Newses, Muses, and a Quiz

So I have to once again apologise for a delay in posting.  I’ve been flat out over the past fortnight (well, last couple of months really), putting in the hard yards and late nights in search of postgraduate scholarships.  My plan to take behavioural economics to infinity and beyond is slowly coming to fruition, and a big hurdle was overcome this week – see the Closet Grandmaster’s reference here.

The good news is that I should have a bit more time for the blog over the coming weeks, particularly as we move into my least favourite of the holiday seasons (remember my Grinchiness?).  I’ve got a lot to report, and fortunately none of it involves me using a vacuum cleaner in any way, shape or form.

There’ll be posts on teenage television, my new quest for obesity, and a slightly more informative post on the scholarship process for those thinking on embarking on such a torture.  Before I began writing applications many moons ago, I wish I could have had some frank advice or at least some idea of others’ experiences, so I’m going to try and fill the void with a brutally blunt reflection and some tips of my own.

But the big news is, following my commentary stint on Chess.Fm, the kind people at the Internet Chess Club have offered to sponsor the inaugural davidsmerdon.com Christmas quiz!  Huzzah! 

Of course, this poses the problem that, as half the readership of this website is not from the chess world, a chess membership prize may not be to everyone’s liking.  To that I say: (1) Think of the glory, the fame, and the kudos; (2) There is probably quite a liquid market for chess prizes, or of course you could just learn chess; and (3) Tough luck.

Given the proliferation of Google sources for answering quizzes (the iPhone has basically spelled the end of pub trivia as we know it, for instance), I’m going to try and make the questions as non-Googleable as possible, to the point where they will most likely be impossible.  To those having a problem with this, I refer to (3), above.

Quiz to be released in the coming days, with the competition closing before the blatantly incorrect date of Jesus’ birth.  Get your thinking caps warmed up, your iPhones switched on, and your Magic 8 Balls ready.  It’s going to be epic.