Showing posts with label prohibition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prohibition. Show all posts

Wednesday, 16 January 2013

The Brentwood Gazette Weekly Teaser — 16-1-2013

Hmmm … 

You know, I’ve got to confess that — every time I write up one of these Gazette teasers — I get what I’ve some to think of as an Earworm going through my head.

You know what an Earworm is: one of those tunes that suddenly — and for no reason you can think of — plays it’s way through your head.

Although in THIS case … ?

I know perfectly well that — because of the day — I get the chorus from this going through my head … 


Good, isn’t it … ?

At ANY rate, let’s move on, shall we?

After all: it’s Wednesday, which means I should be posting up today’s Gazette Teaser.

Here it, covered by the usual license …
Q1) 16th January, 1919, saw the US Senate pass the law that banned alcohol.   In which year did this go into effect: 1920, 1921 or 1922 … 
Q2) More to the point, which amendment to the US constitution actually banned booze: the 17th, 18th or 19th … ?
Q3) Which Amendment — in 1933 — eventually repealed Prohibition: the 19th, 20th or 21st … ?
Q4) One of the US states that voted for repeal — Utah — is home to a famously sober church: which church … ?
Q5) The Code of Hammurabi is the earliest law code that mention beer and beer parlours: is it Ancient Egyptian, Ancient Greek or Ancient Babylonian … ?7
Q6) How many gallons are there in a Hogshead: 45, 54 or 63 gallons … ?
Q7) The amount of alcohol in alcoholic drinks is shown by its ABV: the higher the ABV, the stronger it is.   But what does ABV stand for … ?
Q8) Who — famously — had a 2006 hit with ‘Rehab’ … ?
Q9) On the same sort of musical lines, which band had a 1979 hit with ‘Milk and Alcohol’?
Q10) And finally … which brand of lager is — informally — known as ‘wifebeater’ … ?

And here’s last weeks questions and answers … 

Questions.

Q1) New England Telephone & Telegraph installed the first battery powered telephone exchange on 9th January, 1894.   But in which Massachusetts town: Lexington, Manchester or New Braintree … ?

Q2) More to the point, in which Massachusetts county is that town: Essex, Middlesex or Sussex … ?

Q3) New England Telephone & Telegraph was formed by investors from Massachusetts, and which other US State?

Q4) Who's generally accepted as the inventor of the telephone … ?

Q5) More to the point, he originally designed the 'phone whilst working on educating whom: the deaf, blind or mute … ?

Q6) Who else has a claim for patenting the first telephone: Elijah Wood, Elisha Gray or Elliot Smith … ?

Q7) Moving on, slightly.   BT is Britain's main landline provider: but what does BT stand for … ?

Q8) What's the American term for a mobile phone … ?

Q9) What's the traditional Cockney Rhyming slang term for a phone … ?

Q10) And FINALLY … what was the original term for a phone hacker: phone phunker, phone phan or phone phreak … ?

Answers.

A1) Lexington.

A2) Middlesex.

A3) The smallest in the US, Rhode Island.

A4) Alexander Graham Bell.

A5) The deaf.

A6) Elisha Gray.

A7) British Telecom.

A8) A cell phone.

A9) Dog and Bone.

A10) Phone phreak.


Enjoy those.

Now … Have one on me … 

The Daily Teaser — 16-1-2013

Yes … 

That seems to work, doesn’t it … ?

I have to admit, I think I’ve outdone meself, poster-wise.

It’s day three — on the proverbial bounce — of a series of them I’ve tied into the theme for the day.

Here’s hoping it looks good … !

Let’s crack on, shall we … ?

~~~~~

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi putting in her answers: along with letting us know she’s got an interesting post planned*, she also managed to bag 6 out of 6.

Let’s see how she — and you — do with today’s questions, shall we?   Here they are, along with the ‘How To’, License and video … 

Q1) 16th January, 1920, saw Prohibition go into effect in the USA: what name was given to illegal bars in the US, during Prohibition … ?   
Q2) More to the point, the illegal transport of alcohol, during Prohibition was called what … ?   
Q3) Equally to the point, which US state was the last to lift laws on the sale of alcohol: Mississippi, Massachusetts or Michigan … ?   
Q4) A loophole in the Prohibition Act allowed the sale of sacramental wine … to whom … ?   
Q5) And finally … which Prohibition-era gangster said “I have spent the best years of my life giving people the lighter pleasures, helping them have a good time, and all I get is abuse” … ?  
And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …
Q1) 15th February saw Elizabeth 1st crowned as Queen of England: in which year … ?
A1) 1559.
Q2) More to the point, what term is used for queens who rule in their own right, rather then those who are married to a king … ?
A2) Queen Regnantº.
Q3) By contrast, a queen who’s a queen because she’s married to a king is called what … ?
A3) A Queen Consort.
Q4) Going slightly sideways … Elizabeth 1st was crowned in Westminster Abbey.   Where was Elizabeth 2nd crowned … ?
A4) Westminster Abbey.
Q5) Which dynasty did Elizabeth 1st belong to … ?
A5) The House of Tudor.
Q6) And finally … who played Elizabeth 1st in the comedy series, Blackadder 2 … ?
A6) Miranda Richardson.
Enjoy those, everyone.

I’ll leave you with a bit of an appropriate tune … 


And a quote from Don Marquis …
“Prohibition makes you want to cry into your beer and denies you the beer to cry into”
Don Marquis.
Have a good day … !












*        I’ll keep me eyes peeled for it … ! :D   (Hang on, one of my Teasers is beautiful … ?   Gee, shucks … !  Actually, I think writing the Gazette Teasers helps: it has managed to tickle my creative bone into different directions.   OK … They’re only brain teasers … But it’s nice to get the appreciation … !)

º        Actually, Debbi, strictly speaking, a Queen dowager is a widowed Queen Consort … 

Thursday, 16 December 2010

Drugs and Bob Ainsworth: Devils, Demons and Prohibition

Hmmm …

You know, the BBC’s news channel does get interesting, this time of the morning, it really does.

One of the items … ?

Was one about former Secretary of State for Defence — and Drugs Minister — Bob Ainsworth, MP.

Who’s — basically — calling for the legalisation of currently illegal hard drugs.

Things like heroin and cocaine, for example, along with various others.

Well, not legalisation: but certainly decriminalisation, along with better regulation, and — where deemed helpful — taxation.

Hmmm …

I find myself caught.


And I’m an ex-barman.

And someone who — for various reasons — doesn’t drink.

So I know that — on the one hand — there’s various types of help — some government funded and some not — for those of us who wish to give the habits up, or are having trouble with dealing with them.

I personally feel that legalisation can only be helpful: especially if it raises some money to fund things like rehab clinics and support for ex-offenders for whom drugs have been a major motivating factors.

On the other hand … ?

I’m also aware that — from the little I know — that the two recreational drugs that are the biggest killers … ?

Are tobacco and alcohol.

As we’re probably all aware, Prohibition in the US didn’t necessarily help.

On the other hand … ?

Regulated, legalised drugs … ?

Could be a bigger problem than we think, taxed, regulated or otherwise …