Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser: 18th August, 2021.

18th August, 2021.

Yes: you’re right.

Me thinking, IS odd!

At any rate … ?

I’ve been thinking, recently: that Frank Herbert possibly had a point.

You’ll remember I’m a fan of his seminal novel, Dune: set some twenty-six thousand years into our future, in a galactic empire dependent on a hideously addictive drug to safely run the transport system.

The drug is from the fictional planet, of Arrakis.

The planet’s native peoples, the Fremen?

Are a tribal group of religious fanatics, funding their fight against foreign occupation/evil oppressors by bribing the right people with Spice … and on the income from smuggling it off planet.

Given its place in the Dune universe?

I believe Frank Herbert was using Spice as a metaphor for oil: and how our entire economy is reliant on it.

Good ol’ oil makes god knows how much fuel: and is the chemical source for so many things.

I think Herbert may have had other things in mind.

Or people, I should say.

You look at international events.

Afghanistan’s popular at the moment.

The Taliban have recently taken control of the country, after Western forces pulled out.

Famously, the group are extremely militant Islamic fundamentalists: having imposed an extremely conservative form of Sharia law, when they were in power in the 1990s.

And, although it’s something they tried banning?   The Taliban ending up controlling Afghanistan’s poppy fields: effectively controlling the country’s opium trade.

Religious fanatics, fighting for control of their land: and dealing in viciously addictive drugs in order to fund their fight … ?

I think Frank Herbert knew what he was writing about.

And that those who tell us science fiction had nothing to do with reality, should possibly read Dune … 

Before someone tells us we should ban the movie … 

~≈🪱≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Olga*, Trevor†, Robin‡, Mum^ and Debbiª putting in their answers: with Robin, Olga, Trevor and Debbi scoring five out of five, and Mum on four and a half.

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 August, 1961, saw the birth of newsreader and journalist, Huw Edwards.   Which BBC 1 news programme does he present: the BBC News at One, the BBC News at Six or the BBC News at Ten?

Q2)        Pierre Janssen discovered evidence of what, on 18th August, 1868: hydrogen, helium or hafnium?

Q3)        The most recent version of Microsoft Flight Simulator was released on 18th August, 2020.   The original version of Microsoft Flight Simulator was released in which year of the 1980s?

Q4)        18th August is the Feast day of Saint Agapitus of Palestrina.   Palestrina is in which Mediterranean country: Greece, Morocco or Italy?

Q5)        18th August, 1917, saw the city of Thessaloniki destroyed by a fire.   Thessaloniki is in which Mediterranean country: Greece, Morocco or Italy?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1)        17th August is Independence Day, in Gabon.   Marking the country’s independence — in 1960 — from which European country?
A1)        France.

Q2)        Gabon is on which continent: Africa, Asia or South America?
A2)        Africa.

Q3)        What’s Gabon’s capital: Kinshasa, Libreville or Malabo?
A3)        Libreville .

Q4)        Gabon shares its currency, the Central African CFA franc, with five other nations.   Name one of those nations.
A4)        Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of the Congo or Equatorial Guinea.

Q5)        Finally … ?   What’s Gabon’s sole official language: Fang, French or Swahili?
A5)        French.

Here’s a thought …

“If adolescence did not exist it would be unnecessary to invent it!”
From Poor Little Warrior, by Brian Aldiss, 18 August 1925 – 19 August 2017.

And music composed by Francesco Canova da Milano …

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

Feel free to share today’s video Teaser.

Have a good day.

*        Well, there’s all sorts of support doing the rounds Olga.   Then there’s an old French phrase, isn’t there?   Cherchez la femme, where’s the woman?   Or maybe we should use the other phrase: where’s the money?   I get the impression the Taliban dig it up from poppy fields.   (Wouldn’t be the first time.   Did you ever hear about the Opium Wars?   The wars between a Britain trying to export opium to China and a China that would rather Britain didn’t?   The opium came from what’s now Afghanistan …)

†        Sounds about right, Trevor!   I’m glad I don’t subscribe to it, I’d never keep up.

‡        You’re welcome to a pot of mine, Robin.   Remind me to thank the neighbour I scrounged the chopped tomatoes from!

^        Hello, Mum!   (There’s two countries with Congo in the name, Mum: I was after the Republic of the Congo.)

ª        Glad to hear it, Debbi!   Oh, Web of Fear’s in.   The animation is … well, the likenesses could be better: but the movement’s a lot more fluid that I’d’ve expected.