PBC 2009: July

As the last Challenge was a real success:->, something completely different this time:

Please send me the strangest book titles you can find (let's limit it to a maximum of 3 per participant). My favourite so far: "How to Shit in the Woods - An Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art". I'm not kidding.

PBC 2009: May

I think everybody liked the last Challenge about place names so why not go on with that a bit:

Let's see if you can find somebody who will go to one of those places you mentioned, take a picture of a sign stating the name and send it to you. I give you lots of time for this. Is 2 months enough?

And no cheating please! I am sure you can find pictures on the internet.

PBC 2009: April

This month I thought of something everybody can participate in (even without a lot of free time to solve tricky puzzles):

You have 2 weeks to send me the funniest/weirdest place name you can find.

One example: Crackpot (Grinton, North Yorkshire DL11, UK)

Of course you need some kind of proof and the name should be in English so that everybody can understand.

And the jury? That's me:->

PBC 2009: March

This time some classical education should help to solve this puzzle:

PBC 2009: February

OK, the last one was easy. What about this one?

I hope you enjoy the new Challenge!


Don't read the comments if you want to avoid spoilers!

PBC 2009: January

Here is the first Paper Boat Challenge of this year. Something easy to start with...

Paper Boat Challenge December

Here is the new Paper Boat Challenge (something easy this time;-):

What is shown on the picture below?
I confess, a certain technical understanding might help.

Paper Boat Challenge November

I will be without internet some days but I prepared a new Challenge for you so you should not get bored;-)

Paper Boat Challenge October

I have to confess I neglected my blog and you, humble reader;-), quite some time. In the meantime I moved to my new flat, I had 2 weeks of holidays of which I spent one sailing... I hope I'll find more time now to tell you a bit more about that!

I managed at least to create a Paper Boat Challenge for October (I hope there are still people out there interested in new puzzles):
http://www.theclimateisrightortrains.com/?lang=de
http://www.eu-ea.com/index.asp?bid=232
http://unbarcodepapel.blogspot.com/2006/06/teotihacan-city-of-gods.html
http://www.magen.com/index.php
http://blog.otphys.net/

Paper Boat Challenge July

Here is the new Challenge. I'm always a bit uncertain about how difficult the puzzles are but I guess this one will take you some time. Have fun!


P.S.: If you need a bigger view, click on the picture above to get the original size.

Paper Boat Challenge June

Do you need any explanation? Here is the new Challenge (picture below). Have fun!

Paper Boat Challenge May

I hope this will be more of a challenge than last time:

Paper Boat Challenge April

You may have noticed that I haven't written here for a while. Work kept me busy and I guess it will keep me busy the next couple of weeks. Today I have a day off although I'm doing at least some things for work at home.

By the way, this could be my winter holidays, at least according to the weather...

Let's have a try with a new puzzle. This one shouldn't be too complicated:

Sonnet 98:
13,3; 2,7(-h); 2,3; 11,3; 9,1(r=t); 7,5; 5,1
3,8 + 3,9; 2,7(-h); 13,4; 9,8

PBC 2/08

If you have an email account you cannot avoid it although you do not like it at all: Spam. Almost everybody suffers from it. But sometimes it can be funny (either because you cannot imagine that anybody believe in such strange business proposals or just because of the content itself).

Please send me some funny spam this time.

New year - new chance

Also in the new year the PBC goes on.

But first of all I should say sorry that there was no December Challenge because I really didn't find the time to be at least a little creative. I also have to say I couldn't name a winner for November because I didn't understand 2 (out of 3) entries: the one about brushing our teeth and the foto with the horses??? Maybe I'm a little dull...


And here is the new one:


Have a try first. I can give some hints later on.

PBC #11: "helloween" customs

After having written my post about the "Day of the Dead" I ask you this time to tell me the strangest "helloween" custom you know/come across. Nadja, you already made your entry?

Nadja's entry can be found here.

Michael's entry:

The strangest local Helloween custom is that we in fact shower and brush our teeth on Helloween, even if it's not on a Sunday! - To guide dead relatives with out shiny smile, of course...

Vanessa's entry:

PBC #10: situation puzzle

This month's puzzle is a situation puzzle also known as lateral thinking puzzle or yes/no puzzle.

But before I start...

The rules

1. If you already know that puzzle: Sorry, you can't participate this time. Or let's say you can help me answering the questions.
2. Don't use any internet feature to FIND the solution. No doubt, you could find it somewhere on the web.
3. Don't go to the library and look for a book with the solution, don't ask other persons who might KNOW the solution, don't write me to TELL you the solution... as I definitely forgot something, most important:
4. Try to find the solution ONLY by asking yes/no questions (which I will answer) or taking into account the answers I gave to other people's questions!

I hope it is clear this time;-)

And here is the puzzle: A woman sits in front of her computer. She checks her emails and dies. What happened?

What is CHEATING?

Here is the post you asked for, Nadja. I know it's not very creative but I think the article on Wikipedia already explains everything:

Cheating is defined as an act of lying, deception, fraud, trickery, imposture, or imposition. Cheating characteristically is employed to create an unfair advantage, usually in one's own interest, and often at the expense of others. Cheating implies the breaking of rules. The term "cheating" is less applicable to the breaking of laws, as illegal activities are referred to by specific legal terminology such as fraud or corruption. Cheating is a primordial economic act: getting more for less, often used when referring to marital infidelity.

You want me to discuss this further? Or do you want to add something? Please feel free to do so.

And who wins?

Thanks to you 3 who participated. So who won?

Dana already wrote me last Tuesday that she had scored 63 out of 63 and as proof sent me the completed file by mail. That cost me a drink when I was in Brussels but now I know how she did it: the solution exists already somewhere on the web...

I called it cheating but I also have to confess I didn't specify this time that Google etc. was not allowed. So I call you the winner of this month's PBC, Dana, although I do it under protest;-)

BTW: Michael, 44 is AI but somehow it doesn't work. You have to enter "IA inteligencia artificial". Sorry for this. And you are also right with 19!

PBC #9: Movie Experts

Hi everyone! Here is the new Paper Boat Challenge: Cinetest.xls

It is similar to the Challenge where you had to find out about the logos. BTW, it is Vanessa's proposal again and at least found it really entertaining. I hope you will, too.

The pictures show scenes of films which appeared in the United States. The bodies of the actors were removed. Write the original title (in English or Spanish) in the field below the picture. Please don't use any accents or apostrophes. It doesn't make any difference if you write in capital or lowercase letters.

I can already tell you that my entry is 25 out of 63 points. It should be easy to top that. I'll be away some days now going to Brussels because I got some days off. I'll return on Sunday. Early enough to collect you points next Monday...