South African (Off-Topic) Quiz

[+FlyingSyringe]

Well GPS technology is not that old, Cell Phone technology is not that old. So maybe a divining rod, soothsayer, trek pony and psychic.

[+Wazat]

Haa haa FS, good try but nope.

[+cincol]

<yawn> - wazat this one is "dying" a slow death as well. Perhaps FS's answer is an indication that we have hit the bottom of the barrel now.

[+Discombob]

now now Cincol, I think this is actually an interesting question.

 

I will say a walkie talkie type thingamabobby

[+7Gryph7]

what about one of those trained st Bernards with the barrel of rum around their collar?

[+Wazat]

Way to go Discombobby type person.... Walkie Talkies were used for the first time in a Drakensberg Mountain rescue when 15 students became stranded, some on top of the Amphitheater and some below during a heavy snow storm. Two of the hikers succumbed to the freezing cold. Peter Christensen's body was found on the 5th of July once the snow had started melting 600m from the mountain hut. It is believed that after giving his jacket to fellow student Keith Erasmus, who also died, he made his way up the chain ladders to get help from the other students who had gone to get shelter in the Mountain hut. He was last seen ascending the chain ladder never to be seen alive again.

[+the pooks]

Aaah, the Drakensberg. Two of us were on a hike there, a long time ago. We had the 1:50000 map with us and planned to stay in some of the caves. That was long before GPS and I recall how we searched for the caves and never found them. Then the wind and the night and the cold would catch up on us and it was frightening how quickly one would lose the ability to function properly. Putting up a tent became quite a major issue under those conditions. Unfortunately we were attacked on the fourth day of the hike - we were naive then, as such things such as safety and security did not occur to us.

[+Discombob]

wow, the pooks!

Yes, if you had bought some bug repellant along, you would not have been attacked by those mossies

 

Ok, let me think of a question!

[+Discombob]

ok i have one, although I don't think anyone will get the answer, but its worth a shot.

One of my new favourite hobbies is boargaming, because on cold rainy UK days, you just don't always feel like geocaching

 

What is the difference between a Euro boardgame, and an Ameritrash boardgame?

 

And don't say the continent, because some euro games are designed in USA, and some Ameritrash games in Europe

[+FlyingSyringe]

hmmm let me try. Euro boardgames are generally fun family orientated, so kid friendly and try to stick to common ethical and moral behaviours whilst delving into fun. Ameritrash probably means that the characters are 'ability' based lets say eg. wizards, demons or soldiers and have the ability to behave in 'real-life' situtations which could include dominance, fear, violence and theft.

[+VryBurgers]

Well, as a bit of a boardgame geek myself I enjoy the European board games quite a bit. There seems to be less luck involved but focuses more on strategy and skill. If I use Settlers of Catan as an example, or even Memoir '44. Now I know that they are also published by a joint US and European company, but it has its origins in Europe. You are welcome to recommend some good titles...?

[+Discombob]

hmm, before I say yes to anyone, Vryburgers, do you want to expand on Ameritrash games?

[+cincol]

Ameritrash games are just that - trash out of America! No skill involved at all where luck is the only thing that will determine the outcome.

Edited June 24, 2011 by cincol

[+Discombob]

hmm tough call, everyone has something partly right.

Indeed Euro games generally have not much luck involved, normally skill based games, sometimes give you a headache.

 

Ameritrash games normally have more fighting, more luck,dice rolling, and very often differing skills, like flying syringe says.

 

I will say either Flyingsyringe or Vryburgers can go for it, as Flying syringe was fairly right about ameritrash, and vryburgers spot on about euros.

Cincol, you are fairly right about the luck, but for calling them trash, you've been given the boot, as some of them are great!

[+cincol]

............... Cincol, you are fairly right about the luck, but for calling them trash, you've been given the boot, as some of them are great!

 

hehe - almost like trailer trash?

[+VryBurgers]

FlyingSyringe may have the honour...

[+FlyingSyringe]

Ok wilco... should have a challenge for all by the morning

[+FlyingSyringe]

South Africa is well known for it's wildlife, what did early Game Rangers find out about White Rhinos in particular that set them aside from other game when they were captured for relocation purposes?

[+Discombob]

they were resistant to the normal sedatives used?

[+FlyingSyringe]

they were resistant to the normal sedatives used?

 

Thinking along the right lines, but no, that is not correct

[+VryBurgers]

They tended to wake up earlier than expected?

[+FlyingSyringe]

They tended to wake up earlier than expected?

 

No not quite the right answer, answers are in the right ballpark though.

[+VryBurgers]

Except for the fact that they snored while being tranquilized, they also grew addicted to the drugs?

[+cincol]

They required a MASSIVE dose - enough that would have killed other game.

[+FlyingSyringe]

Ok,

 

I think the time has come to put everyone at ease here.

 

Interestingly the answers given were naturally the most obvious and logical choice that would have been made by Vets and Game Rangers. Having started capturing antelope and larger herbivores with chemicals the thought was that yes a close to 1 ton animal should require a relative dosage to that of a Zebra of about 200 kg. So a Zebra would require 4 - 6 mg of an opioid drug known as M99 (Etorphine - a synthetic derivative of morphine, that is roughly 1000 times stronger). So naturally the first attempts at darting rhinos utilized in the region of 20 mg, and the Rhino's would die a very sudden and unexpected death.

 

In the end it was discovered that Rhinos require 1 - 2 mg of M99 to effectively sedate them! As a result modern chemical capture techniques employ a cocktail of drugs, but M99 is still used in that cocktail, and for capturing many other animals. So they may look big n tuff out there but they are really quite sensitive little guys.

[+cincol]

Ok,

 

I think the time has come to put everyone at ease here.

 

Interestingly the answers given were naturally the most obvious and logical choice that would have been made by Vets and Game Rangers. Having started capturing antelope and larger herbivores with chemicals the thought was that yes a close to 1 ton animal should require a relative dosage to that of a Zebra of about 200 kg. So a Zebra would require 4 - 6 mg of an opioid drug known as M99 (Etorphine - a synthetic derivative of morphine, that is roughly 1000 times stronger). So naturally the first attempts at darting rhinos utilized in the region of 20 mg, and the Rhino's would die a very sudden and unexpected death.

 

In the end it was discovered that Rhinos require 1 - 2 mg of M99 to effectively sedate them! As a result modern chemical capture techniques employ a cocktail of drugs, but M99 is still used in that cocktail, and for capturing many other animals. So they may look big n tuff out there but they are really quite sensitive little guys.

 

Interesting - who would have thought that! OK then, you better ask another question then.

[+VryBurgers]

I will remember that for my next white rhino relocation! Very interesting. Have another go!

[+FlyingSyringe]

What was first erected in October 1895, in JHB on the corner of Rissik and President streets?

[+cincol]

I know for a fact that Kimberley had the first street lights in South Africa. The diamond rush and gold rush overlapped a little and both cities had claims to fame around that time with technological advancements. It might have been the first street lights in JOHANNESBURG or perhaps the first traffic lights in South Africa?

[+FlyingSyringe]

Yes indeed not the first in South Africa but the first Electric Street Light in JHB. Over to you cincol

[+cincol]

OK - now for something completely different. Let's have a question that even if somebody wants to Google still will not get the answer. You will have to have been there to know the answer. If nobody answers within a couple of days / attempts I will pose an easier one.

 

Here goes - if you drive from Katse Dam to Thaba Tseka [or vice versa] you will notice something about the route that is actually quite strange considering where you are. What am I referring to?

Edited June 30, 2011 by cincol

[+Carbon Hunter]

Fossilised shells?

[+the pooks]

It's flat?

[+Carbon Hunter]

As the crow flies it is close - but it winds a lot and takes a long time?

[+cincol]

It's flat?

 

That was quick!! Well done - all yours.

[+the pooks]

Oh my goodness - a complete guess. I was thinking Lesotho and mountainous so thinking what would be unusual. And I've never been there! Now I have to think of a question...

[+the pooks]

Quick one - I learnt a new word the other day. A friend who likes using big words threw this word into conversation and it sounded quite useful. So what does "propinquity" mean?

[+Henzz]

So what does "propinquity" mean?

 

Inquisitive about something that is property-related ?

[+the pooks]

That was a bit obscure and not very pub-quizzy:

 

From wikipedia: Propinquity (from Latin propinquitas, "nearness") is one of the main factors leading to interpersonal attraction. People living on the same floor of a building, or have the same religion would have a higher propinquity than those living on different floors or with different religions. Sounds a bit obvious, now that I read it again. It just struck me that I am friends with neighbours that had they not lived next door it would be improbable that I would be friends, so I thought that was a useful concept.

 

I'll ask another one (I'm away for the weekend)

Who was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu better known as?

Edited July 2, 2011 by the pooks

[+Carbon Hunter]

Miriam Makeba?

[+7Gryph7]

mother theresa?

[+the pooks]

Ding-a-ling Gryph7! Your go.

[+7Gryph7]

Ok.... I didnt read through all 92 pages of the quiz, so I dont know if this has been asked yet. forgive me if it has.

 

It will also be a very easy question, if you have visited the related cache.

 

ok, so here goes:

 

There is a river in SA that is special in the sense that its water ends up in two different oceans (about 700km apart). What is this rivers name, and how is this possible?

Edited July 4, 2011 by 7Gryph7

[+tomtwogates]

I know about the town on the watershed - Wolseley - I put a cache there a few weeks ago- actually two rivers, the one the Little Berg which flows into the Berg and enters the sea at Laaiplek into the Atlantic Ocean - the other the Breede River, which flows into the Indian Ocean at Infanta see cache link

[+7Gryph7]

Tomtwogates: your placement in Wolseley is indeed the cache I was refering to and yes you have the right place. So I will give it to you.

 

the rivers name i was looking for is the Dwars rivier. and this happens because a irrigation canal uses this rivers water which then falls into both rivers you mentioned and thus the water from the Dwars river ends up in two oceans.

I found the info on the sign near the cache placement.

 

Over to you Tom.

[+tomtwogates]

Stupid Stupid me - I should have checked the logs on that cache - sorry 7Gryph7!

 

Will be in your part of the world next week - looking forward to hunting a few boxes there.

 

Okay a very quick one - who was Jan van Riebeeck's gardener?

[+the pooks]

Tomtwogates: your placement in Wolseley is indeed the cache I was refering to and yes you have the right place. So I will give it to you.

 

the rivers name i was looking for is the Dwars rivier. and this happens because a irrigation canal uses this rivers water which then falls into both rivers you mentioned and thus the water from the Dwars river ends up in two oceans.

I found the info on the sign near the cache placement.

 

Over to you Tom.

 

The same story applies to the Witteriver in Bainskloof. See GC20H7Z. Also an irrigation canal dug by farmers which diverts water from the Witteriver (destined for the Breede) to the Krom river in Wellington (destined for the Berg)

[+Henzz]

Stupid Stupid me - I should have checked the logs on that cache - sorry 7Gryph7!

 

Will be in your part of the world next week - looking forward to hunting a few boxes there.

 

Okay a very quick one - who was Jan van Riebeeck's gardener?

I'm busy reading the Cape Town Jubilee at the moment, and those early days makes for very interesting reading... Maybe a historical cache or two are on the way... I'll see... To answer your question Tom... His gardener was aptly named: Hendrik Boom.

[+tomtwogates]

To answer your question Tom... His gardener was aptly named: Hendrik Boom.

 

Ching Ching - your it Henzz

[+Henzz]

Simon van der Stel arrived on the 12th of October 1679 to be the new Commander of the Cape.

He was married to Johanna Jacoba Six, a gentlewoman by birth who came from an influential family who were the patrons of Rembrandt.

 

Something was very odd about this marriage. What would that be ?