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2013 Prognostication Quiz: Question #6, Writing

6. Writing

Fourteen of the 21 Pulitzer Prizes are awarded for journalism. Some awards are given to the newspaper as a whole and some are given to individual reporters, but the newspaper is always mentioned. If an award is shared, both newspapers are considered to be named. The winners of the past 12 years are listed (ties are possible).

 Which newspaper will win the most Pulitzers?
a. The Washington Post (4)
b. The New York Times (5)
c. The Wall Street Journal (3)
d. The Los Angeles Times (4)
e. another news organization will be named the most times (0)

The New York Times has continued its recent dominance in the Pulitzer Prize category of the Prognostication Quiz. It won four Pulitzers this year, most notably for shaming the sketchy overseas business practices of Apple and Wal-Mart and the hidden wealth of the Chinese Premier's family. The New York Times won five Pulitzers in 2009, seven in 2002, and otherwise no more than three. The answer to Question 6 of the 2013 Prognostication Quiz is B. The New York Times.

In second place, with two Pulitzer Prizes, was the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. We'll see if it wins more next year. The last Pulizter for the Star-Tribune was in 1990.

A whopping 28 (of 45) entrants picked the New York Times

The Grey Ladies:
Pete C.
Larry
Liz
Mary
Tina
Keila
Chris C.
Grant
Stephanie
Dave
Jan
Katie
Stacey
Michael
Paul
Leanne
Gloria
Eric
Collette
Sarah M.
Adrian
Peter B.
Todd
Ben
Matthew
Russell
Marcus
Ekrem

13-15. Death

95-year-old Allan Arbus passed away last week. He played the psychiatrist (Sidney Freedman) on the television series M*A*S*H. That means one acceptable answer to Questions 13 - 15 is E. Allan Arbus. Only two people picked Arbus to pass away, even though he was the fifth oldest person on the death list. He joins Harry Morgan, who passed away in 2011.

The M*A*S*Hers:
Stacey
Marcus

Leaderboard

Chris M. failed to join the large majority of people picking the New York Times, and so he fails to protect his one-point lead. Liz, Larry, and Pete C. have joined him at the top with three points after guessing the Pulitzer Prize result.

Special kudos to Stacey and Marcus, who had zero points at the end of the last prognostication question but now finds themselves in a tie just one point behind the leaders.

3    Liz
3    Larry
3    Pete C.
3    Chris M.
2    Marcus
2    Jan
2    Dave
2    Stephanie
2    Grant
2    Chris C.
2    Keila
2    Tina
2    Stacey
2    Mary
2    Cameron
2    Katie
1    Jeff
1    Russell
1    Matthew
1    Janet
1    Ron
1    Ellen
1    Ben
1    Todd
1    Peter B.
1    Adrian
1    Zhiqi
1    Valerie
1    Sarah M.
1    Collette
1    Eric
1    Gloria
1    Leanne
1    Paul
1    Michael
1    Melissa
1    Miriam
1    Ekrem
0    Sarah T.
0    Ryan C.
0    Rachel F.
0    Megan
0    Ryan M.
0    Nadir
0    Rachel H.

 Question 7 Update

7. Horses (May 4)

The 139th running of the Kentucky Derby will have America's finest three-year-old thoroughbred horses challenge each other in the annual Race for the Roses. Working from a list of over three hundred aspiring entrants, I have split the horses into approximately equal groups. This takes into account horse naming psychology, which seems to lean toward S names. The names of the favorite horses within each grouping are indicated in parentheses.

What letter will the Kentucky Derby winner's name start with?
a. A or B (Archwarrior, Bern Identity)
b. C or D (Capo Bastone, Dewey Square)
c. E, F, or G (Frac Daddy, Goldencents)
d. H, I, J, K, or L (He's Had Enough, Little Distorted)
e. M, N, or O (Normandy Invasion, Overanalyze)
f. P, Q, or R (Power Broker, Purple Egg)
g. S (Shanghai Bobby, Super Ninety Nine)
h. T, U, V, W, X, Y, or Z (Uncaptured, Violence)

We now know the 23 horses who will run in the Kentucky Derby. Sadly for all the aspiring horses who name their horses with S (after Secretariat?), not a single S horse made it into the Derby. Answers C and H each have five horses running, E has four, D has three, B and F have two, and A has one.

Liz and Larry will take the lead with 4 points if Charming Kitten or Code West wins the Kentucky Derby.

Pete C. will take the lead, solo, if Black Onyx wins.

Chris M. will regain his lead if Itsmyluckyday, Java's War, or Lines of Battle win.

Marcus, Grant, and Tina will join the first-place tie at 3 points if Verrazano, Vyjack, Will Take Charge, Winning Cause, or Tiz a Minister win.

Jan, Dave, and Stephanie will join the first-place tie at 3 points if Revolutionary or Palace Malice win.

Good luck to all! The race is on Saturday!

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