Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Dubious Distinction Quiz - 2009

Here's a reminder of some of the more dubious events and personalities of 2009. How many can you identify? There are no links or tags, so you'll have to figure it out yourself or do your own surfing.
There are 30 possible points. If you get over twenty-five on your own you can claim to be a Quebec news junkie. Twenty points is great, fifteen is a pass.
I prepared the quiz , but only scored 24, sheeesh!
Go for it.

Let's warm up with some easy ones;

1.Who is the Anglophone fraudster that made headlines after ripping off his closest friends and family?

2. Who is this convicted Francophone fraudster who finished up his Mickey Mouse jail sentence only to be charged again?






3. Who is this ex-Montreal politician who fled the political scene in disgrace after being caught taking campaign contributions from dubious sources, while arrogantly running on a cleanup campaign.






4. Who is this ex-PQ politician who ran for Mayor of Montreal against Gerald Tremblay and lost, proving that Montrealers would rather vote for a mob-controlled city hall, than a unilingual separatist.
5. Who is this ex-Montreal politician who resigned his position at City Hall ahead of a scandal that revealed he had taken a vacation aboard a yacht owned by a Montreal businessman who won a lucrative contract under his watch.



6. Who is this camera shy Montreal businessman who was at the center of at least three major scandals concerning contracts with Montreal city hall and whose companies are the subject of continuing police corruption investigations in the construction industry?


7. In early Spring Premier Charest announced that the Caisse de Depot (the custodian of the provinces pension money) had taken a massive 40 billion dollar bath in the market meltdown under the stewardship of this man, who abandoned ship before the announcement with a golden parachute of over $300,000, in hand. Who is he?

8. After stalling and delays, an inquest finally got under way concerning a tragic incident involving this teenager?






9. What is the name of this publicity hound clown who bought his way into space?



10. What is the nick name of this hideous retro hockey sweater shamelessly hawked by the Montreal Canadiens in honour of their 100th anniversary.

11. Subject to a vicious smear campaign by Francophone nationalists and sovereignists, this man took over one of the top jobs in Quebec. Who is he?




12. What is the name of this Montreal Canadien who makes $7.5 million and plays like he should be in Hamilton?



13. Who is this famous Quebec artist that came under fire for his impassioned reading of the FLQ Manifest at the Moulin a Paroles event staged by nationalists on the Plains of Abraham this past summer?



14. Which famous Quebec singer made the news by jumping the queue and getting the H1N1 shot for himself and his family before being eligible and then lying about it, before doing a mea culpa on a French language talk-show?






15. This power couple came under fire for producing last year's infamous BYE-BYE new Year's eve show on Radio-Canada that mocked Obama for being black and Quebec paedophile victim Nathalie Simard. They held an unconvincing news conference in January to set matters straight.
Name one or the other to claim a point.
Hint..... The woman producer is the daughter of the big shot producer who went to jail for abusing Ms. Simard, which is essentially what the public found so unfunny. One point if you can name one, two for identifying both.

16. This organization and it's leader came under fire for opposing the inclusion of English artists in the annual summer national celebration. Name the organization or the man pictured to the right to claim your point, two points for both.





17. These two federal Liberal politicians fought over the right to run in the Outremont riding in Montreal, currently held by NDP pit bull Thomas Mulcair. As the fight escalated Michael Ignatieff took another serious hit to his already diminished credibility. One point if you can name either, two for identifying both.

18 . This Quebec firebrand is the head of a radical French language sovereignty group that forced the cancellation of the re-enactment of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham this summer, by hinting at a violent confrontation. Name him or the organization that he heads for one point, two for both.





19 . Gérald Gallant, a convicted murderer already serving a life sentence, turned informant and helped police arrest 10 suspects involved in various murders. Mr. Gallant stunned everyone by admitting that he was a major hit man who had fulfilled many 'contracts' on various underworld figures.
On March 31, he pleaded guilty to murdering how many people?
a 8, b. 11, c. 19, d. 20, e. 27



20. In one of the worst cases of family murder, Cathie Gauthier, a Chicoutimi resident was found guilty in October of murdering her husband and three children.
How did she manage to kill them all?

a. Drug overdose. b. House fire c. Firearm d. Drowning


21. A Quebec sports icon was convicted of perjury and given a suspended sentence in May, in relation to the trial of his out of control son who was also convicted earlier in the year resulting in a fifteen month conditional sentence on an array of charges including forcible confinement, making death threats, and assault. One point if you can name the father or the son, two for identifying both.

22. Another Quebec sports legend's son got in trouble and went to trial for an assault during a sporting match. After receiving an absolute discharge the son wisely decided to pursue a singing career. Name him or his famous father. One point if you can name the father or the son, two for identifying both.


23. Proving once again that being born rich is no guarantee of a successful life, this daughter of a famous Quebec media tycoon (deceased) found herself arrested once again in July for cocaine possession for the umpteenth time.
Hint.... You'll remember her brutal arrest at the hands of the Montreal police caught on film by a television news helicopter in 2005. One point if you can name her father, two for identifying both.



SPOILER ALERT>>>>>>> SPOILER ALERT>>>>>>>>>>SPOILER ALERT>>>>>

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ANSWERS

  1. Earl Jones
  2. Vincent Lacroix
  3. Louise Harel
  4. Benoit Labonté
  5. Frank Zampino
  6. Tony Accurso
  7. Henri-Paul Rousseau
  8. Fredy Villanueva
  9. Guy Laliberté
  10. Barbershop
  11. Michael Sabia
  12. Brian Gionta
  13. Luck Merville
  14. Claude Dubois
  15. Veronique Cloutier & Louis Morissette
  16. Claude Beaulieu & La Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste
  17. Denis Coderre & Martin Cauchon
  18. Patrick Bourgeois & Réseau de Résistance du Québécois (RRQ)
  19. e. 27
  20. a. Drug overdose.
  21. Guy Lafleur & Mark Lafleur
  22. Patrick Roy, Jonathon Roy
  23. Pierre Péladeau, Anne-Marie Péladeau

3 comments:

  1. 15- The idea was not to mock Obama. It was mocking Denis Levesque with his stupid jokes and too familiar approach with the people. (It was a reference to his interview with Paul McCartney, talking to him like a good old buddy. Maybe it's on youtube.)

    ReplyDelete
  2. gomez makes 7.8 million. not gionta

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  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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