Mark Brader:
> These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2013-04-08,
> and should be interpreted accordingly... For further information...
> see my 2022-09-09 companion posting on "Reposted Questions from
> the Canadian Inquisition (RQFTCI*)".

Game 9 is over and the winner is JOSHUA KREITZER. Hearty
Congratulations, sir!

> ** Game 9, Round 9 - History - Mergers and Acquisitions

> In each case, we name one company involved in the transaction,
> and you name the other. Answers do not repeat.

> 1. Exxon Corp. acquired what oil company in 1998 to become one of
> the largest corporations in the world by market capitalization?

Mobil. (Cf. Game 3, Round 9.) 4 for Dan Blum, Joshua, Pete,
and Dan Tilque.

> 2. SmithKline Beecham was acquired by what company in 2000 to
> form the largest drug company in the world, which """now"""
> trades under the symbol GSK?

Glaxo Wellcome. "Glaxo" was sufficient. (Still true, and GSK is now
their corporate name as well as their ticker symbol.) 4 for Dan Blum,
Joshua, Pete, and Dan Tilque. 3 for Erland.

> 3. Time Warner was acquired by what technology company in 2000?

AOL (America Online). 4 for everyone -- Dan Blum, Joshua, Erland,
Pete, and Dan Tilque.

> 4. The Pixar animation company was acquired by what entertainment
> giant in 2006?

Disney. 4 for everyone.

> 5. Chrysler Corp. was acquired by what European car company in 1998?

Daimler Benz. (Either word was sufficient.) 4 for Dan Blum
and Joshua.

> 6. In 2008, Sirius Radio acquired what competing satellite radio
> company?

XM. (Both letters required.) 4 for Dan Blum, Joshua, and Pete.

> 7. German company Mannesmann AG, with its significant Internet and
> telecommunication holdings, was acquired by what British company
> in 2000?

Vodafone. 4 for Pete.

> 8. In 1999, educational software firm The Learning Company was
> acquired by what toy company?

Mattel. 3 for Pete. 2 for Dan Blum.

> 9. Skype was acquired by what company in 2011?

Micros--t. 4 for Dan Blum, Joshua, and Pete.

> 10. YouTube was acquired by what company in 2006, for a bargain
> $1,650,000,000 US?

Google. 4 for everyone.

> ** Game 9, Round 10 - Challenge Round - Masters

> * A. Master Chefs

The answers are still true, except that I have not attempted
to update the statistics on relative wealth.

> A1. He """is""" a celebrity chef and restaurateur of Austrian
> origin. In 1981, he published his first cookbook, "Modern
> French Cooking for the American Kitchen". His first
> restaurant, Hiroshima, served Asian cuisine. According to
> "Forbes" magazine, he """is""" the third-richest chef with
> total earnings of around $20,000,000 in 2012. Who """is"""
> he?

Wolfgang Puck. 4 for Dan Blum and Joshua.

> A2. This Scottish chef """has been""" the host of famous
> TV shows such as "Hell's Kitchen", "Kitchen Nightmares",
> and "MasterChef". "Forbes" magazine has listed him as the
> richest chef in the world, in 2012, with total earnings of
> about $38,000,000. Who """is""" he?

Gordon Ramsay. (With two A's.) 4 for Dan Blum and Joshua.

> * B. Masterpieces of Literature

> B1. Who wrote "Remembrance of Things Past"?

Marcel Proust. (Original title "À la recherche du temps perdu";
also known in English as "In Search of Lost Time".) 4 for Dan Blum,
Joshua, Pete, and Dan Tilque.

> B2. Who wrote "A Sentimental Education"?

Gustave Flaubert. (Original title "L'Éducation sentimentale";
also known in English as just "Sentimental Education".) 4 for Joshua.

> * C. Master of Ceremonies

> C1. Who was the 1955-79 host of the Miss America pageant?

Bert Parks. 4 for Joshua and Pete.

> C2. Who was the 1968-87 host of the Miss Universe pageant?

Bob Barker. 4 for Pete.

> * D. Master League

> These two questions are about the Premier League in British soccer.

Both words of the answer, or reasonable short forms, were required
on both questions.

> D1. Who were the first champions, in the 1992-93 season?

Manchester United. 4 for Dan Tilque. 3 for Pete.

> D2. Who were the champions of the 2011-12 season?

Manchester City. 3 for Pete.

> * E. Master Theory

> E1. Within 2 years, when did Einstein publish his paper on the
> "Special Theory of Relativity"?

1905 (accepting 1903-07). 4 for Dan Tilque.

> E2. Within 10 years, when did Darwin publish "On the Origin of
> Species by Means of Natural Selection"?

1859 (accepting 1849-69). 4 for Joshua, Erland, Pete, and Dan Tilque.

> * F. Mastermind

> F1. Who was the mastermind behind the August 1963 robbery of
> a postal train in Britain, commonly referred to as the
> Great Train Robbery?

Bruce Reynolds.

I didn't know either. Ronnie Biggs became the best known of the
gang because he after he escaped from prison in 1965 he managed to
stay out until 2001, but he was not the mastermind.

The gang stopped a mail train carrying a shipment of worn-out money
that was intended to be destroyed, and got away with about £2,600,000
(then $7,800,000, or $7,300,000 US), of which only a small fraction
was ever recovered. Let it be remembered, by the way, that this
was a violent crime: the driver of the train was severely injured
and his life was probably shortened as a result.

> F2. Who was the 19th century American mastermind who was called
> "the Napoleon of Crime" by Scotland Yard, and was the
> real-life inspiration for Professor Moriarty of Sherlock
> Holmes fame (not to mention the previous round)?

Adam Worth.

I didn't know either.

Scores, if there are no errors:

GAME 9 ROUNDS-> 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 BEST
TOPICS-> Ent Geo Sci Can Spo His His Cha SIX
Joshua Kreitzer 40 8 40 6 23 32 32 24 191
Dan Blum 28 24 38 3 13 35 34 12 172
Dan Tilque 0 16 40 0 8 24 20 16 124
Pete Gayde 4 15 35 0 -- -- 35 22 111
Erland Sommarskog 4 20 40 0 4 20 15 4 103

--
Mark Brader | "Unregistered MSBs present very high risk as
Toronto | they are not regulated and therefore may not submit
msb@vex.net | mandatory transaction reports..." --training course

My text in this article is in the public domain.