing their names one beneath the other on the policy together, with the amount they agreed to cover. This practice has given rise to a word, which we usually associate with the public offering of shares. What word?

4. Year started: 1880
Average Literacy: 8th Grade Schooling
Average Area Covered: 60 Km per ____ ____
Employee Strength: 5000
Number of shipments: 2,00,000 ____ ___
Time taken for delivery: 3 hours
Cost of Service: Rs. 200/- month
Turnover: about Rs. 50 Crore per month
Who/What am I talking about?

5. Who is he?

6. Identify the advertiser.

7. Who is this advertising legend?

8. Identify the advertiser.

9. Identify the logo.

10. Identify the advertiser

Happy Learning,

Murali Duggineni.

2006-11-05T22:27:00.000-08:00

Answers - Biz Quiz 051106

1. Originally called New Lord & Company, this company was born as a small tailoring shop in the year 1947. A couple of years later, it was bought over by Mr Arjan Daswani. Under the aegis of Daswani, the company transformed itself into a mega shirt store. Today, it’s one of the established names in the Indian fashion industry and claims for brining international acclaim to Indian tailor craftsmanship. It is said that Ram Jethmalani and Farooq Abdulla are among its customers. Which brand/company am I talking about?
### Charagh Din

2. Which German margarine brand shares its name with a Hindu god?
### Rama; Originally known as "Rahma", Rama gets its name from RAhm(cream) + MArgarine

3. In 1872, Levi Strauss got a letter from Jacob Davis, a Reno, Nevada tailor, who had come up with a great idea. To improve the strength of the pants he made for his customers, he added something, which proved to be a big success. What did he add?
### Metal Rivets

4. Which brand gets its name from the Goddess you see in this visual?

### Canon. Gets its name from Kwannon - the Buddhist Goddess of mercy.

5. Name this author who has a couple of business bestsellers to his credit.

### Malcolm Gladwell of the "Tipping Point" and the "Blink" fame.

6. Who is this person? He founded a company whose products are a kind of ubiquitous these days?

### Frederik Idestam of Nokia

7. Logo of which International NGO?

### Transparency International (TI) - the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption. TI brings people together in a powerful worldwide coalition to end the devastating impact of corruption on men, women and children around the world. TI’s mission is to create change towards a world free of corruption.

8. Which company was born in this building? (Clue: part of the company’s name was influenced by the shape of the structure)

### Pizza Hut; Pizza Hut began its operations in 1958 in Wichita (Kansas) when two brothers Frank and Dan Carney had been approached by the owner of a small building who wanted a nice neighborhood business. The brothers borrow $600 from their mother and start making pizzas in the building, which had a signboard that would accommodate only nine characters. They wanted to use "Pizza" in the name and that left room for only three more letters. A family member suggested that the building looked like a hut — and Pizza Hut was born.

9. Seen in the visual is a comic drawn by Richard Outcault. What pejorative phrase did this strip give rise to in the world of journalism?

Yellow Journalism. The cartoon is Yellow Kid

10. Identify the advertiser

### Unicef (ad promoting more education for girls in Islamic countries!)

Scores:

1 Srinidhi Rai - 3

2 Mitesh Agarwal - 7

3 Rabi Sankar Saha - 4

4 Anilkumar Jahagirdar - 3

5 Mahendra Singh Chauhan - 5

6 Manoj Prasad - 3

7 siddharth misra - 3

8 Nikhil Narayanan - 3

9 Santanu Dey - 4

10 Sarvashree - 1

11 Sachin Kadam - 4

12 Rahul Jayanti - 5

13 Aniruddha Biswas - 4

14 Chandan Shahi - 3

15 Rohit Jain - 2

16 Ameya Mardolkar - 1

17 Rajiv Sangoi - 7

18 Jacob Dijo - 1

19 Nikhil Narayanan - 2

20 Arun A - 5

21 Nirupa Somasundaram - 3

22 Anand Shankar - 1

23 Rajimuth - 3

24 sangeeta banerjee - 7

25 Arijit Mukhopadhyay - 4

26 Prasoon Ranjan - 4

Happy Learning,

Murali Duggineni.

2006-11-02T06:30:00.000-08:00

Answers - Biz Quiz 301006

1. In 1926, Ganapayya Maiya started Brahmin Coffee House near Lalbagh, Bangalore. How do we better know this venture as today?
### MTR Foods

2. It’s a practice followed by the 20th Century Limited company to welcome passengers at the railway station and it has given rise to a tradition we follow today. What is it?
### The use of "Red Carpet” to welcome guests

3. In 1998, Time magazine came up with a list of the 20 most influential business legends of the 20th century. Who is the only woman to be featured in this list?
### Estee Lauder

Questions 4-9 are on visuals. The visuals are available at http://quizjunkie.blogspot.com/2006/10/biz-quiz-301006-hi-presenting-yet.html

4. Corporate headquarters of which online major?
### Yahoo!

5. A sitter: Who is this iCon?
### Steve Jobs. BTW, iCon Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business is a book on Steve Jobs by Jeffrey S. Young, William L. Simon

6. Identify the advertiser
### WWF

7. Identify this famous landmark in London
### Harrods

8. A character from Dilbert Comics. Just name her.
### Tina – the technical writer

9. On what occasion did AMUL release this ad?
### Raj Kapoor’s death

Scores (in the order I received)

Taneja D - 1
Varadha - 3
Sushil Kumar Vashishta - 2
Mitesh Rathore - 1
Narayan Swamy - 3
Zipts - 5
Ravi Chand - 2
Rajiv D'Silva - 5
Chandan Shahi - 3
Prasoon Ranjan - 6
sangeeta Banerjee - 7
rakonda srikanth - 2
Sudipta Jash - 3
Neo M - 6
Sushil Kumar Vashishta - 3
Santanu Dey - 3
Ameya Mardolkar - 3
Siddharth Misra – 3

Happy Learning,
Murali Duggineni.

2006-10-30T00:46:00.000-08:00

Biz Quiz 301006

Hi,

Presenting yet another biz quiz. Most of the questions can be cracked hands down. So go ahead and mail your answers to muraliduggineni(at)gmail.com.

1. In 1926, Ganapayya Maiya started Brahmin Coffee House near Lalbagh, Bangalore. How do we better know this venture as today?

2. It’s a practice followed by the 20th Century Limited company to welcome passengers at the railway station and it has given rise to a tradition we follow today. What is it?

3. In 1998, Time magazine came up with a list of the 20 most influential business legends of the 20th century. Who is the only woman to be featured in this list?

4. Corporate headquarters of which online major?

5. A sitter: Who is this Icon?

6. Identify the advertiser

7. Identify this famous landmark in London

8. A character from Dilbert Comics. What's her name?

9. On what occasion did AMUL release this ad?

2006-10-28T05:06:00.000-07:00

Answers - Biz Quiz 251006

Hi,

A pretty good response to the quiz I posted on 25th Oct. The quiz is available at http://quizjunkie.blogspot.com/2006/10/biz-quiz-251006-1.html .

Here go the answers.

1 Altoids
2 Blue Ocean Strategy
3 ACT II
4 Arundhati Roy
5 Amar Bose
6 Fruit of the Loom
7 Harley-Davidson
8 Seth Godin
9 Andy Warhol's Birthday

Scores (in the order I received):

Anish Raju - 5
Sachin - 6
Srinidhi Rai - 3
Mitesh Agarwal - 5
Jitaditya Narzary - 4
Prasoon Ranjan -6
Sanjeev Mittal - 8
sangeeta banerjee - 5
Nikhil Narayanan - 1
Abhishek Kumar - 8
Dr Vikram - 7
Neo M - 6
AmEyA MaRdOlKaR - 4
Rajiv D'Silva - 5
Mahendra Singh - 7
Sushil Kumar Vashishta - 3
Param Puneet Singh - 1
Santanu Dey – 6

Two members didn't score. Nice to see them attempt the quiz.

Happy Learning,
Murali Duggineni.

2006-10-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

Harsha’s Kaikoo

Today Harsha Bhogle conducted the “Harsha’s Kaikoo” quiz in Hyderabad. The quiz is in connection with the Hyderabad 10K Half Marathon, scheduled to take place next month. The quiz had a mix of general, sports and business questions.

Quinkie represented by Deepak Karamungikar and yours truly won the quiz. JNTU, represented by Raghuram and Latish came second. Sierra Atlantic, represented by Anchal Mathur and Harish Shanthinikethanam finished third. Though the turnout was not up to the mark, it was a great evening as Harsha brought in lots of flamboyance and handled the quiz with his inimitable flair.

Ace quizzers Srinivas and J Krishnamurthi from K Circle provided the content and spent a lot of effort in getting the quiz together.

Here are some questions from the elims:

1. The name of which Hyderabad landmark translates to “Mirror of the Sky”?

2. Which 1993 Client Eastwood starred film shares its name with a recent literary work?

3. The consumption of sheep testes by the Greeks as early as the 8th century BC is the first reported instance of what?

4. It is derived from the Makonde word meaning "that which folds up" in reference to the stooped posture developed as a result of the arthritic symptoms of the disease. What am I talking about?

5. Which famous pop star wrote children’s book called “English Roses”?

6. The two main forms of this game are known as Tudabarai and Qarajai. Which game?

7. What new age first does the film “Waterborne” has to its credit?

8. Which place in Hyderabad gets its name from the Urdu for “barbed wire”?

9. Which drink gets its name from the Dutch for “burnt wine”?

10. Which musical instrument gets its name from the Greek for Wood and Sound?

11. Aibophobia is the fear of what?

12. An AMUL ad with the title “here goes the sun” and a “sitar” were shown. The question was to identify the occasion.

13. What is the name of the fundamental militia under the regimen of Mir Osman Ali Khan?

14. Pic of Siva Kesavan, the only Indian in Luge event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.

15. Visual of the board game Monopoly

Answers:

1. Falaknuma

2. “In the Line of Fire” by Pervez Musharraf

3. Performance enhancement/doping

4. Chikungunya

5. Madonna

6. Buzkashi, the national game of Afghanistan

7. one of the first films to be available on Google Video

8. Tarnaka (Once upon a time this place was famous for its mangoes and several Nawabs owned mango orchards. To guard them, a Nawab built a barbed wire fencing (tar in Urdu) all around and posted a guard (naka) from which the place derived its name)

9. Brandy

10. Xylophone

11. Palindromes

12. Death of George Harrison. The funda is: Pandit Ravi Shankar teamed up with Harrison to compose the famous cut “Here comes the Sun”.

13. Razakars

There were 25 questions in the elims. These are the only ones I could recollect.

Cheers,
Murali Duggineni.

2006-10-24T23:05:00.000-07:00

Biz Quiz 251006

1. Which brand gets its name from the combination of the Latin for “to change” and the Greek for “taking the form of”?

2. Opening lines from which business bestseller in recent times?

“A One Time Accordion Player, stilt-walker, and fire eater, Guy Laliberté is now CEO of Cirque du Soleil, one of Canada’s largest cultural exports. Created in 1984 by a group of street performers, Cirque’s productions have been seen by almost forty million people in ninety cities around the world. In less than twenty years Cirque du Soleil has achieved a level of revenues that took Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey—the global champion of the circus industry—more than one hundred years to attain.”

3. ConAgra Foods' Microwave Popcorn is sold in more than 130 countries across the world. It is marketed under two brand names. One of the brand names is Orville Redenbacher. Name the other.

4. Who played a village girl in the award-winning movie Massey Sahib, and wrote the screenplays for “In Which Annie Gives it Those Ones” and “Electric Moon.” She also wrote the screenplay a TV serial called `The Banyan Tree.' Today, the person is more popular in another line.

5. “I would have been fired a hundred times at a company run by MBAs. But I never went into business to make money. I went into business so that I could do interesting things that hadn’t been done before.” Whose words?

6. Identify the logo

7. Identify the advertiser

8. Who is this new age marketing genius?

9. On what occasion did the home page of Google sport this doodle?

2006-10-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

Visual Quiz 181006

Hi,

Presenting yet another visual quiz. I have made it a tad easier than the previous one. Give it a try and mail me your answers within a week's time.

1. Logo of which ad agency?

2. Identify the advertiser.

3. Logo of which liquor company?

4. Logo of which global governing body?

5. Who is this fashion designer? His name also happens to be a famous brand.

6. This is an award given to the world’s best websites. Name the award.

7. Which famous institution does the building in this visual house in Mumbai?

8. Logo of which Japanese company? It means "three water wells" when translated to English.

9. People from the world of marketing/branding. Identify this father and daughter duo.

2006-10-11T10:52:00.004-07:00

Visual Quiz 111006

Hi,

Presenting a visual quiz. There are not many clues. Mail me your answers within a week.

1. Identify the literary award.

2. Identify the automobile legend.

3. Identify the advertiser.

4. With which famous brand would you associate these Brothers?

5. Name the person featured on the cover of the TIME.

6. Identify the advertiser.

7. Identify the personality in whose witty creations we relish.

8. Identify the logo.

9. Give me the brand name of the car (it's not an Ambassador)

2006-09-24T17:37:00.000-07:00

Biz Quiz 250906

1. One of the popular Russian keepsakes, these brightly painted wooden dolls get their name from the Latin word for “Mother”. The dolls are made in such a way so that they could be taken apart to reveal the smaller dolls fitting inside one another. Considered a symbol of motherhood and fertility, the largest doll in the set is associated with the image of a mother. All the other dolls fitting inside one another are considered the children. What popular dolls am I talking about?
###

2. European cooks used a small amount of cake batter to test their oven temperature before baking a large cake. These little test cakes get their name from the Dutch word “koekje,” meaning `Little Cake’ in Dutch. What edible item/items am I talking about?
###

3. Connect Gautami, Shruti, Mangal, Raavi, and Tunga (The list is not limited to only these five).
###

4. The ad legend David Ogilvy preferred the discipline of knowledge to the chaos of ignorance. He codified knowledge into slide and film presentations. What did he call this knowledge as?
###

5. In the year 2004, Estee Lauder launched a fragrance in the name of a famous business magnate. The fragrance is said to exemplify the confidence, success and character of the personality. Who is this famous personality?
###

6. What is the corporate significance of the precious stones Vaidurya(Cat's Eye), Hira (Diamond), Panna (Emerald), Gomedh (Hessonite), Neelam (Sapphire), Moti (Pearl), Pukhraj (Topaz), Manik (Ruby), and Munga (Red Coral)?
###

Happy Learning,

Murali Duggineni.

2006-09-13T01:58:00.000-07:00

Biz Quiz 120906

1. Which brand gets its name from two filament metals - Osmium and Wolfram?

2. The diamond-shaped logo of this automobile company started out as a bonnet emblem. However, from 1922, the center of the bonnet emblem logo was cut. Which company’s logo are we talking about? And what was the reason for giving a new look to the logo?

3. “Humsafar” is the in-flight magazine of which Asian airline?

4. What happens when you get “plutoed” in your career?

5. Identify the advertiser

6. Identify the logo of a not-for-profit organization, working for the development of the underprivileged.

7. Connect the two images.

2006-08-16T05:41:00.000-07:00

A Biz Quiz

Presenting a biz quiz after a long time. Mail me your answers in a week's time.

1. Seen in the picture are people from the world of Technology. They used to work for Shockley Semiconductor. But after a year, they quit the company as they were not happy with the managerial style of William Shockley. What derogatory term did Mr Shockley use to describe these people for betraying his company?

2. Which advertising agency gets its name comes from an obscure short story by Guy De Maupassant?(Clue: the agency is based in South Africa and is known for its outstanding work)

3. The December 31, 1999 issue of the TIME magazine named Albert Einstein the Person of the Century. It also named two persons as the runners up. One was Franklin D. Roosevelt. Who was the other?

4. What term was introduced in the Wall Street Journal editorials starting on 20 November 2002, referring to Americans who pay no federal income tax because their income level is below the tax line?

5. Clarence Hailey Long was a foreman at a Texas ranch. Once in a week, he used to visit the town for a shave and a milk shake. In 1949, Life magazine published the photograph and story of Clarence Hailey Long. And the rest, as the cliche goes, is history. The question is: What is the contribution of Clarence Long to the world of advertising?

6. Google is known for sporting special holiday logos. On what occasion did this logo adorn the homepage of Google?

7. Identify the logo of a not for profit organization that works towards putting an end to child labor and creating educational opportunities for children.

8. With which famous brand would you associate the two persons you see in this picture?

9. Identify the advertiser

2006-07-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

Vivisimo - A "lively," "clever" search engine

For most of the net surfers, Google has become synonymous with search. Undoubtedly, Google has been a pioneer among all search engines and revolutionized the way searching is done.

But how about using a different search engine? I noticed one of my ex-colleagues (who is a big shot in advertising) using a search engine called “Vivisimo” and felt like exploring it further.

I found Vivisimo quite good as it gives results in an organized format known as “clusters”. Perhaps this is the reason, Vivisimo calls itself a “Clustering Engine”.

The most impressive feature of Vivisimo is that it gives you clustered results. I typed in my name `Murali Duggineni’ and clicked search. It gave me the number of times my name was mentioned on the web (in the form of total results) as well the various sections where it was mentioned (in the form of clustered results). I found this feature very useful. Because if I’m looking for a specific section (say the guest books where I have posted my comments) or the motivating quotes I have submitted to certain sites, I can do so by simply clicking on the section concerned in the clustered results.

Most of the people who search for information have no patience to go beyond the first 20 links though the keyword they have searched for can give them hundreds of thousands of results. Overload of information can be very painful as it could make the task of finding the relevant information similar to searching for a needle in the haystack. If you want a few, yet powerful results from millions of web pages, www.vivisimo.com can be nice choice to experiment with. Vivisimo collects all the pages of relevance from major search engines neatly clusters them into useful, understandable subcategories. This helps you pick up the information from any of the clusters without checking every link where the keyword has been featured.

To quote the founders (research scientists at the Computer Science Department at Carnegie Mellon University), ’’If the Internet is a giant bookstore in which all the books are piled randomly on the floor, then Vivisimo is like a super fast librarian who can instantly arrange the titles on shelves in a way that makes sense.’’ (reference: CNN)

Try Vivisimo with a keyword of your choice and see how it works.

If you are intrigued by what Vivisimo means, here’s the answer: Vivisimo gets its name from the Spanish word for “very lively” and “clever”.

The name sounds quite befitting, as Vivisimo has differentiated itself in a nice, clever way!

2006-07-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

Steamed Dosa at "Chutney's"

Being a Hyderabadi, I have been to most of the eateries in the city. One such place I would love to frequent is Chutneys, located near the Nagarjuna Circle in Panjagutta. I tried `Steamed Dosa’ here. And believe me, it's not often we get access to such a rare delicacy.

From the menu, I learnt that a leading film star has given the recipe for this dosa. The menu also features that the Steamed Dosa is cooked in Japanese style without using any oil. While one side of the dosa is fluffy, porus, soft and steamed, the other side is crispy, crunchy. The dosa is served with a palatable selection of four different chutneys and sambar.

The chutneys and sambar are non-spicy and complement the quality of Steamed Dosa. The copper glasses, and banana leaves in which the food is served make it more enjoyable. The wooden interiors are well done and the ambience is quite homely. The service is prompt and courteous.

If you are someone who abstains from oily foods and try something different, go ahead and indulge yourself with this rare catch. Such is the popularity of the Steamed Dosa at Chutney’s that you find gourmets dropping in to relish it even at the lunch and dinner times.

Usually, one dosa is sufficient per person. The first time I ordered steamed dosa, my jaw dropped when I saw that it costs Rs 40. But after having it, I felt it’s worth every Paisa of it.

2006-04-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

Delhi - Crude, Callous, and Coldhearted

Last week, I was in Delhi. It was my first visit to the national capital. Though I stayed there for one and half days, it was enough for me to head home.

There’s no law; it’s anarchy that rules everywhere. Flouting rules, and breaking law are as common as the Sunday afternoon siestas. Nothing depicts the Delhi cosmos better than a ride on Delhi’s buses, where the driver and conductor keep smoking beedies, as the “No Smoking” signs an imploring, vain plea. During my short stay, I traveled by bus twice. In the first, the cleaner beat up a middle-aged man until his face was soaked with blood. His crime? He sat in a seat in he wanted to. The second time around, the conductor hit three kids, all below 15. Their offence? They were in a bus that didn’t go to their destination. In both of these instances, none of the commuters came forward for the rescue of these hapless victims. No wonder Delhi is a heartless city.

There are touts floating around, leaving no stone unturned to fleece the visitors to the bone. Autowalas and cab drivers charge astronomical prices, thinking as if you were the cousin of Bill Gates. Civic sense and clean air appear to be a mirage in this great metro.

I think Delhi could get better if the so-called leaders do something to set things in order, instead of ensconcing themselves in the cozy air-conditioned rooms.

2005-10-30T05:03:00.000-08:00

Word Origins Quiz

1. Which word derives from the Latin for `crossroads’? (To be more precise, this word means `three roads’ in Latin.)
Ans: Trivia (from “tri” + “via”, which means “three streets”); in ancient times, at an intersection of three streets in Rome, they would have a type of kiosk where ancillary information was listed. You might be interested in it, you might not. Hence they were called bits of "trivia."

2. What’s the Italian for "small ball or pebble."? (cue: think of elections)
Ans: Ballot; Italian citizens once voted by casting a small pebble or ball into one of several boxes.

3. Which edible item has its origin to a medieval French term meaning `cooked twice.’?
Ans: Biscuit (Bis + cuit)

4. Which word traces its origin to the Italian for `goat’. It was named so because the first public transportation carriages flooded the streets so much with “for hire” boards that they reminded people of goats on a hillside.
### Cab (`Cabra’ is the Spanish for `goat’.)

5. In French, this word stands for `of good air’. It has its origin to the Middle Ages when health of a person was judged partly by how they smelled. The one who gave off “good air” was adjudged to be healthier and happier. Give me the name of the word in question.
### Debonair

6. In ancient Rome, when there was a newborn in a family, the father used to claim it legally by sitting in front of his family and placing the child on his knees. Which word originated from this practice? Today you use this word when you wish to say that something/someone is `real’, `authentic’, `legitimate’ etc.
### Genuine; This word originally meant "placed on the knees."

2005-10-21T05:58:00.000-07:00

Business Quiz - 7

1. What kind of a sales promotion technique is a `Bogof'?
### Buy One Get One Free

2. In marketing slang, what does a company do when it engages in
`Building a better mouse trap'?
### It creates a new or better product that could take on the competition.

3. If a company resorts to "Fluffing it and Flying it" tactic, what is it trying to do?

### It makes a product look good with a few changes (such as changing
the package) and then sells it.

4. What do you call a web site that hasn't been updated for a long period?
### Cobweb site

5. In computer parlance, what is a `Condom'?
### A plastic cover used to wrap floppies; and the transparent cover that rests over the keyboard.

6. Which word gets its name from `Uisge Beathea', the Scottish Gaelic for `Water of Life'?
### Whisky

7. What brand promoted itself as the official sponsor of Valentine's Day in 2001?
### Viagra

8. This famous brand had its origins in the US and later spread to every nook and corner of the world. In certain parts of the globe, it's sold three to four times the price of liquor. Though it was originally sold to cure headaches and mild depressions, the actual purpose behind its creation never took off. Identify this all-time super brand we are talking about.
### Coca-Cola

9. In stock market jargon, what do you call a scrip that is experiencing a steep decline in its price?
### Falling Knife; The term "falling knife" comes from an old Wall Street adage: "Never try to catch a falling knife." It means that it's both dangerous and foolhardy to buy a stock that's falling because chances are it's falling for a reason and will likely continue to do so.

2005-10-21T05:54:00.000-07:00

Business Quiz –6

1. Which brand gets its name from the Spanish for `Always in Motion'?
### Movado
2. In business/socializing, what does `Schmooze' mean?
### To behave flatteringly at social gatherings towards anyone who
might help you benefit in your career.

3. What kind of products are promoted under Bottle-and-Glass advertising?
### Liquor Products

4. Who is the only Indian carton character in the world to have a statue installed after him?
### R K Laxman's `Common Man'

5. Samsung launched a mobile phone called `T500'. What is so unique about this product?
### It was designed keeping women in mind. Features include a health-
monitoring device, calorie count which monitors the calories burnt on a daily basis, a fatness index, etc. What's more, the screen can be used as a hand mirror)

6. Name the first Asian car that has its pictures on display at the gallery of Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC.
### Ambassador

7. In the world of e-commerce, what does it mean when you `Amazon
something/someone'?
### You take away business from a well-established brick-and-mortar
company by being the first to build an online presence

8. In HR lingo, which term is used to describe an employee who quits
a company and takes up another job but later returns to his previous company?
### Boomerang

9. In stock market jargon, what do you call a scrip that has fallen
below its original value?
### Fallen Angel

2005-10-10T01:26:00.000-07:00

Pink Floyd Quiz - 1

Pink Floyd can be described as the most poignant and talented rock band ever to grace the modern musical landscape. Here’s a quiz I compiled after going through various sites and other sources on Pink Floyd. This quiz is not in a chronological order of the Band’s history; it’s in absolute random order!

1. How did the band Pink Floyd get its name?
Ans: By combining the names of two blues musicians Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. Syd Barret, one of the members in Pink Floyd when it was formed, liked these two artistes.

2. Who are Madamoiselle Nobbs & Seamus? And what’s the connection they have with Pink Floyd?
Ans: They are singing dogs that recorded with the band

3. In 1967 Pink Floyd released their first album "Piper At the Gates of Dawn". The album had some good cuts. One of them was "Arnold Layne". What’s this song about?
Ans: About a transvestite (cross dresser) who stole bras and panties of ladies from washing lines in Cambridge, England

4. On July 6th, 1977, during the Animals tour in Montreal, Quebec, a fan started screaming loudly, barging his way towards the stage. Roger waters did something to show his disgust. What did Roger’s do?
Ans: He spat on the face of a fan; Rogers felt bad about this incident and started penning down new lyrics about how much he and the audience have come apart.

5. Name the member of the Pink Floyd band who has appeared on every Pink Floyd record?
Ans: Nick Mason - the famous drummer. He also had an alternative career as a racing driver and his favorite hobby was collecting vintage cars.

6. What is the connection between the pupils of Islington Green School and Pink Floyd?
Ans: They sang the chorus for "We Don't Need No Education"

The school was chosen because it was close to the studio. It was made up of 23 kids between the ages of 13 and 15. They were overdubbed 12 times, making it sound like there were many more kids. The school was paid £1,000 and later given a platinum record of the song but the pupils were not paid anything.

7. Which album of Pink Floyd, considered by many fans as the magnum opus in psychedelic rock, was originally named "Eclipse: A Piece for Assorted Lunatics"?
Ans: Dark Side of the Moon (DSotM); Dark Side of the Moon was based on the time, money, mental illness, war, death and other pressures of life.

8. Which album of Pink Floyd is mainly a tribute to former band member Syd Barrett, whose mental illness, addiction to drugs and erratic behavior on the stage resulted his being kicked out from the band?
Ans: Wish You Were Here

Coincidentally, Syd Barrett himself turned up unannounced at the studio in the middle of a recording session of the backing vocals for "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". He looked bald and had put on so much of weight that some of the members did not recognize him at first. Others were almost in tears. Roger Waters later confided that he cried.

Thus ends my first quiz on Pink Floyd. I hope you liked the quiz as much as I did while compiling it. Look out for more quizzes on Pink Floyd.

2005-10-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

The dumbest quiz show I ever watched

What happens when a cricket commentator dons the role of a quizmaster? Well, the quiz ends up like a cricket match where the umpire plays spoilsport and saps the energy of the players and spectators . This is what I experienced at the recently held Hyderabad leg of the CRY FACT Quiz – 2005.

Noted cricket commentator Gautham Bhimani conducted the show. Right from the beginning it was as if the organizers were trying to test the patience of the participants and the audience. The organizers made the participating teams occupy their seats by 6:30 PM sharp. But they went on dilly-dallying till 7:30 PM to conduct the prelims. The emcee announced that she would get to the point with making much ado but ended up causing a lot of irritation by maintaining an enigmatic silence for more than an hour while everyone was eagerly waiting for the questions to roll down.

Though the quality of questions was good, it was lack of professionalism at handling things that goofed up the whole event. The quiz was like watching two boring bollywood films without any interval. At the end of every round, the quizmaster was groping for the questions cards he had misplaced. So was his dumb team of over 10 people who took more than an eternity to play some audio/video clips. They even screwed up the scores of a team by pushing it back by a few points.

Though I liked some of the questions, I left with the feeling that I had never watched such a boring quiz. The irony is, Titan is one of the co-sponsors. There was even a round on taking `Time’ as the theme. But the quizmaster gave a new definition to Time by taking more than 4 hours to conduct the quiz, which he could have done in less than 2 hours. Everyone was emaciated at the end of the show. I feel it would be good if Gautham Bhimani sticks to what he is good at (i.e., cricket commentary) instead of venturing into an area that requires time management, aplomb and professionalism.

2005-09-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

On the road to recovery...

September 2005 is perhaps the cruelest month in my life. Coz it’s the first time I got hospitalized with multiple disorders. It all started on 6th when I went to a nearby park to take some pics. I spent nearly 3 hours under the sun, capturing the glimpses of nature in its myriad manifestations. The moment I returned to my room, I experienced something similar to an electric shock. I started sweating profusely and my body was writhing in pain. First, I thought it was a sunstroke and took some self-medication. But the problem got aggravated by evening. I didn’t see any point in wasting the time and got admitted to a nearby super-specialty hospital with the help of my cousin.

There were 4 nurses and a doctor tending to me. I was reeling under severe fever, headache and dehydration. It was after 4 hours of intensive care that included lots of injections and other forms of medication, I started creeping back to life. Around midnight, I returned to my room and slept. By the next afternoon, I found myself in a completely emaciated condition and got admitted in the hospital, this time as an in-patient. For almost 6 hours, I battled for life. Though the nurses were quite friendly, I found doctors very unprofessional. They have diagnosed me with abdominal infection. I experienced an unforgettable trauma during my one-and-half day stay in the hospital. My friend Ravi was with me when I was in the hospital and later took me to his home where I stayed for 4 days.

The severity of the illness I experienced is such that I’m yet to recover fully even after 2 weeks. Though the doctors suggested complete bed rest, I managed to work this week with frequent breaks. The saddest part of my hospitalization was not the bill which was quite exorbitant, but I lost a lot of weight and the biceps I worked so hard to build for over 6 months. I look forward to going back to the gym ASAP and pumping the iron so that I could regain the weight and prance back to life.

2005-09-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

Business Quiz – 5

1. Which Indian car shares its name with one of the colors in the rainbow?
Ans: `Indigo' from the Tata stable

2. Connect Beltex, Texla, Oscar, Salora, Crown, Jolly and Dixon.
Ans: All are Desi TV Brands trying to make a comeback. These brands suffered a major setback when MNCs hit the market in early 1990's.

3. Which brand gets its name from the Japanese word for `red'?
Ans: Akai

4. The person behind this famous online venture thought of naming his company "Cadabra". But his manager persuaded him to go for another name as he felt "Cadabra" sounds like a "Cadaver". How do we know this new economy major as today?
Ans: Amazon.com

5. Which brand of custard powder was developed by Alfred Bird in the 19th century as an alternative for his wife who was allergic to eggs and could not eat homemade egg custard?
Ans: Bird's Custard Powder by Kraft Foods

6. What do you call a stock market bond that has no principles, no interest, and no maturity?
Ans: Clinton Bond. It's named after former President Bill Clinton and his well documented feats with interns. Such a bond is also known as Quayle Bond, named after former Vice-President Dan Quayle.

Actually, there's no such bond. This is just a hilarious buzzword.

7. Name the company started by Nandita Das recently to make ads on social issues.
Ans: Leapfrog

8. We have heard of white and blue-collar workers. But what do you call workers whose job involves a combination of white and blue-collar duties.
Ans: Gray-collar workers

9. In retailing, what is `Trolleyology'?
Ans: The study of the correlation between the contents of a person's shopping cart (trolley) and their personality.

10. What type of advertising is jocularly referred to as `Pollution on a pole'?
Ans: Billboard Advertising. It's also known as `Pollution on stick'

2005-09-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

Business Quiz # 4

1. It's known as `Sure' in the UK, `Shield' in South Africa, and `Reward' in Nigeria. How do we know it as in India?
Ans: Rexona

2. Who are popularly referred to as MDA and ADA in the Indian corporate world?
Ans: Mukesh Dhiruibhai Ambani and Anil Dhirubhai Ambani

3.Identify the personality based on the clues given below:

a). Golfer and gourmet, pianist and pilot, he loves cricket, skiing, and dancing.
b). On the walls of his office, his life has been depicted by a series of cartoons by R K Laxman. In one of cartoons, he was compared to Napoleon Bonaparte.
c). He led an army of 1.1 lakh employees for decades without any trouble.
d). He also holds a record for signing nearly 8 lakh letters during his tenure as MD at one of the Tata group companies.
Ans: Russy Modi of Tata Steel

4.Connect Cast Away, Bowfinger, Runaway Bride, and the Matrix with a brand.
Ans: Fed Ex is advertised in all these films.

5. Name the first company to print nutrition information on its product packages.
Ans: Kellogg's

6. In business, what do you do when you `Napsterize'?
Ans: You share knowledge/information, which increases the perceived and actual value of your service/business

7. According to Fortune magazine, which Indian company publishes its financial statements in accordance with the accounting standards of 8 countries?
Ans: Infosys

8. Allansons and Madhu Jayanti are among the leading exporters of what product from India?
Ans: Coffee

9. If an American puts 420 in his email profile, what's he trying to convey?
Ans: That he smokes marijuana regularly

10.Which San Francisco-based company recently bagged a multi-million deal to reconstruct Iraq?
Ans: Bechtel Group

2005-09-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

Business Quiz #3

1.Name the first-ever Indian company to be converted into a bank.
Ans: Kotak Mahindra

2.He was born in Thailand, brought up at Ramana Maharshi's ashram at
Thiruvannamalli, and was credited for designing and selling the world's first portable computer in early 1980's. Identify the personality we are talking about.
Ans: Adam osborne

3. What do you call a stock market issue whose market capitalization is less than Rs 50 crore?
Ans: Ankle Biter

4.What do you call a branding exercise that focuses on simple, crisp message?
Ans: Plain Vanilla Branding

5.It's a day (generally a Friday) when employees are allowed to wear informal cloths to work in most of the companies. In HR parlance, there's a special word for such a day. What is it?
Ans: Dress-Down Day

6. Which fairness cream brand recently launched a foundation under its name to help women across the country gain economic independence through education, career guidance, and scholarships?
Ans: Fair & Lovely

7.In computing, what is a `Rain Dance?"
Ans: A sequence of actions performed in the hope that will solve a computer problem.

8.Which detergent is named after the founder's daughter `Nirupama?"
Ans: Nirma

9. In advertising/marketing slang, who/what is referred to as `Blue hair?"
Ans: Elderly Women Customers. (Interesting Response from a member: making an ad which has night scenes, mostly bedroom scenes etc. named because of the blue light that is used to create a night effect, which creates a blue hair effect)

10.Which car gets its name from the Italian word for `lightning'?
Ans: Baleno

2005-09-24T05:44:00.000-07:00

Business Quiz # 2

1. Which automobile brand is named after the Czech word for `pity or hame'?
Ans: Skoda

2.Identify the brand name based on the clues given below:

a. Contains 6 letters and rhymes with Niagara
b. The first 2 letters are the homonym of a word, which means `to fight or compete'
c. The last 4 letters not only evoke `aggression' but share their wording with a city that houses a famous monument in India.
Ans: Viagra

3.Which company's mission statement is "To be All things to all people?"
Ans: Yahoo!

4.Which company has the ticker name "SUN" on New York Stock Exchange?
Ans: Sunoco, Inc.

5.Theater owners in which Indian city cancelled screening of films for 45 days and showed cricket matches on the screen during the ICC world cup 2003?
Ans: OOTY

6.In-film advertising has become common these days. Why the beer brand "Zingaro" was chosen as an in-film advertiser in the film "Jism"? (There's some interesting funda behind this)
Ans: Zingaro is promoted based on the platform of having a "LIGHT-HEARTED STRONG DESIRE." This image gelled well with Jism's theme of a woman having an Extra-Marital Affair (Light-Hearted Feeling) with a Strong Desire (Employing Her Lover To Kill Her Husband)

7.Identify the script in which the Coca-Cola brand name is written.
Ans: Spencerian Script

8.In soft drinks business, what are COBO and FOBO?
Ans: COBO – Company Owned Bottling Operationg; FOBO – Franchisee Owned Bottling Operations

9.Which Indian apparel brand was created by My Noorani and Hasan Taj
over a cup of chai in an Irani restaurant in front of Mumbai's Liberty Cinema?
Ans: Zodiac

10. Which MNC has bagged the rights to treat the sacred waters of Ganga, bottle it and sell it as mineral water in Delhi?
Ans: Suez Dregmont.

2005-09-23T23:05:00.000-07:00

Business Quiz #1

1. What was the first major source of revenue generation for the East India Company in India in the early 1830's? (Clue: A famous place in Andhra Pradesh)
Ans: The hundi collection from the abode of Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirupathi.

2. In retailing, what term connotes the loss loss suffered due to shoplifting, mispricing, or wastage?
Ans: Shrinkage

3. According to Jack Trout, what is considered as the `ultimate competitive starategy?'
Ans: Benchmarking

4. Which product from ITC means a `blessing' in some of the Indian languages?
Ans: Aashirwaad (atta)

5. Kids play an important role in purchasing products such as motorcycles, cars, TVs, etc. What do you call such ability of kids to influence the buying decisions of their parents?
Ans: Pester Power

6. Name India's largest non-corporate global brand.
Ans: Taj Mahal

7. What are `bum bum' policies in insurance business?
Ans: Policies that cover the rear ends of celebrities. Such policies are very popular in Brazil.

8. In HR jargon, what is the term given to employees who are no longer considered to be productive to the company they work for?
Ans: Deadwood

9. In marketing slang, who is a `tyrekicker'?
Ans: A prospective customer who demands a lot of attention and gathers a lot of information buts ends up buying nothing

10. If Mitsubishi means `three diamonds' in the Japanese, which Japanese company is named after the Japanese word for `three water wells?'
Ans: Mitsui

11. Companies generally give away products such as T-shirts, pens, watches, and mugs to their employees with the company's logo or any other information printed on them. What is the name given to such products?
Ans: Missionware

2005-09-23T22:59:00.000-07:00

Barbie Quiz

1.What's the full name of Barbie doll?
### Barbara Millicent Roberts

2. What inspired Ruth Handler create the Barbie doll?
### There are two answers to this question. I have given a point to all those who gave either of the following responses:

(a). Ruth Handler noticed her daughter playing with paper dolls and imagining them in grown-up roles. Since most dolls at the time were baby dolls, Ruth envisioned one that would inspire little girls to think about what they wanted to be when they grew up. Ruth created a teenage fashion model doll named Barbie (after her daughter), and the rest is history.

(b). In the mid 1950's, while visiting Switzerland, Ruth Handler purchased a German Lilli doll. Lilli was a shapely, pretty fashion doll first made in 1955. She was originally fashioned after a famous cartoon character in the West German Newsletter, Bild. Lilli was made of hard plastic with molded on shoes and earrings. She was available in 11 ½" or 7" in heights. Her hair was long and pulled back into a ponytail. There was a large wardrobe available for this doll. Ruth Drew inspiration from `Lilli', which was sold as a sex toy for men.

3. Who was Barbie doll's first pet?
### A horse called `Dancer'

4. What was Barbie doll's first car?
### A coral Austin Healey.

5. Name the first celebrity to become a Barbie doll?
### Twiggy. This was a tribute to the top British model, Twiggy, in 1966.

6. Which collection/series has the maximum number of Barbie dolls?
### Dolls of the World

7. What kind of a Barbie doll is a HTF?
### A doll, which is Hard To Find

8. What was the first career held by the Barbie doll?
### Fashion Designer

9. Which famous supermodel turned down an offer to have a modeled after her?
### Cindy Crawford

10. The Talking Barbie dolls made in Mexico in the 1970's had a defect when played with. What was it?
### The legs would fall off. Today, finding a Made in Mexico Barbie, with her original legs in good working order and that have not been glued on, fetches a good price.

2005-09-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

Pink Floyd, Paradise make my weekend

Weekend was quite OK. Met a couple of friends and indulged myself with a Praraside Biryani. Perhaps this is one of the sumptuous delicacies I enjoy the most in Hyderabad.

Saturday night, I visited a popular apparel store that sells Rock T-shirts and spent more than 30 minutes rummaging through their stocks for a Pink Floyd T-shirt. I felt like a cat that swallowed the canary when I found what I was looking for. I just grabbed it without any second thoughts. On my way back to the room, I couldn’t stop pulling my favorite catch out of the bag and feeling it.

I have been a big fan of Pink Floyd for the past 6 years. I have collected more than 30 albums of Pink Floyd and lots of videos. Though I listen to anything from ABBA to Zeppelin, I have developed a special taste for Pink Floyd.

2005-09-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

Brand Buzz

1.The original `eagle' logo on this brand has given way to a `Bear' in 1920. And the `Bear' happens to be the symbol of the town where the factory is located. What brand are we talking about?
###Toblerone - the Swiss Chocolate.

2. What's the difference between the `Limited Edition' and the `Collector Edition' of Barbie Dolls?
### While the Limited Edition Barbie dolls are produced in quantities limited to 35,000 or less worldwide, Collector Edition Barbie are produced in quantities of more than 35,000.

3. Which Indian utility vehicle is named after a Spanish dance and the lively music that accompanies it?
### Bolero from Mahindra & Mahindra.

4. There are many companies that would love to hate Microsoft. The principal enemies of Microsoft are commonly referred to as NOISE. If N stands for Netscape, O for Oracle, I for IBM, S for Sun Microsystems, what does E stand for?
### `E `stands for Everyone else.

5. LG has launched an air-conditioner under the name "Whisen". What does `Whisen' mean in Korea? ### A strong wind

2005-09-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

Biz Buzz - 4

1.Which brand gets its name from the Latin word, meaning `snow-white' in English?
###Nivea

2.Who coined the word `Copyleft' as he got frustrated with `Copyright'?
###Richard Stallman of the Free Software Movement

3."There's no such thing as a committed bureaucracy. It's like boiling ice-cream". Who made this comment? (Clue: the best finance minister India never had)
###Nani Phalkiwala

4.Connect a Diamond, a Condom, and a brand of basmati rice.
###Kohinoor

5.What do you call this stock market theory, which says that bad news tends to get released in bundles?
### Cockroach theory; It’s named so because cockroaches tend to travel in large groups and aren't looked upon kindly.

6.To whom did Al Ries and his daughter Laura Ries dedicate their bestseller "The 11 immutable Laws of Internet Branding"?
### Dotcoms

7.Which is the most used word in an advertising agency?
### Creative

8.When this Internet marketing genius had a cracking idea, he got his head shaved off, as he wanted to be known as the bald guy who knows something about the Internet. He still flaunts his shaved head and keeps coming up with good ideas. Can you identify this person who is completely against spamming your mailbox?
### Seth Godin of the “Permission Marketing” fame

9. The Red color in the logo of this institution not only symbolizes aggression in the finance business, but also warns its employees to be always on the alert! Which company are we talking about?
### HDFC

10. What's the connection between a cellular service provider and the air rushing out from your nostrils at 160 KMPH?
### Hutch (The air rushes out from your nostrils at 160 KMPH when you sneeze. And `Hutch' is the word you utter when you sneeze)

2005-09-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

Crusade against plagiarism pays off

At last, our collective crusade against plagiarism, which has been flourishing under the aegis of Business Standard, has paid off. I felt very happy when Mr T N Ninan, the editor of Business Standard, wrote to me this morning informing that the newspaper has discontinued the arrangement with Mr Jaspreet Bindra for its quiz column. I thanked Mr Ninan for taking such a step.

My special thanks to Ritesh, Aniruddha, Sudip, Rajeev, Rohini, Diwakar, Suman, Gautam and scores of other members and well-wishers who came forward to put an end to Bindra’s act that has set a new mark in the annals of plagiarism.

Now the controversial columnist has been removed from his seat of comfort, it’s time to get back to good old quizzing. I’m thinking of posting a quiz this weekend.

2005-09-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

Biz Buzz –3

1.What business did Monica Lewinscky venture into after the White House affair?
### Handbags; You can have a look at www.therealmonica.com

2.Most of us know that Akio Morita's passion to listening to Beethoven's music while playing golf resulted in the invention of Sony Walkman. But there was another reason that prompted Morita to invent the Walkman. What’s it?
### He noticed people carrying large stereos to parks and beaches and felt like coming up with something handy without compromising on the sound quality.

3.Born in 1888 in Melbourne, Presence in 144 countries, The Official
sponsor of the Formula One. What famous brand am I talking about?
### Fosters

4.Which European Country banned the original version of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC)?
###Sweden

5.In Banking parlance, what's the Golden Era of 3-6-3?
###A prescription for good banking – get money at 3 per cent, lend it at 6 per cent and return to the Golf club at 3 PM.

6.Which brand of jeans shares its name with an airport in Hong Kong?
###Lap Kok

7. It's the oldest apparel trademark still in use. During the Second World War, the design of this trademark underwent a change due to Government policies. What is the trademark and what was the change made to it during the WWII?
###The double row of stitching on the back pockets, known as Arcuate Stitching Design. During the Second World War, the design was painted on the pockets due to government rationing of essential items such as thread.

8.Why does McDonald decorate its restaurants in Red and Yellow?
###These colors are said to induce hunger

9. Which ingredient of chewing paan gets its name from the Sanskrit for `Pleasant'?
###Supaari

10.In the late 19th century, what unusual thing was used as fuel for locomotives in Egypt due to a severe short supply of wood and coal?
###Mummies; millions of mummies were used to fuel the locomotives.

2005-09-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

Biz Buzz - 2

1. Which automobile brand is named after the Spanish word for `grace’?
### Mercedes; It was named after the daughter of Emil Jellinek, an Austrian businessman who promised to buy a fleet of cars if they were named after his daughter whose name `Mercedes' translated to `grace' in Spanish.

2. Which Indian company identifies itself with the Italian mindset of precision engineering?
### PRICOL- Premier Instruments and Controls.

3.What does the number 4,810 on the nib of a Mont Blanc pen signify?
### The height of Mount Blanc in meters and the limited edition pens. Every Year, Mont Blanc produces only 4,810 pens. Once the 4,810 is made, the dyes are destroyed and to show its lineage, every nib of the line has 4,810 inscribed on it.

4. Long time back, Colgate introduced toothpaste under some brand name in France. Though the quality and performance of the product were very good, it ended up as a cropper. What was the brand and why did it fail?
### The brand name was `CUE'. It failed because CUE also happened to be the name of a notorious porno magazine in France.

5. I am around 47. Until 1971, I used to look to my right. But from 1971, I have been looking only straight ahead. Who am I?
### Barbie Doll. Until 1971, Barbie's eyes looked to the right. Beginning in 1971, they looked straight ahead.

7. Everyone knows that a bullish trend is when the stock markets are rising and the bearish is when the markets are on a downward spiral. But what do you call a stock market trend that is neither bullish nor bearish - just flat? (Don't tell me it's a Flat Market)
### Chicken Market

8. When India, Inc. sought investment from abroad, some of the heavyweights in the Indian business came together to protest what they perceived as an imminent takeover of Indian business by transnational companies. What was the result?
### Formation of the Bombay Club.

9. What does the age recorded on a whiskey bottle refer to?
### The number of years it is aged prior to being bottled. Once in the bottle, whiskey does not improve.

10. During the second world war, why there was a sudden increase in the consumption of pop corn in the united states?
### Sugar was sent overseas for the U.S. troops. This caused scarcity of sugar in the states to produce candy. Because of this unusual situation, Americans consumed three times as much popcorn as usual.

2005-09-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

Biz Buzz - 1

1. In Levi's 501, what does `01' represent?
### The Cone Mills fabric supplied exclusively to Levi's.

2. `Dole' and `Chiquita' are two famous global brands. What product category do these brands belong to?
### Bananas

3. Which aftershave allows its users to experience the brand even if they cannot afford a bike?
### Harley Davidson.

4. According to Dilbert comic strips, what is the most used management lie?
### “Our Employees Are Our Greatest Asset.”

5. Which optical networking company is named after a tree that lives for more than 500 years?
### Sycamore Networks.

6. What do the three stripes on Adidas' logo represent?
###The three sons of Adi Dassler, the company's founder.

7. Which brand of watches is named after a highly popular Mexican car race event of the 60's and is meant for those who dream to be inside the cockpit of a F1 car some day?
### Carrera.

8. When McDonald's began its operations, what did it call the small conference room where the top management used to conduct meetings?( the name depicts how seriously the company plays the hamburger game)
### War Room.

9. In stock market jargon, what is the name given to a scrip that can be picked up at almost nothing but where you can find substantial value?
### Cigar Butt.

10. What did Percy Shaw invent while driving late at night down a steep hill and when he was worried that he might come off the road because there were no road markings?
### Cat's Eyes.

2005-09-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

Crusade against BS continues

My crusade against Business Standard gathered momentum with many members of Quinkie and IBQ joining me. Though I never wanted to sensationalize issues, my umpteen mails to the newspaper requesting them to stop publishing the plagiarized material, fell on the deaf ears. At last, I felt like bringing the plagiarism to the notice of everyone.

Well, if you are not able to understand what I’m talking about, let me throw some light. Business Standard, a leading newspaper in India, has been carrying a fortnightly quiz column. The columnist is supposed to spend some time and energy researching for questions and compile the quiz. Instead of doing their own research and compiling the quiz, the columnists have been resorting to plagiarism by copying the content for the column from various quiz groups. The columnists never bothered to acknowledge the source for their questions.

The plagiarism has taken disgusting levels since Jaspreet Bindra started writing the column. This quizzer did a sort of redefining plagiarism by lifting almost the entire content for his quiz column from quizzing groups like Quinkie, IBQ, QFI, and Quiznet. I felt the urge to put an end to this diabolical act and wrote marathon missives of communication to Business Standard with the threads from where Mr Bindra took the content. Though the Editor of the Strategist section (where the quiz appears every fortnight) of the newspaper gave me a written assurance that she would take action, her assurance remained a mere assurance when Bindra lifted questions en masse for the nth time.

I didn’t see any point in wasting time, and posted a message about the sordid act of plagiarism in Quinkie and IBQ. Many people from the quizzing fraternity chipped in supporting my move. A member even went a step ahead and launched a signature campaign sending a strong signal to Business Standard.

This evening I received a mail from Mr T N Ninan, the editor of Business Standard. Mr Ninan wrote that he would have it checked and revert. Now I’m confident that Business Standard will wake up from slumber and do something to save its face.