Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 15-6-2017

Twelve people are dead, who were alive, yesterday.

As you know … ?

Grenfell Tower, a hi-rise in North Kensington, burnt to death, yesterday.

Twelve of the residents are known to have died as a result.

Residents were either jumping from windows: or throwing babies out, in order to save them

And many more are either in hospital … or missing.

Yes, I think saying the Tower has burnt to death, is the correct way of putting it.   It’s a community that’s died, as much as any of the inhabitants.

There’s talk.

Apparently?

The cladding used to insulate the tower has, apparently, been link to other hi-rise fires.   Smoke and fire alarms were, reportedly, inaudible.   And, apparently, gas pipes weren’t boxed off, correctly.

Obviously, there’s multiple factors involved.

Personally?

I’d love to know how that started.   I can only hope it wasn’t deliberate … 

~≈®≈~

Equally as personally?

I’m wondering what would happen on my street, Rollason Way, should a fire start?

I couldn’t tell you.

I’m no expert on fire regulations, fire safety, what have you.

I do know I lived in a Housing Trust bedsit, many years ago.   Basically, a room in a four-bedroom flat: with a shared kitchen, bathroom, and living room.   Whilst it didn’t have fire extinguishers, it did have a fire blanket in the communal kitchen.   So if the chip pan went up, you could put it out.

I lived in a bedsitter on Ingrave Road: run by Brentwood Council.   You had a bed-sitting room, a kitchenette, and a bathroom: and had access to communal gardens, and a shared laundry room.

I don’t recall if we had a fire blanket in each flat: I think there were, but it was a while ago.   There were fire extinguishers in the corridors.

You could, in theory, grab one, and do something.

Here in my Housing Association flat?

I have no fire blanket provided by my landlord: although I don’t know if the current regulations support that.   

There are no fire extinguishers in the corridors: again, I don’t know if current regulations are for or against that.

There is, in my building?   A Certain amount of compartmentalisation: you can shut a door to stop a fire spreading.   But no clearly marked fire exits.   There are in other building in the area, built at the same time.   

That’s before you get to an issue I’ve brought up on this blog for years,

That the parking on Rollason Way means emergency vehicle access was incredibly difficult: when I moved in, ten years ago.   It hadn’t improved, a few years later.   It’s just as bad, now, if not worse: new flats going up will add more parked cars, and impede access further.

I hope a building on my street doesn’t burn to death.

It … 

Well … 

We residents will have problems.

~≈®≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi* putting in her answers: scoring ten out of ten in the process.   The day also saw Olga† leaving us a comment.

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

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

Q1) 15th June, 1996, saw the Provisional IRA set off a truck bomb: in which English city?

Q2) Nik Wallender was the first person to tightrope walk over what: on 15th June, 2012?

Q3) Bessie Coleman earned her license: on 15th June, 1921.   In doing so, she became the first African American to woman to become a what: driver, pilot or navigator?

Q4) The Great Smokey Mountain range was named as a US National Park on 15th June, 1934.   The park’s spread over two US states.   Name either.

Q5) Finally … 15th June, 1330, saw the birth of Edward, the Black Prince.   Edward was the first person to be invested as Duke of where?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1) 14th June is World Blood Donor Day.   Human blood is what colour?

A1) Red.

Q2) Blood is made up of blood cells, suspended in what?

A2) Plasma.

Q3) Two of the three types of blood cell are coloured.   Name one of those colours.

A3) Red or white.

Q4) The third type of blood cell — platelets — helps blood do what?

A4) Clot.

Q5) Human blood’s colour is due — in part — to haemoglobin.   Haemoglobin makes blood that colour as it’s based on what: iron, copper or platinum?

A5) Iron.

Q6) Instead of hæmoglobin, some animals have hæmocyanins.   Hæmocyanin are built on what: iron, copper or platinum?

A6) Copper.

Q7) Hæmoglobin and hæmocyanin enable blood to move what through the body: oxygen, iron or the message to Garcia?

A7) Oxygen.

Q8) Human blood will be one of four blood groups.   Name one of those groups.

A8) A, B, AB or O.      (“Rhesus?   They’re monkeys … !”)

Q9) The Blood Donor is an episode of whose radio show?

A9) Tony Hancock’s.   (“A pint?   That’s nearly an armful”)

Q10) Finally … Which Christian denomination won’t accept blood transfusions?

A10) The Jehovah’s Witnesses.   (With a certain amount of irony, there’s one song playing on my AppleTV.   A very well known one from The Human League: here …)

I’ll leave you with some Grieg … 





And a thought …

“Heroes aren’t born, they’re cornered.”

James Belushi, born 15th June, 1954.

You have to love that quote … !

Today’s questions will be answered in tomorrow’s Teaser.

Have a good day.

*        Oh, so both you and Olga are up for academia, Debbi?   Good luck on that … !   At ANY rate … ?   The fire’s a terrible thing: and, as Rick will possibly guess, firefighters are still mopping up the last flames.   Hopefully, once any bodies are recovered?   They can start investigating what happened.

†        Sounds like I’ve a pair of functioning academics putting in their answers, Olga: I am going to have to up my game!   But, yes … Grenfell Tower going up is terrible: there’s horror stories.   People jumping, babies thrown out of the window?   Oy!   Actually, floppies would be good coasters for teacups.   You’d need something CD size for a mug.   Now … what to do with an extraneous hard drive …