Sunday 30 August 2020

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 30-8-2020: 30 Days of Night.

30th August, 2020.


Right … 

I officially have a pile of bits and bobs to do, today.

Mostly … ?

Bits of editing and some tidying up.

And possible, stuff I’ve forgotten.

We’ll see.

~≈®≈~

News … news, news, news, news, news.

I know I and regulars Olga and Debbi have — briefly — mentioned serial killers: after the trailer for Des, ITV’s docu-drama about Dennis Nilsen, dropped.

It’s one of those subjects that will get a lot of discussion, I think.

At any rate?

EssexLive.com tells us that bin bags of human remains have been found ‘at a river near Essex.’

I have two hopes, there.

One?   That the remains are identified quickly: so the family can be told.

Two … ?

That it’s a one off.

I’d hate to see a Green River Killer in the UK … 

~≈®≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Olga*, Trevor† and Debbi‡ putting in their answers: with all three 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) Is thirty (30) a prime number?
Q2) Is thirty (30) odd or even?
Q3) What’s thirty (30) in Roman numerals?
Q4) Thirty (30) is the atomic number of Zinc.   Zinc and copper make what?
Q5) A thirty (30) sided dice has thirty sides.   What shape are each of the sides?   (The acute angles on each face are equal to 2 tan−1(1/φ) = tan−1(2).   Apparently … )
Q6) NGC30 is a what: a black hole, double star or globular cluster?
Q7) Thirty (30) days has September, April, June and … what?
Q8) 30th February has only ever been used once, in a calendar: in 1712.   In which European country?
Q9) Which country’s alphabet has thirty (30) letters: Greece’s, Bulgaria’s or Russia’s?
Q10) Finally … ?   30-Love, 30-15, 30-30 and 30-40 are scores in which sport?
Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1) 29th August is the traditional feast day marking the Beheading of John the Baptist.   On the orders of which King: Herod the Great, Herod the Mad or Herod Antipas?
Q2) Herod ordered the beheading, at the request of his step-daughter.   Who was she?
A2) Salome.   Apparently, she danced for him, first.   Alluringly.   I’m saying nothing.
Q3) She’s said to have demanded his head on a what?
A3) A plate or platter.   (If I’ve got it right, plate would be the usual British English term, regardless of size.   Platter is the usual US English term for a large plate used at a communal table.)
Q4) According to Roman Catholic tradition?   John’s head is said to be in the basilica called San Silvestro in Capite.   San Silvestro in Capite is in which Italian city?
A4) Rome.
Q5) Finally?   According to old Islamic traditions, John’s head is said to have been in the Basilica of Saint John the Baptist.   This particular Basilica of Saint John the Baptist is — or was— in which Syrian city?
A5) Damascus.   It’s now the Umayyid Mosque, or the Great Mosque of Damascus.
Here’s a thought …
“Thirty was so strange for me. I’ve really had to come to terms with the fact that I am now a walking and talking adult.”
C. S. Lewis.
And some music^ …


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

Have a good day.



*        It’s sad, Olga, definitely.   Black Panther’s going to keep Chadwick front and centre, I think: but it’s way to young.   The man must have had quite a bit of stamina, as well: he went through that … and kept filming!   I couldn’t imagine doing that!   (I think it depends on the translation, Olga: silver or otherwise, it’s a plate …  or a platter.   If I’ve got it right!   I think the Spanish version of the Bible’s based on the Roman Catholic one, isn’t it?   From what I know, that, and the King James Version, are very different!)

†        I think it depends on the translation, Trevor: I’ve always understood the word was plate, regardless of what it was made from!   (We’ll be back to five question sets on Tuesday, Trevor: so you know.)

‡        Blimey, there’s a thing, Debbi!   Didn’t you live in Bedford-Stuyvesant, at one point?   Mind you, I say that … with no idea where either of them are!
A decent remake of The Prisoner?   That’s possibly the toughest job on the planet … given that last one!   (Or The Watch.   I’m STILL planning on boycotting that … )
Oh, we’re back to five question sets from Tuesday, Debbi: so you know … 

^        t.A.T.u’s big hit was produced by Trevor Horn: the producer for 80s label, ZTT: and one member of the Buggles.   That wall of sound of his is VERY distinctive!   (If I didn’t include Two Tribes or Relax?   I’d be ignoring a couple of favourite songs!)

2 comments:

Olga said...

Q1) No
Q2) Even
Q3) XXX
Q4) Brass
Q5) Rhombic
Q6) A double star
Q7) November
Q8) Sweden
Q9) Bulgaria
Q10) Tennis
I'd never heard of the Green River Killer (mind you, the USA has a never-ending catalogue of them) but he sounds like a pretty disturbed individual. I've always had the feeling that there might be some out there that never get caught at all because they don't fit into any pattern...
Yesterday I watched a Spanish movie I hadn't heard about but I found fairly entertaining, this one: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1016301/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
The four mathematicians, the questions, and especially the prime numbers made me think you might enjoy it (it is not a masterpiece but I've always liked Lluís Homar, whom I've seen in the theatre a few times, and he is very good).

Debbi said...

Actually, I lived in a housing project in Queens. Not quite Bed-Stuy, but very close. :)

Bed-Stuy is in Brooklyn, the borough roughly to the southwest of Queens. New York City has five boroughs. And they're all on islands. More random facts. :)

1. no
2. even
3. XXX
4. batteries
5. triacontahedron
6. double star
7. November
8. Sweden
9. Bulgaria
10. tennis