News Quiz

No. 193: “Whoa, Canada”

The Poitras Report, recently released in Montreal, describes an inept organization that routinely broke the law, lacked ethics and professionalism, and embraced a code of silence that thwarted whistle-blowers. What organization?

(Question courtesy of Matthew Singer.)

by noon ET Thursday to e-mail your answer to newsquiz@slate.com.

Tuesday’s Question (No. 192)–“Where It’s At”: Fill in the blank in Dr. Orville Gilbert Brim’s report on a 10 year study funded by the MacArthur Foundation: “On balance, the sense we all have is that ________ is the best place to be.”“The MacArthur Foundation.”–Ellen Macleay, Daniel Krause, Jon Delfin, and Michael Roche“During a showing of Message in a Bottle, the lobby.”–Jon Hotchkiss“Starbucks. (Is this a trick question or something?)”–Cliff Schoenberg (Larry Amaros had a similar answer.)”New York state. (The study centered on where you are likely to find women starting new careers after being publicly humiliated by their husbands.)”–Brooke Saucier“Renaissance Florence. Now would one of those fucking geniuses we keep funding build us a time machine?!”–Steve Smith

Click for more answers.

One way to judge a grant program is to count the number of projects that but for that grant would not have come to fruition. By this measure the MacArthur “genius grants” are a failure. Awarding much of their money to established academics, the MacArthurs tend to fund those happy in their work, people who simply continue what they’ve been doing for years, but in more stylish clothes. Another way to judge a grant program is to count the number of summer houses the grant recipients have bought; by this measure the MacArthurs are a triumph.

AARParific Answer

Middle age is the best place to be.

Brim’s associates found the years between 40 and 60 to be a time of well-being for most of the 8,000 Americans they studied, with only 23 percent reporting a midlife crisis. Even menopause emerged as a less traumatic transition than is usually reported. Dr. Alice Rossi, who analyzed that data, said, “The Gail Sheehy image of the menopausal woman with sweat running down her face is just not true.”

All Gall’s Extra

One last romp through the catalog of “America’s largest supplier to public safety professionals.” Can you match the trademark to the product?

Brand Name

1. RAT TRAP

2. SUPER STINGER

3. STREET HAWK

4. THE ADVANTAGE 1000

5. MIAMI CLASSIC

6. ELIMINATOR

Item

A. Gas mask (also available: The Phalanx Alpha Plus)

B. Holster (also available: Tornado, Grabber, White Lightning)

C. Socks (also available: Professional)

D. Pocket-sized spikes to flatten car tires at road blocks (also available: Checkpoint Charlie, MetroSpike)

E. Flashlight (also available: Wow, TopSpot, Surefire)

F. Light bar for patrol car roof (also available: Excalibur, Vector, Code 3)

Answers

1-D, 2-E, 3-F, 4-A, 5-B, 6-C.

Common Denominator

Ten years?!

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