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2011 Prognostication Quiz, Question #2 and #3

Question #2: Freedom

How will the number of free countries change? (Total who answered each is in parentheses.)
a. minus two or worse, 87 or fewer total (6)
b. minus one, 88 total (13)
c. no change, 89 total (12)
d. plus one, 90 total (13)
e. plus two or three, 91-92 total (4)
f. plus four or more, 93 or more total (3)

The number crunchers over at Freedom House tell us it has been a bad year for freedom again this year. A total of 25 countries saw a decline in freedom level compared to 11 countries that improved.

Included in the declining countries are Mexico and Ukraine. They were "free" in 2009, but were only "partly free" last year. That means that the total number of free countries decreased by two, leaving just 87 free countries in the world and making a. minus two or worse the answer to Question #2 of the 2011 Prognostication Quiz.

Ukraine suffered due to the maneuvers of President Viktor Yanukovych to crack down on the press, rig elections, and politicize the judiciary. You have to feel bad for Mexico, though, whose President Felipe Calderón has bravely but bloodily declared war on the drug mafia that operates inside Mexico. I guess being killed in drug-related violence sometimes eclipses an individual's pursuit of happiness.

The autocratic hopefuls:
Cameron L.
Ekrem
Larry
Leanne
Missy
Pete C.

Question #3: Beauty

What will Miss America’s listed talent be?
a. Singing (27 contestants, 25 quiz guesses)
b. Dancing (20 contestants, 16 quiz guesses)
c. Playing an instrument (6 contestants, 7 quiz guesses)
d. Ventriloquism (1 contestant, 3 quiz guesses)

Miss Nebraska Teresa Scanlan became Miss America on Saturday, beating out 52 other contestants. (I thought there were 54 contestants initially. I wonder who died.) Scanlan wowed the judges with her skill at the piano, playing White Water Chopped Sticks by Calvin Jones. She carried the theme into the swimsuit competition, where she emulated a piano keyboard. That makes c. Playing an instrument the answer to Question #3 of the 2011 Prognostication Quiz.

Really, I don't know how the judges could deny the crown after the ventriloquism performance by Miss Arkansas. Ekrem, Ted, and Cherie would have very happily collected points.

The Instrumentalists
Paul
Ryan
Dave
Lorraine
Rachel H.
Chris M.
Valerie

Leader Board

Grizzled veteran Ekrem and callow newbie Paul are locked in a vicious battle at the top of the pile. Ekrem has handicapped himself by not submitting a tie-break answer, so he will continue to lose all ties..

Mid-year ties are broken by comparing each entrant's tie-break answer to the extrapolated end-of-year finish for the Dow based on the rate of the Dow's increase from the start of the year. This sure-fire method predicts the Dow will end 2011 at the stratospheric 17,154.

Kudos to those with an early point. Keep a special eye on 9-year-old Cameron L., who has jumped out to an early lead over his uncle Matthew (the 2009 winner) and his grandfather Ron (the 2010 winner).

2 Paul
2 Ekrem
1 Valerie
1 Ryan
1 Dave
1 Rachel H.
1 Russell
1 Marcus
1 Missy
1 Lorraine
1 Larry
1 Leanne
1 Chris M.
1 Cameron L.
1 Pete C.
0 Zoe
0 Ted
0 Collette
0 Ron
0 Jeff
0 Cherie
0 Sarah
0 Rich
0 Chris C.
0 Jan
0 Matthew
0 Tina
0 Jo
0 Beth
0 Eric
0 Grant
0 Janet
0 Todd
0 Peter B.
0 Cameron M.
0 Rachel F.
0 Zhiqi
0 Katie
0 Claire&Craig
0 Kevin
0 Michael
0 Nadir
0 Craig
0 Megan
0 Gloria
0 Keila
0 Adrian
0 Stacey
0 Ben
0 Liz
0 Ellen

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