Thursday 12 October 2017

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12-10-2017: The Wickedest Man Alive

I’ve got to admit to being a news junkie: I’ll follow ANYONE, if they’ve got a half decent news feed.

Well … 

If they’re a BBC journalist on Twitter!

OK, my point … ?

Is that I’ve had half an eye on the situation with producer, Harvey Weinstein.

Who’s facing accusations of various shades sexual assault charge.

I’m not going to defend the man.

I’m not surprised about the accusations, though: let’s face it, stories about the Casting Couch have been around for a while.

And that’s before you start talking about Fatty Arbuckle.

Does that diminish the films he’s produced?

I don’t know.

But I can imagine someone will want to start a boycott.

~≈É≈~

One other piece of news that floated across my feed?

Was that — seemingly — Kaspersky Labs popular anti-virus software has been exploited: by the Russian government.

Not that I use it: with the amount of malicious software around for the Mac, I tend to use common sense, rather than software to keep my machine free of nasties.

But?

I think that — if the Russian government is exploiting a popular piece of protective software — that implies, if not proves, that the US government are going something similar.

Granted, the likes of you and me aren’t going to have anything on our devices of interested to a government determined to spy on rivals?

But it certainly adds a new terror to privacy concerns.

~≈É≈~

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) 12th October saw the birth of notorious occultist, Aleister Crowley.   In which year of the 1870s?
Q2) He was born into a family of fundamentalist Christians.   A family that belong to the Plymouth what: Brethren, Friars or Siblings?
Q3) He went to which university: Oxford, Cambridge or Bristol?
Q4) Crowley practiced a version of magic.   How did he spell ‘magic’?
Q5) 1898 saw Crowley joining the Hermetic Order of the Golden … what?
Q6) He was also a noted amateur what: football player, cricketer or mountaineer?
Q7) Crowley established a religion he called ‘Thelema.’   He opened an Abbey of Thelema in 1920: in Cefalù.   Cefalù is on which Mediterranean island?
Q8) He wrote the central text of that religion in 1904.   It’s called The Book of the … what?
Q9) Crowley gives his name to a character in Good Omens.   Name either of the authors of Good Omens.
Q10) Finally … Crowley’s on the cover of which Beatle album?
Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1) 11th October is the feast of Æthelburh of where: Barking, Basildon or Billericay?
A1) Barking..   (She’s ALSO called Ethelburga: which inspired a range of medieval fast food joints.)
Q2) 11th October is ALSO the feast day of Saint Gummarus.   He’s patron saint of what: fallen arches, hernia sufferers or bad backs?
Q3) Old Michaelmas Day falls on 11th October.   According to some old stories, the day saw the devil fall into a what: blackberry bush, briar patch or cesspit?
A3) Blackberry bush.   (According to some people, you’re not supposed to pick blackberries after this date.   Apparently, and as a result of failing into the patch, the Devil spat on the bush.)
Q4) Operation Deepscan ended on 11th October, 1987.   What had it failed to find: the Stone of Scone, Nessie or the Great Pumpkin?
A4) Nessie.
Q5) Finally?   11th October, 1942, saw the birth of Amitabh Bachchan.   He’s one of the big stars of where: Nollywood, Hollywood or Bollywood?
A5) Bollywood.
Here’s a thought from the man, himself …
“To practice black magic you have to violate every principle of science, decency, and intelligence. You must be obsessed with an insane idea of the importance of the petty object of your wretched and selfish desires.”
Aleister Crowley.
And, as Aleister used to call himself the Great Beast … ?

A tune … 


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

Have a good day!


*        You’d have to be careful in Cornwall, Olga.   Apparently, he didn’t spit on the blackberries, down there … !   And I seem to recall they say the same about Bristol: that it’s built on seven ‘Roman’ hills.   I can just see a Roman legionary, in ancient Sheffield or Bristol, saying “Seven more hills?   Oh, Gods, we’ve got another climb, on, lads!”

†        Always the way, Debbi!   Did you eves see the movie version of Johnny Mnemonic?   Everyone thought the cybernetic dolphin, Jones, was cute.   What the short story tells you, but the film doesn’t?   Is that Jones is a heroin addict …

2 comments:

Olga said...

Now I'm not sure if I've submitted my answers or not. I thought I had but when I was closing the browser to leave the house it sent me a warning. Well, if they are not there, I was telling you I found Crowley fascinating and now I realise where the name of the Supernatural character came from.
Take care.

Debbi said...

I haven't seen that one yet. Crowley was quite a character. So is William Gibson! :)

1. 1875
2. Brethren
3. Cambridge
4. magick
5. Dawn
6. mountaineer
7. Sicily (we went there when we were in Italy--Rick's mom hails from Cefalu!)
8. the Law
9. Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (another one on my TBR list)
10. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band