The Daily Teaser — 21-9-2015: The Hobbit

Phew … !

I have an official day off!

Actually … ?   I’ve got today and tomorrow off.

Which is handy.   Frankly, I’ve been writing Nik Nak’s Old Peculiar for some time: and thoroughly enjoying it.

But do like having the time to both write the #Teasers, and to produce the slideshows that go with them.

What’s more … ?   I’ve been borrowing an old friend’s library of Dr Who DVDs: so I can rebuild my digital collection.

I’ve just finished the Sylvester McCoy/Paul McGann episodes: which means I can rip the DVDs I’ve recently had delivered, and add them.

Frankly … ?   I’m looking forward, once that’s done, to catching Aaagh! It’s The Mr Hell Show.   But I’ve ALSO got series two of House of Cards in the mix.

Which looks as interesting as the first.

Well … 

You could say that … 

~≈®≈~

But let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw both Debbi* and Olga† putting in their answers: with both scoring six out of six.

Let’s see how everyone does with today’s questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the How To, License and video … 

Q1) 21st September saw the original publication of the children’s fantasy novel, The Hobbit.   In which year of the 1930s?

Q2) Who was the author of The Hobbit?

Q3) The main character of The Hobbit is Bilbo Baggins.   What exactly is Bilbo?

Q4) In The Hobbit, Bilbo is hired by a group of how many dwarves?

Q5) Name one of those dwarves … 

Q6) The major villain of The Hobbit is Smaug.   What exactly is Smaug?

Q7) Smaug has made his lair under the Lonely what?

Q8) Which character in The Hobbit is rather grey?

Q9) The Hobbit ends with a big battle: known as the Battle of what?

Q10) Finally … At the end of The Hobbit, Bilbo returns to his home in the Shire.   What’s the name of Bilbo’s house?

Here’s yesterday’s questions, answers and references …

Q1) 20th September, 1909, saw the UK’s Parliament pass the act that created which country?
A1) The Union of South Africa.

Q2) It was created by uniting four colonies.   Name one of those colonies.
A2) Cape Colony, Natal Colony, Transvaal and the Orange River Colony.

Q3) Muhammed — prophet and founder of Islam — arrived in a well known city: on 20th September, 622 AD.   Which city?
A3) Medina.   (OK, who said Mecca … ?)

Q4) Robert of Geneva was elected as Pope, under the name Clement 7th: on 20th September, 1378.   What title do historians give him: Pope, Antipope or Avignon Pope?
A4) Antipope.   (He wasn’t, technically, one of the Avignon Papacy popes although he stayed, for a while, in the town.)

Q5) Monterrey was founded on 20th September, 1596: in what was then called New Spain.   The city is in what’s now which country?
A5) Mexico.

Q6) Finally … 20th September, 1973, saw Bobby Riggs beaten, by Billie Jean King: in the match known as The Battle of the Sexes.   What sport were the pair playing: tennis, snooker or volleyball?
A6) Tennis.

I’ll leave you with an opening line …

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.”
The opening line of Chapter 1 of The Hobbit.

And possibly the only tune I could leave you with … 

Have a good day.   Don’t drop Bilbo’s plates … !

*        I don’t know that it’s weird, Debbi: adding some sort of extra to a series is pretty much standard practise for many media companies.   At least, from what I can see.   What’s annoyed me — and I suspect will annoy others — is that The Doctor’s Meditation had a US release … and not a UK one.   I can understand the BBC going adding a few extra to make the series release more appealing, especially internationally.   But … well, I pay my license fee to help fund the BBC … and they can’t let me, and others in the UK, see this … ?   For free … ?   Angry, I’m not.   Annoyed, on the other hand … 

†        I think Debbi and I will both agree on the latter point, Olga‡!   It’s sort of the reason I put the quote up.   Yesterday was George’s birthday, hence the reason I wanted a quote from him: but that one appealed.   (My boss keeps saying something similar, I should add: that our branch isn’t a democracy.   Although I don’t know that you, Debbi, or George RR Martin agreeing, there: or having THAT much to do with fried chicken … !)

‡        I’ve mentioned this to Debbi, Olga, but just so you know what I’m talking about, when I mention ripping … ?   Basically, it’s the process of using software on something like a DVD, blu-ray or CD to turn the contents into files you can THEN store/play on a computer: ultimately so you can then play them on something like an Apple TV, iPod or other media device.   Personally, I use HandBrake to rip DVDs, and HandBrake and MakeMKV to rip Blu-rays.   I’ve long since turned my CDs into mp3 files with iTunes.