Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18th October, 2017.

Well, finally … !

I actually feel like I’ve had some sleep.

Although, given I got to bed, last night, at twelve?

You’d not necessarily think so!

But … ?

Well, I have to say, House of Cards, series five, is still looking good.

Not quite as stunning as earlier series: but I’m assuming that’s a function of the new show runners — Frank Pugliese and Mellisa James Gibson — starting work.

At any rate … ?   It’s all good.

~≈Ÿ≈~

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) 18th October, 320 AD, saw Pappus of Alexandria spot what: a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse or a Transition of Venus?

Q2) The Burning of Falmouth took place: on 18th October, 1775.   During what: the American Revolution, the Second Opium War or the War of Jenkins’ Ear?

Q3) Erich Honecker stepped down: on 18th October, 1989.   As leader of where: East Germany, West Germany, Austria or Lichtenstein?

Q4) The first transistor radio was anounced: on 18th October, 1954.   How many transistors did it have: two, three or four?

Q5) Finally … The USSR received plans form a spy: on 18th October, 1945.   For what: a better mouse trap, a plutonium bomb or the Saturn 5 rocket?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1) The Open — or British Open, if you’re American — was established: on 17th October, 1860.   It’s a championship tournament in which sport: Golf, Tennis or Tiddly Winks?

A1) Golf.

Q2) 17th October is the feast day of Saint Regulus: also know as Saint … whom?

A2) Saint Rule.

Q3) Which motor biker was born on 17th October, 1938?

A3) Evel Knieval.   (Think I had the Evel Knieval Stunt Cycle, somewhere … )

Q4) The notorious Burma-Thailand Railway was completed on 17th October, 1943.   The railway’s Bridge 277 was the basis for which Alec Guinness film?

A4) The Bridge on the River Kwai.

Q5) Finally … Eight people drowned in the middle of London, on 17th October, 1814.   In a flood of what?

A5) Beer.

I’ll leave you with a thought …

“Whoever said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose that counts,’ probably lost.”

Martina Navratilova, born 18th October, 1956.

And Lotte Lenya doing her thing … 

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

Have a good day!

*        You know, I’ll have to keep an eyeball open for that one, Olga: it looks like a fascinating read.   And talking of sound effects?   The BBC used to release their sound effects library on cassette, many moons ago.   Decapitation is quite simple, apparently.   You need a meat cleaver, a chopping board, a large cabbage and a bucket.   All miked up, obviously.   You put the chopping on the edge of a table: so it’s over-hanging the bucket.   You put the cabbage on the board.   You chop the cabbage in half with the cleaver.   You let the bit that’s chopped off fall into the bucket.   You’ve got your sound effect.   Apparently, walking up gravel drives are even easier … 

†        That’s the first time I’ve heard them called that, Debbi!   But I know the sort of things you mean: I can remember growing up in the Seventies, and a few family friends had them.   We were comparatively posh: we had an aerial on the roof.   (TVs just used to come with an aerial socket.   Now … ?   You can’t buy a real flat screen tv, it wouldn’t have room for all the ports!)