Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 28-9-2017: Confucius Say …

Hmmm … 

I’m mildly nervous, at the moment.

After all, I’ve an interview, tonight: for a local cab firm.

And thinking it’s a shame I couldn’t afford a haircut, last week.

I’m looking — or at least feeling — a bit shaggy.

I’ve seen myself in the mirror, this morning.

My hair’s even spikier than Keith Flint’s!

~≈Ê≈~

On other fronts?

I do know my mother’s got back from a family trip, to Tyne Cot: the Commonwealth cemetery in Belgium.

Frankly?

I’m hoping to get hold of more of the photos from the various family members who were there.

Some sort of compilation would be nice … 

~≈Ê≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 9-9-2017

Ye Gods, I’m tired.

Tired … 

And mildly headachy.

Which will pass, I think.

I can, though, explain — or possibly blame — how I’m feeling.

It’s the trains, of all things!

Last night’s trip home — and thus the time I got to bed — was delayed.

By over-running freight-trains.

I wouldn’t mind so much … 

Except, of course, that I’m working, today.

Which means some sort of functional comes in handy, when you’re working …

Personally?

I’m looking forward to next weekend.

I’ve actually got the weekend off!

~≈Î≈~

The Brentwood Gazette’s Weekly Teaser — 1-1-2014: The Chinese Way

Oh, well, that’s THAT lot sorted, then.

I’ve now got myself booked up for a consultation at Broomfield hospital.

For a hernia op, so you know.

I’m looking forward to it.   Well, the consultation, anyway.

The sooner it’s done, the nearer the actually operation.

~≈fi≈~

Banning Operating Systems

Hmmm …

That’s something … 

You’ve possibly noticed that — outside of the Daily Teasers, and other associated bits and bobs — I’ve not written much, here.

Job-hunting’s getting more frantic, if you follow me.

At ANY rate, I do try and post up about all sorts of things: as and when they catch my eyes.

One news item did, today.

The one on the BBC’s news site — here — that tells us China has banned Windows.

Let me try an be accurate, there.

The Chinese government has banned government departments and offices from using desktops, laptops and tablets running Windows 8, the current and newest version of Microsoft’s operating system.

Mostly, it seems many Chinese government computer are running various versions of Windows XP: which Microsoft have ended security support for.

China are, appreciably, loath to replace XP with an operating system that leaves them reliant on foreign companies for security updates and fixes.

~≈Ê≈~

The Daily Teaser — 1-10-2013: The Chinese Way

You know I have to admit to catching up with  a lot of TV, just recently.

Including the documentary I’ve got playing as I write this: called Secret Voices Of Hollywood, all about the dubbing of actors that went on.

Oh, not when they doing the serious emotional acting highs and lows.

No.

When they were singing,   Which is certainly an eye-opener, when it comes down to things like West Side Story … !

Which actually reminds me: I’ll have to go rent both it, and My Fair Lady.

Because, sometimes … ?   Well, you just HAVE to, don’t you … ?

Hmmm … 

Let’s move on, shall we … ?

~≈Ü≈~

Yesterday’s Teaser saw both Debbi and Sue putting in their answers: with Sue* telling us she’d been edited and Debbi† commenting about the Ripper, the day saw Sue scoring ten out of ten, and Debbi scoring nine.

Let’s see how they — and you — do with today’s Chinese questions, shall we … ?

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

Q1) 1st October is the national day of China.   WHICH China … ?

Q2) The day celebrates China’s formal founding: in which year of the 1940s … ?

Q3) Who made that original declaration, of the country’s founding … ?

Q4) The other country that calls itself China, is … what … ?

Q5) The day is usually celebrated with what … ?

Q6) What’s the capital city of the country celebrating, today … ?

Q7) Standard Chinese is a version of dialect of Chinese … ?

Q8) It’s also one of the four official languages in which far Eastern country?

Q9) As of China’s last census, what — with over 22 million people — is China’s most populated city … ?

Q10) Finally … China’s staple foods includes soybeans, noodles, wheat … and which cereal  … ?

Here’s yesterday’s Ripperological‡ questions and answers …

Q1) 30th September saw Jack the Ripper kill two victims in one night.   Name either.

A1) Catherine Eddowes or Elizabeth Long Liz Stride.

Q2) Name any one of the Ripper’s other three victims.

A2) Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman or Mary Jane Kelly.

Q3) Who the only Ripper victim to be found indoors?

A3) Mary Jane Kelly.

Q4) The Ripper killings took place in which district of London: Whitechapel, Aldgate or Shadwell … ?

A4) Whitechapel.

Q5) The Ripper was ALSO referred to as ‘Leather … ’ what … ?

A5) Leather Apron.   (Apparently, Leather Apron was supposed to wear one: whilst wearing a deer-stalker.   He was ALSO supposed to hang around the Princess Alice … )

Q6) The Saucy Jacky postcard — believed by some to genuinely be from the Ripper — is felt to genuine because it’s postmarked with which date … ?

A6) 1st October, 1888.

Q7) The first (supposed) letter from the killer was the notorious ‘Dear Boss’ letter, and sent to what: a police station, news agency or vigilante group>?

A7) News agency.   (Famously, this was the first to be signed ‘Jack The Ripper’)

Q8) Name the 2001 film — about the Ripper investigation — that took its title from one the the Ripper letters.

A8) From Hell.

Q9) Which US agency did a commemorative investigation into the Ripper killers, in 1988?

A9) The Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI.

Q10) Finally … who wrote the 1943 short story, Yours Truly, Jack The Ripper: Robert Bloch, Ellery Queen or Harlan Ellison … ?

A10) Robert Bloch.

I’ll leave you with this thought from the late Sir Winston Churchill …

“‘The tail of China is large and will not be wagged’. I like that one. The British democracy approves the principles of movable party heads and unwaggable national tails.”

Sir Winston Churchill.

And with a traditional Chinese Army song … 

Enjoy the day … 

*        Sue, why am I not surprised … ? :D

†        Yeah, sorry about the score, Debbi: I was actually talking about the Johnny Depp film … 

‡        What got me, yesterday, was when I mentioned the fact I’d knocked out a Jack the Ripper question set.   I had two people turn around and say, “You know it was supposed to have been a member of the Royal Family … ?”    Personally, I’m blaming Stephen Knight … 

Death In Beijing …

Which is what happened, this morning, according to the news …

British man, Akmal Shaikh, was executed by lethal injection, the Chinese government, on drug smuggling charges.

And I’m feeling fairly mixed.

On the one hand, the death sentence is one of those emotional things: one with both supporters, and people against it.

I’m with the latter, on the whole: I don’t believe two wrongs make a right.

And, in this case, what makes it worse is that Mr Shaikh has a serious form of Bipolar Disorder, what used to be called Manic Depression.

No, I’m not condoning China’s execution of a very vulnerable person.

But I am wondering if anyone’s thought to also condemn the criminals who — whoever and where-ever they are — who are equally complicit it Akmal Shaikh’s death by government.

Just a thought.