The Daily Teaser — 28-9-2015

People that have followed me for a while will have realised I’m a Terry Pratchett fan.

One who’s been a fan since the early days of his Discworld series: after picking up a copy of The Colour of Magic, back in the 1980s.

Well … 

I finally finished his last book, The Shepherd’s Crown: quite quietly, in bed, last night.

And … ?   Frankly, I think that’s possibly some of the saddest words I could write: “… finished his last book.”

It’s kind of hard to explain.   But I’ve taken a deep joy in the worlds Sir Terry created.

The saddest part of book … ?   Was coming to the end of it, with the realisation that there will be no more of them.

No more Tiffany.   No more witches.   No more Feegles.   The road to Ankh-Morpork is closed.   

Yes, there’s STILL a lot of Discworld novels out there.

But nothing new.

Between you and me … ?   And this will sound odd, I know.

But between you and me, I gently whispered “Thank you, Terry” to my copy of The Shepherd’s Crown, last night*.

It was the only way I had of thanking the man for all the delight he’s given me.

~≈®≈~

Enough moping, Paul … !   Let’s move on … !

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

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

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

Q1) 28th September, 1867, saw Toronto named as the capital city of its particular Canadian province.   What province is that?

Q2) 28th September is World Rabies Day.   Rabies is a viral disease that inflames what: the stomach, brain or lungs?

Q3) 28th September, 1963, saw the debut of Whaam!: possibly the most famous piece of pop art by whom?

Q4) 28th September, 1952, saw the birth of actress, Sylvia Kristel.   Famously — or possibly notoriously — she appeared in which film?

Q5) Finally … 28th September, 1985, saw riots break out where: Brixton, Tottenham or Shoreditch?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) The Annalen der Physik receive a famous paper, on the 27th September: called Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?.   Which patent clerk wrote that paper?

A1) Albert Einstein.

Q2) The magazine received the paper on the 27th September of which year: 1904, 1905 or 1906?

A2) 1905.

Q3) The paper outlines the famous equation, E=mc².   What does the c represent?

A3) The speed of light.

Q4) What dies the E represent?

A4) E.

Q5) The m represents what: metres, mass or maracas?

A5) Mass.

Q6) The ² tells us c is squared.   What, mathematically, have we done to c: multiplied it by 2, multiplied it by itself or added it to itself?

A6) Multiplied it by itself.   It would look like this: c * c.

Q7) The equation tells us that E and m are what: equivalent, equilateral or equidistant?

A7) Equivalent.   (Which is why the equation is sometimes called the mass equivalence equation.)

Q8) Finally … the man who wrote the paper, published three other in the same year.   It’s therefore known as his Annus … what?

A8) Annus Mirabilis.   (The papers included the one we’re talking about today, about mass-energy equivalence: and also included ones on Brownian motion, the photoelectric effect and special relativity.)

I’ll leave you with this thought …

“It turns out today that it’s much better today to do with a personal computer rather than a notepad.”

Seymour Cray, September 28, 1925 to October 5, 1996

And, as it’s Moon Zappa’s birthday, today … ?

This tune … 

Enjoy your day … 

*        Yes, odd, I know.   But I personally feel the relationship one has with an author is both intimate: and done through their books.   I wanted to say ‘Thank You’ to Sir Terry Pratchett: saying it to his work … ?   Seem the best way of doing that.   (I also got talking to my mum about this: the comparison I offered to her was that Sir Terry’s death was fantasy’s equivalent to the death of Elvis Presley.   Elvis fan that she was, as a teen, she got the point.)

†        Yes, it pretty good, Olga: but yes, I’ve had days like yours.   There’s only so much a body can do, isn’t there … ?   As Debbi always says, “Too many books, not enough time … !”

‡        I’ve not seen it, yet, Debbi: I’m going to try and make time, today.   (You know, I’ve just thought: I can favourite, and watch it on my AppleTV: I can access YouTube on it.)