Saturday 26 May 2012

The Daily Teaser — 26-5-2012

Hmmm … 

Can I make a confession, here … ?

I’ve actually got the BBC’s news channel on in the background: it’s Hard Talk programme on at the moment.

Complete with a live debate about the amount of coverage of the Olympic Torch Relay.

I’m in two minds about that, actually.

On the one hand … ?

My kid sister, Anna, is volunteering for this years’ Paralympics: and what’s more, Dr number 11, Matt Smith himself, is carrying the torch at some point, today.

On the other … ?

On the other, I’m no sports fan: so it’s not like I’m planning to watch!

Well … Apart from maybe the opening and closing ceremonies.

Oh … and keeping my ears open, just in case Snooker’s a demo sport. this year … 

Let’s get moving on, shall we … ?

‹‹‡››

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi putting in her answers: and, along with mentioning her Towel Day Post* — and a certain Ms McRae’s motion — also bagging 5 out of 5.

Let’s see how she — and just as importantly, you — do with today’s questions, shall we?   Here they are, along with the ‘How To’, license and video … 

Q1) 26th May, 1897, saw the publication of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.   What — in the original Romanian — does Dracula mean … ?
Q2) More to the point, the book is partly set in which Romanian province … ?
Q3) Even more to the point, Dracula’s castle is in which mountain range … ?
Q4) As a final riff on the theme: which of Stoker’s novels was filmed by Ken Russell … ?
Q5) 26th May, 1896, saw Nicholas 2nd become the last Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias: in which year did he and his family die … ?
Q6) 26th May, 1998, saw who apologize for Japanese behaviour during World War 2 … ?
Q7) And finally … 26th May, 1908, saw the opening of which London Bridge … ?

And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …
Q1) 25th May is — on Terry Pratchett’s Discworld — the anniversary of the Glorious Revolution: what flower do characters honouring it wear … ?
A1) Lilac.   (There’s a hard-boiled egg, too.)
Q2) 25th May is ALSO Towel Day, honouring Douglas Adams of The Hitch-hikers Guide To the Galaxy fame: what’s the name of the show’s main (human) character … ?
A2) Arthur Dent.
Q3) 25th May, 2011, saw the last mainstream broadcast of which US talk show … ?
A3) The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Q4) 25th May, 1961, saw President John F Kennedy announce the USA was to try and put a man, where … ?
A4) On the moon.
Q5) And finally … 25th May, 1979, saw the UK price of what, go up to 15 pence a pint … ?
A5) Milk.

Enjoy those, everyone.

I’ll leave you in the tender mercies of George Formby, who’s leaning on a Lamppost … 


Oh … 

And with the thought that, when I checked on the amount of people who’d looked at yesterday’s Towel Day teaser, found exactly 42 people had viewed it.

What CAN one say … ?


































*        I saw that one, Debbi!  Nicely done … !   Although I think I’m going to have to sit down with Sam’s oneº: look’s like it’s going to be one to SERIOUSLY think aboutª! :D

º        She’s got a mouth on her, hasn’t she … ?    Mind you after that assault in Identity Theft … !   (Honestly, Debbi, how hard DO you want to be on a girl … !!! :D )

ª        I DO know Rupert Murdoch — in his testimony at the Leveson Enquiry, recently — definitely wasn’t enamoured of the 30%‡ cut Apple takes from those who has software and items on its iOS and Mac App Stores: but ALSO recognised that it was the cost of having something — a newspaper app, in News International’s case — on one of the must-have devices on the market.

‡       The same 30% cut they take from Amazon, for it’s iPad Kindle app.   (I’m ALSO assuming that’s why you won’t find the Mac version of MS Office on the Mac App Store.   I can’t see Redmond liking THAT much of a take.)

3 comments:

Debbi said...

Ha ha ha ... if you think I'm bad, you should see what Sara Paretsky does to poor V.I. Warchawski.

That's the price you pay for being a fictional character. :)

1. the dragon
2. Transylvania
3. the Carpathian Mountains
4. The Lair of the White Worm
5. 1918
6. Emperor Akihito
7. Vauxhall Bridge

Thanks for including both posts! :) I liked your Towel Day teaser, so what can I say?

Debbi said...

OMG! I just looked at the number again. Duh!

Total coincidence, I'm sure. :)

Debbi said...

BTW, I explained a bit about how screwed up the bookselling part of the publishing business is in this post: http://thebookgrrl.blogspot.com/2012/05/quick-trip-to-bookstore.html

That should help you understand why Amazon has such a HUGE advantage.

And there's even more, which I didn't go into. Amazon recruited a big consultant from within publishing, while assuring publishers they didn't intend to compete with them. Ha ha ha ... suckers!

Then they used retailers as their own showrooms by offering discounts to people with apps who found stuff they sell in the stores.

They call that playing hardball. I say it's playing dirty.

Is it any wonder some bookstores won't carry Amazon published print books? Or that Target no longer carries Kindles?

I'm so disappointed in Waterstones. :(