Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 5-6-2017

I’m … very unsurprised, this morning.

Theresa May, the Prime Minister, has officially condemned various shades of tech company.

Along with others in her government, she’s criticised both social media, and companies that use end to end encryption, for allowing radicals a ‘safe space,’ in which to plan.

OK, I can appreciate that … 

But Ian Duncan Smith made — completely unintentionally — a minor point: in an Andrew Marr show interview, yesterday.

He said words to the effect of “Parents don’t know what their children are doing, online.”

Now, yes: tech companies could be doing more.

But what are we as parents doing to keep our children away from radicalisation?

You?

Me?

The family next door?

If the answer’s “I don’t know what they’re up to,” or “I don’t know how to use a computer”?

We’re just as bad as the tech giants.

~≈ß≈~

There’s something else that’s unsurprisingly surprising.

In a nice way.

I managed to catch this week’s episode of Dr Who, last night: The Lie of the Land.

And couldn’t help but notice the 1984 references.

After all, the monks base is a giant pyramid with ‘Truth’ written all over it, whose controllers are keeping the boiler-suited population oppressed by re-writing history: complete with ‘Memory’ police enforcing it.

So I asked him about it, via Twitter.

Turns out he is.

I’m happy!

~≈ß≈~

But let’s move on, shall we?

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

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

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

Q1) 5th June, 1257, saw Kraków giving formal rights as a city.   Kraków is in which European country?

Q2) The episode of The Milton Berle Show for 5th June, 1956 introduce Elvis’s new single.   Which single?

Q3) In a referendum on 5th June, 1975, the UK voted to join the European Economic Community: or EEC.   Now called the EU, the UK voted to leave it, in which year?

Q4) 5th June, 1967, saw Israel launch an attack on which of its neighbours?

Q5) Finally … 5th June, 1971, saw the birth of actor, Mark Wahlberg.   In which 2012 film does he play John Bennett?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1) King Gyanendra ascended the throne: on 4th June, 2001.   After a massacre of the royal family of which country?

A1) Nepal.

Q2) 4th June, 1968, saw the town of Dover announce it would start a cull of what: fish, birds or hedgehogs?

A2) Birds.

Q3) Which Literary prize was first awarded: on 4th June, 1917?

A3) The Pulitzer.

Q4) 4th June, 1919, saw the US Congress approve the Amendment to the Constitution: that allowed women the vote.   Which Amendment was it?

A4) The 19th.

Q5) Finally … 4th June, 2010, saw the first flight of the Falcon Nine rocket.   Where was it launched from: Cape Canaveral, Silicon Valley or Woomera?

A5) Cape Canaveral.   (Elon Musk, the man who owns the company that launched the rockets, called the platforms his rockets can land on, the Just Read the Instructions and Of Course I Still Love You.   If he’s going to carry on with the Banks naming thing, Refreshingly Unconcerned With the Vulgar Exigencies of Veracity would be perfect.)

Here’s a favourite song of mine: used as it’s Laurie’s^ birthday … 

And a thought …

“England’s not a bad country. It’s just a mean, cold, ugly, divided, tired, clapped-out, post-imperial, post-industrial slag-heap covered in polystyrene hamburger cartons.”

A Natural Curiosity, Margaret Drabble, born 5th June, 1936.

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

Enjoy your day.

*        It is, isn’t it, Olga‡?   They’ve come a way.   And Silent Running?   Is something to watch!   The robots in it are all played by double amputees, from what I remember.   As for London … ?   What CAN I tell you?   Except … well, it’s a tough city.   Blitzes, plagues, Great Fires, seven-seven, invasion by Boudica … it’s survived them all.   (Howard’s End?   Wasn’t that the 1980s series about yachting?   No, wait, I got that mixed up with Howard’s Way … !)

†        You know, I’m going to have to look out for them, Debbi‡!   (Actually?   I’ve been writing an upcoming set: and came across the Battle of Jerusalem Plank.   I saw that and started wondering how many bad pulp detectives it sounds like.   Jerusalem Plank Investigates!. Jerusalem Plank and the Case of the Purple Prose!.   Oh, and who can forget Jerusalem Plank Does Dallas!)

‡        Did I mention last’s Dr Who … ?   Quite something!   Peter Capaldi must have whistling Sex Crime …

^        Am I the only one who thinks she looks like a young Eddie Izzard?