Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 20-2-2018: A Mir Fancy.

20th February, 2018.

Yep, you’re right … 

The trains got delayed, last night!

Not that I, a seriously knackered commuter wanting to go home, minded a basic delay.

Please note, I say basic delay.

Last night’s wasn’t basic.

It was full on ‘one hour delay caused by points failure’ type delay, or nothing.

With the net result?

There’s a very tired blogger sitting in front of a posh computer, this morning!

~≈§≈~

Talking of which … ?

And just in case you’re interested?

So far, it’s day two of using my nice shiny new iMac, and I have to admit to a couple of minor disappointments.

It turns out that HandBrake needs work: the DVD decryption library it relies on to circumvent copy protection needs to be installed via Terminal.   Which I’ve tried … only to be asked for a password I don’t recognise.

There’s workarounds: mostly involving things like RipIt, which let you copy DVDs minus the digital rights management protection.

So it’s not the total lose you’d’ve thought.

Still … it’s a little disappointing.

The only other disappointment?

Is that long time favourite games, Pac the Man X and Connect M no longer work under High Sierra.

That’s a real disappointment.

Granted, it means less distraction, but even so … 

~≈§≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

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

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

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

Q1) 20th February saw the Soviet Union launch the Mir space station.   In which year?

Q2) The word, ‘Mir’ — Мир, in Cyrillic — is a Russian word that means both ‘world’ … and what else?

Q3) The station was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan.   The Cosmodrome is on a Kazakh what: river, steppe or mountain range?

Q4) Purely for special occasions, the Station had a small supply of vodka.   And what else?

Q5) Dr Valeri Vladimirovich Polyakov spent the most time on Mir.   How long: 237, 337 or  437 days?

Q6) The Spektr module housed Mir’s what: computer, power source or astrophysics lab?

Q7) Mir’s Docking module was supplied by NASA: and allowed what to dock at Mir?

Q8) Mir’s Core module was the general what?

Q9) Mir was brought back to Earth in 2001.   What was left landed where: the Pacific or the Atlantic?

Q10) Finally … Mir’s been (effectively) replaced by what?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1) 19th February, 1911, saw the birth of actress, Estelle Thompson.   How was she better known?

A1) Merle Oberon.

Q2) 19th February, 1968, saw a High Court judge award damages to children born with serious birth deformities.   Birth deformities caused by which drug?

A2) Thalidomide.

Q3) 19th February, 1985, saw Iberia Airlines Flight 610 crash: whilst on route from Madrid … to where?

A3) Bilbao.

Q4) Which astronomer was born on 19th February, 1473?

A4) Nicolaus Copernicus.

Q5) Finally … 19th February, 1954 saw the Soviet Union handed the Crimea from the Russian Soviet Republic: to which other soviet republic?

A5) The Ukraine.

Here’s an observation about training to go to Mir …

“I lived at Star City for more than a year ahead of my trip to Mir on May 18, 1991 in Soyuz TM-12. My life at Star City was so remote that learning Russian became my greatest priority.”

Helen Sharman.

And a tune … 

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

Have a nice day.

*        Oh, I don’t know, Olga‡, I think I’m due the Grumpy Old Git 5·0 update in the not too distant future!   I’ve got the hardware already.   (Actually?   Doesn’t education count as a software update?)

†        My pleasure, Debbi‡, anytime!   Oh, she’s Australian … Handy … The other Estelle?   Was Merle Oberon … !   I’ll try and look that link up, Debbi!   Think someone forgot the link!

‡        Actually, on the technology front?   Whilst there’s a disappointment involved, there’s also upside.   The actually GUI on this version of the OS is very clean and uncluttered.   Safari, the web browser?   Is looking VERY well.