mc5 - AVMA Take 2

[Rosie] Well, Dame Shirley bleed'n Porter, then? Eff'n NO.
[Basics] Is the animal human? YES

Is the human alive?

[Phil] Is the human alive? YES

Lovely Gravy

Is this a female?

A politician?

Is this person's native language English?

.. thought I'd replied already

And again ..
[LG] Female? Might be.
[Rosie] Politician? Might be.
[CdM] Native language English? Might be.

Is this one specific person?

Is it a group of people with a common goal (e.g. a choir or a football team)?

[Phil] One specific person? Most likely - so YES.
[Dujon] Group of people? Most unlikely - so NO.

Culture specific?

[CdM] Culture specific? Not sure what you mean - culture is a big word. I'd say NO.

A particular role or post?

[Software] Particular role/post? This person certainly has a role/part to play so a tentative Yes.

At the moment you are reading this, is the AOTC a single identifiable individual?

[CdM] Single identifiable individual? Well spotted - NO.
.. but I still think the additional word ABSTRACT would have been misleading. You may disagree .. :)

Does the person who represents the AOTC know that they are the AOTC?

Sorry - been out and about and away from t'interwebs ...

[Phil] Does the person who represents the AOTC know that they are the AOTC? Not a scooby doo - NO

Is the person a creation of one's imagination?

Is the AOTC a different person for each one of us?

[Rosie] Is the person a creation of ones imagination? NO
[CdM] Is the AOTC a different person for each one of us? NO

An actor?

Does this person perform a service?

[Software] An actor? Unlikely but can't say for sure.
[Rosie] Perform a service? Insomuch as they are the subject of this puzzle - I have to say yes.

Have you met someone who is an AOTC?

[CdM] Have I met someone who is an AOTC? This particular someone is the only one who *could* be the AOTC. Whether or not I've met them already is irrelevant.

Will the AOTC be selected at birth?

[GL] Will the AOTC be selected at birth? NO .. what an odd question!

Is the AOTC the person who is the AOTC?

If so, it's Not Fair.

[Rosie] Is the AOTC the person who is the AOTC? NO - but I like your thinking! *Audience senses a breakthrough*

CdM?*

*(being the winner of this round)

I think that counts as a win, Monsieur C de M.
The actual Words On The Card are The Person Who Guesses That They Are The Winner Of This Round.
I toyed with the notion of adding ABSTRACT to the description but really couldn't be bothered with the standard questioning that might've come my way ;-)

Besides - you ARE a real person, aren't you?

*baton fashions itself into CdM-shape and flies to Daddy*

Interestingly, though Rosie's answer was not the answer on the card, it was a correct answer.
ANIMAL

Indeed it was.

Human?

[Chalky] Congrats on your delightfully bewildering round - that was fun!

Dame Shirley Williams?

Human?

(CdM) I'm flattered, despite the logical impasse. Not to worry - all statements made by ethnic-Welsh Londoners are false anyway.

Human? Yes. *some audience murmuring, which abates when they read the footnotes on the card*
Shirley Williams? No.
Human? Yes. *no murmuring, because the audience members have read the footnotes on the card*

Human with footnotes?

An armless pianist?

Human with footnotes? Yes. Your point? (OK. I think the most useful answer is yes. But it is possible to claim that a simple Yes is misleading.)
Handicapped pianist? No.

Is this a named human?

Is this more than one human?

Is this less than one human?

Good questions

Named human? No.
More than one human? The AOTC is not more than one human. *smattering of applause, nonetheless*
Less than one human? Yes. *some applause, and some discussion among the more pedantic audience members*

A severed head?

Severed head? No.

A diminutive human?

Small person? No. ("Less than a human", Software??)

blood?

Only human?

pre-birth?

Part of a specific human?

Blood? No.
Only human? This is where the footnotes come in. I am thinking of the AOTC in a sense specific to humans, but it can apply to other animals as well. You will almost certainly find it more helpful just to think about humans, though.
Pre-birth? No.
Part of a human? Yes. Part of a specific human? No.

A limb?

Limb? No.

An organ?

I nearly asked "Nigel Farage?" given the "Less than a human" answer :-)

Alive?

An organ? No.
Alive? No. *a little audience muttering*

Anything to do with medical research (stem cells etc)?

A cadaver?

Fingernails?

A beard or whiskers?

Medical research? No.
Cadaver? No.
Fingernails? No.
Beard/whiskers? Not the AOTC, but *massive applause*

A mustache?

A moustache? Yes! I am currently growing one as part of Movember (one of the founders of which is an alumni of the school where I now teach). I haven't had a moustache (without beard) since I was about 18, I think—and, if I do say so myself, I think it looks absolutely hideous. So if you feel like throwing support towards my Movember team, you can click here. It is a worthwhile cause.
*plucks out hairs one by one* and weaves them into a baton for cfm*

*ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!

Sorrysorrysorry

Alumnus. As you were.

*clicks*
*is positively crushed to find no photo of moustachioed CdM*
*donates*
Okay, this next one is ABSTRACT WITH ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS

The idea of CdM with a moustache?

[Raak] *laughs* but NO :-)

A dog's life?

[cfm] Thank you. For a sufficiently large donation I will send you a photograph of someone with a moustache that, for all you know, could be me.

A fictional human?

[CdM] Er...not that crushed. :-)
Familiar phrase featuring pups? NO.
[GL] NO. The AOTC is abstract. I think that is the proper answer to your question...

Would many people consider the abstract to be a form of art?

Is the abstract associated with animal behaviour?

A well-known phrase or saying?

[Dujon] Art for the masses? NO
[Rosie] Oh, behave!? YES
[Chalky] Famous expression? NO

Is this behaviour regarded as a good thing?

[Rosie] Well-behaved? YES and NO. There a number of animal behaviors associated with the AOTC. Some are good, some are not.

The mating season?

[Rosie] Fun and games? NO. *a few murmurs from the audience*

A form of 'showing off'?

[Dujon] Theatricality? YES. There is an element of theatricality associated with the behavior that is associated with the AOTC. (Reminding everyone that the behavior is not the AOTC.)

Acting the fool?

[Software] Fool me once? NO

Is fear involved?

A song?

[Rosie] Scary stuff? YES, in some instances. But many other emotions might also be associated.
[Chalky] A musical solution? NO. But come to think, there is a movie title closely related to the AOTC...FWIW. :-)

A board contest?

[Dujon] Board contest? Not sure what you mean. A board game like Monopoly? NO. A skate boarding contest? NO. Opposition to someone's nomination to a Board of Directors? NO. Or did you mean something else?

Is the AOTC a result or consequence of the associated behaviors we've been discussing?

[Chalky] A result of the behaviors? YES *audience applauds vigorously*

Is the AOTC a performance?

[Phil] Showtime? NO. Not in the traditional sense. But metaphorically speaking, one could relate it to a finale. *audience applauds encouragingly*

Is there a connection to sleep?

[GL]Perchance to dream? NO

Is this an abstract 'thing' awarded as a result of a result?

Sorry for the earlier rather broad question.

[Dujon] An award? I think the best answer is NO, not in the traditional sense of honoring or gifting someone. But but but...*audience encourages this line of thinking with hoots and hollers*

Is this an accolade?

Peer pressure?

[Phil] Highest praise? NO.
[Rosie] Everybody's doing it? NO, that is not the AOTC. However, since peer pressure is frequently one of the behaviors that results in the AOTC...*audience continues to applaud*

Posting to Youtube?

The herd instinct?

[GL] YouPost? NO
[Rosie] Bovine behavior? NO

Dieting?

[Chalky] Losing it? NO.
Let's have a look at where we are.
The AOTC is not a behavior in and of itself. It is the result of more than one behavior. Though no one asked specifically, the AOTC is the result of human behavior. One of behaviors associated with the AOTC has an element of performance about it though it is not a performance in the traditional fine art or entertainment sense. If the behavior were a performance, however, the AOTC could be likened to the finale of same. Peer pressure is often involved. Though not an award per se, one or more of the behaviors associated with giving an an award are also associated with the AOTC. I will throw in for free that the AOTC is a noun.

Are the people engaging in these behaviours part of a specific profession?

[CdM] On the job? YES. Professional behavior is involved.*approving applause*

A degree?

[Chalky] It's academic? NO. But *applause* because that's a noun and the final result of a series of behaviors.

a job promotion?

[Chalky] Climbing the ladder? NO.

An ASBO?

Anything to do with sport?

[GL] An acronym I had to look up? NO.
[Rosie] Sportsman-like? NO. But there are winners and losers associated. *applause*

Lovely Gravy

Is it generally a negative acheivement?

By which I mean, for example, the 'wooden spoon' in a sporting tournament.

[Lovely Gravy] Unhappy face? MAYBE. (See "there are winners and losers associated" above.)

Does the noun relate to marriage?

Does the abstract noun relate to death?

[Dujon] Love or marriage? NO.
[Chalky] Mortality? NO.

Does this occur in a particular geographical location?

Twenty-nine questions over twenty days might indicate scant interest in this little puzzler - even my curiousity meter is twitching around 'indifferent'.
So it's not connected to love, marriage, birth, death, academia, job development, sport or the performing arts - is not a well-known phrase or saying or an an 'award', per se?

Does it involve a voting procedure?

Is it connected to the medical profession?

Would this have been possible 30 years ago?

[Chalky] Particular geographical location? NO, it happens in many locations.
[Chalky 2] Involves voting? YES, often.
[Chalky 3] Medical connection? YES and NO. It is not a critical connection but some of the most famous examples include a medical connection.
[Chalky 4] Possible 30 years ago? YES. And also 300 years ago.
*vigorous applause for the somewhat indifferent player*

Is this a leadership matter?

I've given up.

I apologize. I guess I am really bad at this game. Next time i get the baton, I will just pass it on.
The AOTC is "verdict" -- in the legal sense, the finale of a trial, which involves some degree of performance on the part of both attorneys and witnesses...and which also involves voting, at least in my experience as a juror.

[cfm] Sorry you feel the need to apologise - there was nothing wrong with your choice really.
Something I've said before on more than one occasion ... I think it helps to reply to a question without changing the questioner's original wordage. Spinning a question forces a 'double read' which can get tiresome. It can also mislead, eg. your reply to CdM's key question regarding a specific profession didn't inspire a rigorous follow-up and perhaps should have?

[Chalky] Thank you for the advice.
*raises, then lets the baton fall once on the desk and leaves it for whomever*

[cfm] I've only been in the chair once. It can be quite difficult to respond to questions in a manner relative. Some people are quite adept at it. I wasn't. Don't dwell on it, regardless of the somewhat snide comments you might receive.

..

If no one else is taking it.

[cfm] Don't worry about it. I've made the same mistakes before, we all have.

To hurry things along I will pick up this discarded baton and offer an ABSTRACT with MINERAL & ANIMAL connections.

A work of art?

[cfm] Work of art? I would say Yes, but not everyone would agree.

A singular work (versus a category of same?)

20/21 century?

[cfm] A thing, not a type of thing? Yes.
[Software] After 1900? Yes.

A piece of visual art?

[cfm] Visual Art? I said before, not everyone would agree it was even art. That said, if it is art, it probably qualifies as visual art. (I am guided solely by Wikipedia in this matter, however).

Could it be regarded as a style?

A monument?

Made of metal?

[Rosie] A style? No.
[Dujon] Monumental? No. *Audience Mirth*
[cfm] Metalic? No.

Was the AOTC intended as a work of art?

[cfm] Intended as art? No, at least I doubt its creator(s) would have used that word at the time.

Oh dear. Should have asked, is the mineral association with something metallic?

[cfm] Metallic association? No.

Is it man-made?

Is it the name of a place?

[Phil] man-made? Yes.
[Chalky] name of a place? *Audience Applaudes* Part of the AOTC is the name of a place.

Is the mineral connection water?

Can I go to a specific place to see it?

[Chalky] Wet Stuff? No.
[Phil] Can you see it in a specific place? Yes, I have seen it in several specific places.

Could it fit inside a microwave oven?

If it can be 'seen' is it Abstract?

[cfm] Could it fit inside a microwave oven? Yes, it's an abstract.
[Chalky] Is it really an Abstract? Yes.

To clarify the point, the contents/title of a book, film or TV programme would all be examples of abstracts that can be seen. (I'm not saying it's one of those but they still exist).

Well then, is it a film or TV program? (I don't know why I keep losing sight of the fact that this is an abstract!) :-)

[cfm] Film or TV? No.

Is it a logo?

An illusion of some kind?

[Chalky] logo? No.
[Rosie] A kind of magic? No.

Is there a musical connection?

Camelot?

[Chalky] Musical connection? Yes, music is involved to soem extent.
[Software] It's only a model? No.

Is it a play?

I said: IS IT A PLAY!?

Typical example of my stupidity - Software asks "Camelot?"
The reply comes back " It's only a model - No "
Result: I spend more time worrying about my failure to make a connection between these two posts than I do about the actual resolution of this puzzle. Thus confirming why I shouldn't be playing this game.

[Chalky] A Play? No.
Sorry, I've been preoccupied, my redundancy notice came through on Friday.

[GL] So sorry to hear that. I hope that another, better opportunity is just around the corner for you. (((((hug)))))

[cfm] Thanks, so do I. But now I've got my CV up to date etc. I'd welcome the distraction of getting the game back up and running.

So, in summary The AOTC is the name of a work for the second half of the twentieth century that contains both visual elements and music. It is not a play, film, or TV programme but more than one copy exists. The title itself contains the name of a place, which is the mineral connection. The animal connection remains unexplored.

Is the animal connection human?

[GL] Eek. Just spotted your redundancy posting. Been there, done that. Hope something turns up pronto.
[Chalky] I don't understand the Camelot/only a model connection either.

[Phil] Human connection? Yes, but not exclusively.
[Chalky/Phil] I'm sorry for the Camalot/Model thing, it was a reference to Monty Python's Holy Grail. Clearly I have seen it too recently. It was not a clue.

It's been two weeks

Is there anyone else still playing this?

A novel?

[Software] A novel? No

OK. Either I, Christmas, or a combination of the two seem to have killed this round/game. Whatever the reason, it would seem wise for me to step down and offer the baton to someone else.
The AOTC was The Secret of Monkey Island.

I will place this baton here for anyone to take.

I know I haven't played for ages, but I have an idea for a very straightforward and unsubtle one... MINERAL.

man made?

[GL] Manmade? YES

Made of metal?

[GL] I thought many times about your AVMA, but never thought of a video game. Not that I've heard of Monkey Island, though :)

Metallic? NO.

Wood?

Is it edible/potable?

Bigger than a bread box?

[Phil] I don't think anyone else thought of video games either. Also, you should play Monkey Island.

Found in the home?

[Rosie] Wood? NO
[Chalky] Edible? NO
[GL] Smaller than a breadbox
[Software] Found in the home? YES is the best answer, albeit disputable.

Plastic?

Stone?

[Dujon] Plastic? NO
[GL] Stone? NO, I think.

Chalk?

[Chalky] u-y=aotc? NO.

Oil?

Liquid at room temperature?

A ceramic material?

[Rosie] Oil? NO
[GL] Liquid? NO
[Chalky] Ceramic? YES

Some form of crockery?

[Rosie] Plates etc.? NO

Something deliberately artistic?

A Garden Gnome?

[Phil] Very seldom considered art
[GL] GG? NO

A gentlemen's urinal?

Associated with a particular culture?

Is it used as an insulator?

[Rosie] Fountain? NO (but you are on the right track - that is if you really know your contemporary art very well!)
[CdM] Culturally specific? NO
[Dujon] Insulator? YES, I think you could say that.

Any connection with Le Mannequin Pis?

Long shot. Yes, it's bronze and older even than me, but my knowledge of contemporary art is not so much like the back of my hand as the sole of my foot.

[Rosie] P-boy? NO (getting colder)

Does water run through it?

[Rosie] Google "Duchamp's Fountain", of which I've been aware for about a week, by pure chance.

[Phil] Water through it? *audience guffaws* Hopefully not!

(Advice to most: don't bother with the contemporary art angle unless you've been paying very close attention since the end of Duchamp's era)

Is it functional, i.e. was it created to serve a particular purpose?

A swimming pool?

[Fil] Phunctional? YES
[Rosie] Pool? NO.

Is it designed to prevent water flow in some way?

[Phil] Prevents water flow? YES

Is it made of Bakelite?

A ceramic tap valve?

A ceramic bath plug?

A bottle stopper (with or without rubber washer)?

(Phil) Yeah, ceramic Bakelite - good stuff.

[Phil] Not Bakelite
[Software] Tap valve? NO
[GL] Plug it? NO
[Rosie] Bottlestopper? NO

Is it bigger than a toaster?

[Rosie] You know, something felt wrong as I typed it. What was I thinking!?

A brick?

A roof tile?

*lobs baton through Raak's window, wrapped in a note reading: "Essential component of Carl Andre's Equivalent VIII? YES!"

I think that’s my first lurker’s victory. Next is MINERAL and ABSTRACT.

The atmosphere?

The oncoming storm?

[Rosie] No atmosphere, as Neil Armstrong said.
[GL] Outlook for Viking, Fisher, German Bight? No.

Phrase or saying involved?

Mineral in its natural state?

[Software] Not a phrase or saying.
[Rosie] Unnatural.

A man-made object with a significance beyond its immediate use?

[Rosie] Can you unpack that? The words on the card refer to a man-made object. They also refer to something abstract.

The Sword of Damocles?

Having carefully unpacked it from its vagina.

[Rosie] Not the Sword of Damocles, wherever it's been.

Is the object made mainly of paper?

[Rosie] Not paper.

Is this larger than a 'phone box?

[Dujon] Smaller than a phone box.

Is it smaller than an iron atom?

[GL] Bigger than an iron atom.

Is it metallic?

but is it art?

[Rosie] Not metallic.
[Phil] Not art.

Plastic?

Stone?

[Rosie] Not plastic.
[Software] *mutters of "At last!" from the audience* Um, stone, sort of.

a diamond in the rough?

[GL] Not a diamond.

Is this a grave matter?

Depiction of a human?

[Dujon] Not grave.
[Rosie] Not a graven image.

Concrete?

Used in building?

[Phil] Not concrete.
[Rosie] *some applause* Is used in building!

A pseudo-stone like Corian, for example?

[Software] Not a pseudo-stone. (I suspect a retired industrial chemist might inform us that the thing on the card isn't stone at all.)

A brick?

Glass?

I suspect GL has it.

[GL] *applause* GL very nearly has it, but it would be bad form for me to have just reused the previously set object. No, this is not a brick.
[Rosie] Not glass.

A breeze block?

[GL] Not a breeze block.

Mortar?

[Phil] Not mortar.

Another Brick In The Wall?