Canadian Math Skills

You’re probably wondering what’s the deal with today’s post title. Last night when I arrived home, Mrs. Head was on the tail end of entering some kind of spa sweepstakes from Sephora, and was browsing the rules. Incidentally she came across the following:

“The winners will be notified by phone, e-mail or U.S.

mail by June 8, 2005. If the selected entrant is a Canadian resident, before being declared a winner, selected entrant must correctly answer, unaided, a time-limited, mathematical skill-testing question to be administered by e-mail or by telephone at a pre-arranged, mutually convenient time.

If selected entrant is found to be ineligible or otherwise not in compliance with these official rules, or, where the selected entrant is a Canadian resident, if selected entrant fails to correctly answer the skill-testing question, prize will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate winner in Sponsors' sole discretion in accordance with these official rules.”

This made me wonder…Are Canadians just that good at math or does Sephora have something against Canadians and are trying to find a sneaky way to exclude them? Maybe they’re afraid of getting sued by some random American if a Canadian should win (perhaps a Canadian should sue for sweepstakes discrimination). Unfortunately, I don’t think very many reasons, no matter how fantastic or ludicrous, would surprise me.