From a quick browse of the site this seems to be a multi user puzzle solving website that leads to a real life prize worth a substancial amount of money (and notoriety) or it could be a big hoax!
But with so many people playing at £4.00 a clue ... and no limit to how many clues are to be solved ... is this the ultimate 'con' website?
I'm intrigued .. has anyone else heard about this?
[ November 16, 2005, 02:35 PM: Message edited by: firebird ]
Posted by xnera (Member # 187) on :
It's an Alternate Reality Game. There's a whole section dedicated to it at Unforums (the forums for Unfiction, a site devoted to ARGs). If I had more time I would try it out.
Posted by firebird (Member # 1971) on :
So ...
I was so curious about Perlex City that I went out and bought a set of cards (£2.50 for 6).
One of the cards will appeal to Jatraqueros to solve!
"Sometime the opening line to a book is so powerful and moving it stays will you log after you've finished the final page. That's true for some but certainly not all of the examples below. Can you name the nine books in question?"
All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way
It was a dark stormy night; the rain fell in torrents - except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that out scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
The sky above the port was the colour of televisions tuned to a dead channel.
A few miles wouth of soledad, the salinas river drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green.
Call me Ishmael.
Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number 4 Privet Drive, were proud to say taht they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
I write this sitting in the kitchen sink
Posted by theCrowsWife (Member # 8302) on :
Did you know any of them?
--Mel
Posted by firebird (Member # 1971) on :
I knew three of them off the top of my head. (3, 7, 8)
I'll post those answers if people are interested but it is sometimes fun to work them out for yourself first.
If you can help with any I'd be most grateful!
PS xnera ... I forgot to say thank you for the links you provided! Thank you!
Posted by Stray (Member # 4056) on :
All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. -- Anna Karenina
The sky above the port was the colour of televisions tuned to a dead channel. -- Neuromancer
Call me Ishmael. -- Moby Dick
Those are the only ones I know that you didn't already list. What's 3, out of curiosity?
Posted by firebird (Member # 1971) on :
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austin
(Such a good opening line! )
Posted by sillygoose (Member # 1616) on :
3, 7, and 8 were the only ones that I knew off the top of my head too. Sorry I can't be of any more help.
Posted by theCrowsWife (Member # 8302) on :
I wrote these answers before looking at the other response or googling or otherwise looking things up:
All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way
I should know this one, but I can't remember.
It was a dark stormy night; the rain fell in torrents - except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that out scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness
Can't remember this one either.
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
Definitely Jane Austen. I'm pretty certain it's Pride and Prejudice, because that's the only Austen I've read.
The sky above the port was the colour of televisions tuned to a dead channel.
Don't know.
A few miles wouth of soledad, the salinas river drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green.
Gotta be John Steinbeck, but I don't know which one. Not Of Mice and Men, and probably not The Grapes of Wrath.
Call me Ishmael.
Moby Dick.
Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number 4 Privet Drive, were proud to say taht they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.
Harry Potter, I think. It's been years since I read it. Strange to see it in with all the classics.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
Dickens, Great Expectations
I write this sitting in the kitchen sink
No idea.
Posted by theCrowsWife (Member # 8302) on :
quote:Originally posted by Stray: The sky above the port was the colour of televisions tuned to a dead channel. -- Neuromancer
I started Neuromancer twice, and couldn't get through it either time. And I didn't even recognize that opening line as something I'd ever seen before. Cyberpunk is so not my genre.
--Mel
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I know 2,4,5,6,7,8,9. Posted by firebird (Member # 1971) on :
Ketchup Queen!!
1) you are clearly a genius!
:bow:
2) What's 2?
PS. Best of times = Tale of two cities ... (thank higher deity or human igeniousness (or both) for google!)
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
I knew the first one was Russian, and I'd never even read AK.
Isn't 2 "A Wrinkle in Time"?
-Bok
Posted by xnera (Member # 187) on :
Isn't 2 "A Wrinkle in Time"?
It most certainly is NOT.
I forget the name of the book, but I believe it's the one that inspired that "very bad writing" contest. I know Chris Bridges has posted about that contest before.
*eating lunch and is too lazy to look up the title*
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I'm not telling, but you should be able to find out with a Google search if you're that into cheating. Posted by theCrowsWife (Member # 8302) on :
quote:Originally posted by firebird: Best of times = Tale of two cities ... (thank higher deity or human igeniousness (or both) for google!)
D'oh! That's what I meant. Here I am getting my Dickens books that I've never read mixed up.
--Mel
Posted by Jaiden (Member # 2099) on :
All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way -Anna Karénina
It was a dark stormy night; the rain fell in torrents - except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that out scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness -Paul Clifford by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. -Pride and Prejudice
The sky above the port was the colour of televisions tuned to a dead channel. -Neuromancer
A few miles wouth of soledad, the salinas river drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green. -Of Mice and Men
I haven't really looked at the others yet
[ November 09, 2005, 03:16 PM: Message edited by: Jaiden ]
Posted by theresa51282 (Member # 8037) on :
I thought number 2 might be a wrinkle in time too. It must be close.
Posted by Jaiden (Member # 2099) on :
Call me Ishmael. -Moby Dick
Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number 4 Privet Drive, were proud to say taht they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. -Can’t remember which Harry Potter book
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times -Tale of Two Cities
I write this sitting in the kitchen sink -I believe “I Capture the Castle”
Posted by theCrowsWife (Member # 8302) on :
In all fairness, A Wrinkle in Time does start with the phrase "It was a dark and stormy night." Here is the rest of the opening:
"In her attic bedroom Margaret Murry, wrapped in an old patchwork quilt, sat on the foot of her bed and watched the trees tossing in the frenzied lashing of the wind. Behind the trees clouds scudded frantically across the sky. Every few moments the moon ripped through them, creating wraithlike shadows that raced along the ground."
Man, I hated Meg. She was such a whiny character that she made the book nearly unreadable for me as a child. It's still my least favorite of the series.
--Mel
Posted by Tinros (Member # 8328) on :
How can you people not realize that the 7th one is from the very first Harry Potter?
*shock* Posted by firebird (Member # 1971) on :
Ketchupqueen!
You really believe using google is cheating?
I really believe it is using the resources available to me. I will of course first see what I can do, and then what my friends can do. but after that, google is a tool (like my bookshelf) that is to be used.
Eg. I set some work colleagues a problem recently. Team A solved the problem in 10 hours at a ost of $200 Team B solved it in 5 mins at zero cost using google (Team B won) Morale of the story don't re-invent the wheel!
You see this differently?
Posted by firebird (Member # 1971) on :
We solved that one correctly! Thank you for all your help. Particular thanks to Jaiden who got "I capture the castle"
Next Puzzle: Four people need to cross a river at night. A rickety bridge over the river can hold only up to two people at a time. There's one flashlight that must be used when crossing. After it's used, it must be brought all the way back to the people remaining on the near side.
Each of the four people takes a different amount of time to get across. If two people cross together, they travel at the slower person's rate. Annie takes 10 minutes to get across, Barry takes 5 minutes, Charlie takes 2 minutes, and Speedy takes 1 minute.
What's the shortest time that it would take all four people to end up on the far side of the river?
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Let's have the fastest person do all the going back. So, A & S cross -- 10 min. S goes back (with flashlight) -- 1 min. B & S cross -- 5 min. S goes back -- 1 min. C & S cross -- 2 min.
Total: 10 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 2 = 19 minutes
I think that's the fastest . . . ?
Posted by firebird (Member # 1971) on :
That was my first guess too .... in the end I got it down to 17 .....
Posted by firebird (Member # 1971) on :
how?
Posted by Fusiachi (Member # 7376) on :
Well, in theory it should take less time than 19. The person holding the flashlight doesn't need to cross the bridge entirely. He just has to cross far enough to light the path for the other crosser, then turn around. So, less than 19.
Of course, this isn't a legitimate answer.
Posted by firebird (Member # 1971) on :
Fusiachi
I tried that but on re-reading the puzzle
"If two people cross together, they travel at the slower person's rate."
It is still possible in 17!
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
I can get in it 17.
C & S cross (2 minutes) C goes back, S left on other side (2 minutes) A & B cross (10 minutes) S goes back leaving A & B on other side ( 1 minute) C & S cross (2 minutes)
2 + 2 + 10 + 1 + 2 = 17.
Posted by firebird (Member # 1971) on :
Second 'Hatrack Genuius Award' goes to imogen!
Let me see if I can find another puzzle ...
[ November 10, 2005, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: firebird ]
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
I think the award would be more justified if I had the order of my words right as well as my maths!
("in it" or, as I meant to type, "it in")
Posted by firebird (Member # 1971) on :
Next puzzle - Just because I know Hatrack will enjoy seeing this bit of text crop up yet again!
Any Lithuanian Jateraqueros?
*** AOCCDRNIG TO RSEACREH, IT DEOSN'T MTTAER IN WAHT OREDR THE LTTEERS IN A WROD ARE, THE OLNY IPRMOETNT TIHNG IS TAHT THE FRIST AND LSAT LTTEER BE AT THE RGHIT PCLAE. THE RSET CAN BE A TOATL MSES AND YOU CAN STILL RAED IT WOUTHIT PORBELM. TIHS IS BCUSEAE THE HUAMN MNID DEOS NOT RAED ERVEY LTETER BY ISTLEF, BUT THE WROD AS A WLOHE.
IS TAHT SO? WE AT THE PREELPX CTIY ADEMACY AERN'T SO SURE. HOW AUOBT A PPNELXRIEG, BNLEFDDUIG SCENETNE LIKE THE FNLWOOLIG:
THE SPREHAS HAD PONITS AND PATLES
OR SPXICAIIIODIGFRSRUOCPALLEACTILEIS WICHH WE FAER EVEN MRAY PNOPPIS MHIGT HVAE TRLOBUE UIGNLNTNAG
SCNTWIHIG LGNUEAGAS NULARLATY MEKAS TNGHIS STGHILLY MORE CPACMTILOED. TIHS IS A TRHITY EGHIT LEETTR LHIAIUATNN WROD - NSUIUOESKUNIKSOIAISEAEJIACOBSPAUKIPLTE. CAN YOU UABRNMCSLE IT AND TLEL US WAHT IS SYAS?
Posted by Historian (Member # 8858) on :
In Lithuanian, NEBEPASIKISKIAKOPUSTELIAUJANCIUOSIUOSE is possibly the longest word that can be formed according to legal grammatical rules. It means "in those, of masculine gender, who aren't gathering wood sorrel by themselves anymore."
Historian
[ November 16, 2005, 03:18 PM: Message edited by: Historian ]
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