Answers to "Math quiz for residents of Toronto"

Toronto's Finest (TM) have now released information on those charged in the aftermath of the incident described in "Math quiz for residents of Toronto" and other crimes both before and after that incident. 

From the TPS blotter we learn: 

Abhira Ponniah, 33, of Markham, was charged with: 

Possession Property Obtained by Crime Over 

three counts of Possession Property Obtained by Crime Under 

She (!!!) is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, January 2, 2025.

Khasim Mohammed, 19, of Toronto, was charged with: 

Possession Property Obtained by Crime Over 

three counts of Possession Property Obtained by Crime Under 

He was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre

Anestan Ganeshamoorthy, 31, of Pickering, was charged with: 

two counts of Break and Enter Commit 

two counts of Disguise with Intent Flight from Police 

Dangerous Operation of Conveyance 

Possession Property Obtained by Crime Over 

two counts of Possession Property Obtained by Crime Under 

Possess Counterfeit Mark 

Fail to Comply Undertaking

two counts of Fail to Comply Recognizance 

He was scheduled to appear in court on Friday, November 22, 2024.

This is an ongoing investigation by members of the Hold Up Squad and further charges are anticipated.

So it appears that the correct answer to the first question is (d) 0% -- they're all brown, not black. (No information as to their ethnicity, religion, or status in Canada was given. Mustn't pour fuel on the fire of anti-immigration protest which is raging [Are you sure? Ed.] across Canuckistan.

The answer to the section question remains unknown, as the occupants of the second vehicle have yet to be caught, let alone identified.

Math quiz for residents of Toronto

Shortly before 2 AM EST today, 9 people were injured, 2 of them critically, after a stolen BMW collided with 1 TTC bus at the intersection of Bathurst Street and Wilson Avenue in North York. 

A spokesthingy for Toronto's Finest (TM) said initial information suggests that two vehicles, a black SUV and a white BMW, were travelling at a high rate of speed -- between 55 and 70 mph -- along Wilson Avenue. When the two cars reached the intersection at Bathurst Street, the black SUV cleared the intersection but the BMW... errr... did not.

The BMW struck the driver's side of a southbound TTC bus and the impact of the collision caused the TTC vehicle to spin around, facing northbound. When officers arrived on scene, they found the BMW in flames. (Nothing was said about whether it was an electric model.) 

Officers were able to pull 2 occupants from the vehicle and extinguish the fire. Of the 4 occupants of the BMW, 2 were out on bail for offences including armed robbery.

QUIZ: What percentage of the occupants of the BMW are likely to have been black? (a) 50%. (b) 75%. (c) 100%. 

Bonus question: Assuming the answer to the above question to be (c), what do you think the are the chances are of the occupants of the black SUV being white? (a) 50%. (b) 25%. (c) 0%. 

Woke grading scale: You don't need to submit your answers, unless you really want to, as there is no failure in our modern school system. The important thing is that you did your best.

Submitted by Agent 3, who was born in Toronto but never goes there any more.

Answer to yesterday's quiz

The foot pedals [Is there another kind of pedal?] from a late `40s car, are, L-R: high-beam toggle switch; clutch; brake; accelerator, starter. If you got all five, you're a true geezer!

And now for something not altogether different....

Thanks (for the second day in a row!) to Agent 6.

Saturday photo quiz for geezers

Can you identify the function of all five of these controls?

Answers tomorrow... bwuahahahahahaha.

Thanks to Agent 6.

VIDEO: Hillary Clinton's Farewell Speech

Ed. here. It's been some time since we've dipped into the ole mailbag to answer readers' questions -- maybe because since the coming of e-mail we don't get bagsful of letters any more -- so let's do it today. From St-Louis-du-Ha-Ha QC (you can look it up), O. Leo Leahy writes: I did the math quiz you posted yesterday, and every time I did it the Math Wizard told me my favourite movie is Hillary Clinton's Farewell Speech. That might well prove to be my favourite, but I've never seen it. I guess it must be a new movie? Can you tell me where I can see it?
Yes, Leo, we can certainly help you with that. In fact, we can do even better. Here, complete and uncut, is... Hillary Clinton's Farewell Speech.



OK, it's a bit short and there's no title or credits, and sorry about the video quality, but that's really Mrs Bill Clinton, giving (via a live feed from New York) closing remarks at the Makers Conference in Los Angeles earlier this week. It sure sounds to us like we won't be hearing from her any more -- a consummation devoutly to be wish'd. You're welcome.

Simple math quiz reveals your favourite movie... every time!

Walt doesn't hear all that often from Agent 5, but the messages we get are always interesting. This one is no exception. It's a simple math exercise -- it only takes about ten seconds -- which is guaranteed to reveal your all-time favourite movie. Amazingly, it really works! Walt and Poor Len Canayen [and Ed.! Ed.] have tried it, and we all got the right answer, the first time!

Do not cheat. Do your math, then scroll down to the list of movies below to see if the math wizard has correctly read your mind.


1. Pick a number from 1 to 9.

2. Multiply that number by 3.

3. Add 3.

4. Multiply by 3 again.

5. Your total will be a two-digit number. Add the first and second digits together to find your favorite movie of all time in the list of 17 movies below.


Scroll down for your movie


Movie List


1. Gone With the Wind
2. E.T.
3. Blazing Saddles
4. Star Wars
5. Forrest Gump
6. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
7. Jaws
8. Grease
9. Hillary Clinton's Farewell Speech
10. Casablanca
11. Jurassic Park
12. Shrek
13. Pirates of the Caribbean
14. Titanic
15. Raiders of the Lost Ark
16. Home Alone
17. Mrs. Doubtfire


Now, isn't that something? Велике дякую, 5!

Are you smarter than a pre-schooler? Take this test

I already knew I was dumber than the fifth graders, but was appalled when this little test revealed that I'm not even as smart as the average pre-schooler. What about you? Look carefully at this drawing.

Now then... Which way is the bus travelling? To the left or to the right?

Can't make up your mind? Look at the picture again... carefully!

Still stumped? Pre-schoolers all over the USA were shown this picture and asked the same question. 92% of them said, "The bus is travelling to the left."

When asked, "Why do you think the bus is travelling to the left?", they answered, "Because you can't see the door to get on the bus."

How do you feel now???

Thanks and a tip of the mortar-board to Agent 6, who I feel sure got it on the first try.

Happy Canada Day! Bonne fête du Canada! - with/avec bonus!

Happy Canada Day

Bonne fête du Canada

à tous nos lecteurs canadiens

to all our Canadian readers

from/de
Walt, Poor Len
[and/et Ed! Ed.]

Canada Day Bonus! - Here, courtesy of Historica Canada and the National Post, is a short quiz (only seven questions) to test how Canadian you are. In other words, do you conform to the Canadian stereotype? Non-Canadians can take the test too; see whether you really know what Canadians are like!

Canada Day quiz: how smart are you, EH?

Happy Canada Day

Bonne fête du Canada

à tous nos lecteurs canadiens

to all our Canadian readers

Here, thanks to Agent 6 and the Toronto Star, is a Canada Day quiz to test your knowledge of the Great White North. Have a good one, EH!

Answer to yesterday's word quiz

Yesterday's challenge -- set by Agent 6 -- was to discern the feature common to the following seven words.

1. Banana

2. Dresser

3. Grammar

4. Potato

5. Revive

6. Uneven

7. Assess

What is it that these words have in common? It's this. In all of the words listed, if you take the first letter, place it at the end of the word, and then spell the word backwards, it will be the same word.

Did you figure it out? If so, congratulations, and please satisfy Walt's curiosite on a related point.

There is a name for words which are spelled the same backwards and forwards, e.g. "radar" and "poop". They are called palindromes. But is there a name for the words listed above? If you know of a cromulent appellation, please e-mail Walt at the usual address.

Word play -- the quiz that stumped Walt [and Ed.!]

Walt loves playing with words. Anagrams, crosswords, palindromes, obscure and archaic words... bring it on. If the topic has to do with our beautiful English language, you would want me on your side in a pub quiz. Indeed, I dare say I am a cunning linguist.

Once in a while though, someone sends me a test that leaves me... well... lost for words. One such arrived today in an e-mail from Agent 6. (Welcome back, 6!) Here it is.

The following seven words have something in common. See if you can figure out what it is.

1. Banana

2. Dresser

3. Grammar

4. Potato

5. Revive

6. Uneven

7. Assess

Need a clue? Well, the solution has nothing to do with anagrams. Nor is it the repetition of at least one consonant. It's something else... something so simple that you'll kick yourself when I tell you... which I'll do tomorrow!