Kauntest

Milestone break August 13, 2006

Having completed 50 editions, Kauntest is on a short-break and will be back soon.

If you wish to receive an alert once fresh kauntests resume, send an email to kauntest(at)gmail(dot)com

Result :: kauntest # 50 August 13, 2006

If you identified the singer correctly as Enrique Iglesias, you would know that the mole is in centre square – E. Incidentally, he had to get the mole removed on the advise of his doctors, who cautioned that it could turn cancerous.

Correct answers by:
Shirish
Lakshmi
Supreet Singh
Bala
Nupur Barua
Ricky

Image from: http://www.showbizireland.com/images/stars/met-enrique03.jpg

kauntest # 50 August 7, 2006

With ‘moles’ occupying centre-stage in recent times, we bring out the original mole man. On which square from A to I does this crooner have a mole?

Please use the ‘Comments’ section below to respond

Last date: August 12, 2006

Result :: kauntest # 49 August 7, 2006

That was the reflection of the Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar!

Thanks everyone for putting up with the participation inconvenience. Working on a new solution.

Correct answers by:
Balaji Narayanan
Jamshed Rajan
Anonymous on Aug 1
Gejoy
Shyam V
Anonymous on Aug 4

Image from: www.rediff.com

kauntest # 49 July 31, 2006

No clue this time.
Who is this?
Last date: August 7, 2006

(Note:
The participation form on the right is out of order.
Please use the ‘Comments’ section below to respond)

Result :: kauntest # 48 July 30, 2006

India’s first policewoman IPS officer — Kiran Bedi. Her status in India as an inspirational woman is almost legendary. Any biographical write-up on her makes for compelling reading.

Correct answers by:

Bharat Kumar
Supreet Singh
Niyam Bhushan
Balaji Narayanan
(And all those whose entries were lost in transit due to a technical snag. Sincere apologies.)

Image from: www.kiranbedi.com

kauntest # 48 July 23, 2006

Is this a real policeman? Who is this?

Last date: July 30, 2006

Result :: kauntest # 47 July 23, 2006

This is the base of the Statue of Liberty, New York! Perhaps one of the most widely recognized visual metaphors for the United States of America.

Correct answers by:
David Livingstone
Milind Ganjoo
Ricky Singh
Colors
Manu
Amisha Gupta
Chiranjeev Singh
Siddhartha Majumdar
Ashesh
Niyam Bhushan

Image from: http://www.new7wonders.com/downloads/USA/Statue_of_Liberty_FREE_l.jpg

kauntest # 47 July 16, 2006

Let loose your imagination. Which symbolic landmark is this?

Last date: July 22, 2006

Result :: kauntest # 46 July 16, 2006

Larry Page (left) and Sergey Brin (right) — the duo who as Stanford students, started the revolutionary search service Google. Google has now been accepted as a verb in the English language.

Interestingly a lot of people mentioned Wren and Martin as the answer!

Correct answers by:
Jammy
Milind Ganjoo
David
Bharat Kumar
Balaji Narayanan
Ricky Singh
Manu
Ekta Kaur
Niyam Bhushan
Rahul Maniyar
Lakshmi
Ashesh

Image from: http://vietnamnet.vn/kinhte/thegioi/2006/01/528680/

kauntest # 46 July 9, 2006

Among other things, the two are known for their contribution to English grammar. Who are they?

Last date: July 15, 2006

Result :: kauntest # 45 July 9, 2006

This is architect Charles-Edouard Jeanneret better known as Le Corbusier. Seen here with a scale model of one of his popular creations – Villa Savoye, one of the defining works of the modernist style, that Le Corbusier was responsible for developing and popularising. See more of his work here.

And the Kauntextual hint keyword was ‘Chandigarh’ — a city that Le Corbusier planned in post-independence India.

Correct answers by:
Madhulika Mathur
Ruddhi
Lakshmi
Milind Ganjoo

Image from: http://encarta.msn.com/media_461541747_761558071_-1_1/Le_Corbusier.html

kauntest # 45 July 2, 2006

Yet another creator. Born Swiss, he adopted his mother’s maiden name later on. He died swimming in the Mediterranean Sea.

Kauntextual hint:
Think out of the (comic) box.
Listen to this song (600+kb in RealAudio) for a keyword or go through these lyrics here for the same keyword.

Last date: July 8, 2006

Result :: kauntest # 44 July 2, 2006

This is Bill Waterson who created the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, in the ten years from 1985 till 1995 when he took retirement. The comic strip appeared in more than 2400 publications and was compiled into 18 books. Check out more wonderful information on Bill Waterson and Calvin and Hobbes.

Correct answers by:
Jamshed Rajan
Madhulika Mathur
Manu
Niyam Bhushan
Milind Ganjoo
Balaji Narayanan
Colors
Supreet Singh
Jeez
Lijo
Rahul
Manvendra
Aparna
Sushmita
Vikas Shankar
Lakshmi

Image from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Billwatterson86.jpg

kauntest # 44 June 25, 2006

He is the creator of perhaps the most precociously complex and hyper-imaginatively paranoid six-year old kid.

Last date: July 1, 2006

Result :: kauntest # 43 June 25, 2006

Was it so difficult for people to associate the word ‘satirist’ with Scott Adams — creator of the popular cartoon strip Dilbert? (And even those of you with an eye for detail missed the striped curling tie in the picture!) Adams subsquently has written more than half a dozen books. Read more about him on Wikipedia.

Adams runs his own blog.

Correct answers by:
– NO ONE –

Image from: http://www.igt.com/NewsRoom/Images.asp?pid=8.46.244.216

kauntest # 43 June 18, 2006

One of the more popular modern-day satirists. And even though you may have read a lot of him, writing is not his first claim to fame. Who is he?

Too tough? Ok here is the hint: Answer kauntest # 44 to get oriented…

Last date: June 24 June 27, 2006

Result :: kauntest # 42 June 18, 2006

Arguably India’s most useful cricketer in recent times — Rahul Dravid. These and more interesting facts in his appropriately titled biography: The Nice Guy Who Finished First by Devendra Prabhudesai

Correct answers by:
Jammy
Madhulika Mathur
Lakshmi
Deepak Abbot
David
Ekta Kaur
Taranjeet
Vaibhav
Vikas Shankar
Piyadasi
Mistu

Image from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/photo_galleries/4387137.stm

kauntest # 42 June 11, 2006

1. He played his first Test because Sanjay Manjrekar had an injured ankle
2. The first bowler he faced in Test cricket was Ronnie Irani
3. On his first Test dismissal he ‘walked’ without waiting for the umpire’s decision

Who is he?

Last date: June 17, 2006

Result :: kauntest # 41 June 11, 2006

Three weeks in a row on kauntest should have ensured adequate familiarity with the wife of Bill Gates, Melinda Gates (Melinda French before her marriage). Melinda who runs the ‘Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’ was ranked 10 among The Most Powerful Women In 2005 by Forbes.

Correct answers by:
Rajesh Rangarajan
Taryn
Madhulika Mathur
Milind Ganjoo
Ashesh

Image from:
http://www.educationnext.org/20061/44.html

kauntest # 41 June 4, 2006

Familiarity breeds kauntempt? Who is this lady? Bonne chance!

Last date: June 10, 2006

Result :: kauntest # 40 June 4, 2006

It’s Bill Gates again! You thought one couldn’t have the same answer two weeks in a row?
Did you know: In February 1998, Bill Gates actually had a pie thrown on/at his face. See video [here] and pictures [here]. Also see what Wikipedia has on this.

Correct answers by:
Taranjeet
Ekta Kaur
Ricky
Milind Ganjoo
Masood Nasser

Image from: http://www.newyorker.com/online/slideshows/slideshows/041108onslpo_avedon_25?false

kauntest # 40 May 28, 2006

Apple-pie or shaving foam? No, that’s not the question! Who is the guy with the face pack?

Last date: June 3, 2006

Result :: kauntest # 39 May 28, 2006

The richest man in the world — Bill Gates — seen here as a tourist in Turkey. His company, Microsoft, plans to launch a new operating system Windows Vista later this year.

Correct answers by:
Alok
Ekta Kaur
Ashesh
Aparna Padmanabhan
Bala
Bharat Kumar
Manan
Taryn
Ricky
Milind Ganjoo

Image from: http://news.com.com/2300-1016_3-5894710-2.html

kauntest # 39 :: turkish vistas May 21, 2006

Turkish vistas are where the rich and famous walk around as tourists.
Who is he, the man in shorts?

Last date: May 27, 2006

Result :: kauntest # 38 May 21, 2006

Easy one that! Google Campus. 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA(lifornia) 94043. Acceptable answers: Googleplex, Google Head Quarters.

Notice the ‘Google Pool’?

Correct answers by:
Ricky
Jammy
Ekta Kaur
Milind Ganjoo
Vikas Shankar
Supreet
Leena Haldar
Mistu
Munish Sikka
Madhulika
Seeolfreeloader
Manu
Rachna
Dabbot

Interested in seeing how the Google Campus looks like from inside?
Click here, and here.

kauntest # 38 May 14, 2006

This is an image of one of the highest resolution areas on Google Earth. And the reason for that isn’t too surprising. What place is this?

Last date: May 20, 2006

Result :: kauntest # 37 May 13, 2006

Medha Patkar, of course! Medha has been spearheading the Narmada Bachao Aandolan, fighting to get the Sardar Sarovar Dam height (altitude, eh?) reduced on behalf of the people being displaced by the project. Get her side of the story, here.

Correct answers by:
Jammy
Ekta Kaur
Ruddhi
Ricky
Dabbot
Mistu
Manu
Aparna
Milind Ganjoo
Masood
Munish Sikka
Vikas Shankar
Leena Haldar

Pictures from: outlookindia.com, and here

kauntest # 37 :: altitude problem May 6, 2006

Giraffes are not the only ones to have an altitude problem…
This lady is an alumnus of TISS, Mumbai. Who is she?

Last date: May 13, 2006

Result: kauntest # 36 May 6, 2006

This is the U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney, who was recently in news for having accidentally shot at his hunting partner. [I had given you a hint -- '...give it a shot...'] Other popular answers included Steve Ballmer, George Bush, Robin Williams, Donald Rumsfeld (all Americans incidentally).

The people who have got this right are:

Ricky
Ekta Kaur
Sandeep
Aparna Padmanabhan

Image from: http://www.smu.edu/newsinfo/releases/01326.html