The Daily Teaser …

Hmmmm …

Isn’t it funny how it takes you a while to wake up on a Sunday morning?

Unless — like me — you did yourself a chilli, the night before.

You do feel the need to get up suddenly, sometimes, you really do.

Ah HEM!

Let’s leave that right there, shall we?

Yes, lets …

Yesterday’s teaser saw Andy — the FSG Drone, himself — manage to get the Official First-in-Clap, and 7out of 7!

Go, Andy!

So let’s see what people can do, with today’s questions, shall we?

Yes, let’s.

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

Q1) Very appropriate, this one: 31^st January, 1747, saw the London Lock Hospital open: what did it specialise in treating?

Q2) 31^st January, 1983, saw a law introduced in the UK, that made compulsory to wear … ?

Q3) 17 years later, 31^st January, 2000, saw who sentenced to life imprisonment?

Q4) 31^st January, 1983, saw the birth of actor, James Sutton: in which British soap did he first come to prominence?

Q5) 377 years earlier, 31^st January, 1606, saw the execution of which plotter?

Q6) And finally … 31^st January, 1929, saw the Soviet Union exile which politician?

And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 30^th January, 1649, saw the execution of which English king?

A1) Charles 1^st. (Who — as Charles the Martyr — is the only saint canonised by the Church of England after it split from Rome. This day in 1661, also saw, as Andy pointed out, the execution — by beheading — of Oliver Cromwell. Andy’s right, the Scots, as a whole, generally really don’t hold a grudge … )

Q2) 299 years later, 30^th January, 1948, saw the assassination — by a Hindu extremist — of which Indian leader?

A2) Mohandas K. ‘Mahatma’ Gandhi. (‘Mahatma’ — महात्मा — is a Sanskit word, meaning ‘Great Soul’.)

Q3) 30^th January, 1972, saw 13 people killed in a civil rights protest in Londonderry: how is this incident more notoriously known?

A3) Bloody Sunday.

Q4) 30^th January, 1913, saw the House of Lords reject a bill on … what?

A4) Irish Home Rule.

Q5) 123 year’s earlier, 30^th January, 1790, saw the first official testing of a lifeboat: on which English river?

A5) The River Tyne.

Q6) 57 years after that, the Californian town of Yerba Buena renamed … what?

A6) San Francisco.

Q7) And finally … today in 1969 saw the last public performance by which band … ?

A7) The Beatles.

Enjoy those, everyone: I’ll catch you later!

A Problem …

Hmmm …

Hmmmm …

You know, in normal circumstances, I usually won’t hear a word said against Apple, and their products, I really don’t. At least not off from people who don’t have one.

But I’ve had a glitch — yes, glitch seems to be the word — crop up up, ever since the release of Security Patch 2010 − 001.

DVD’s don’t seem to burn.

Hmmm …

Bit of a bugger, that.

And a rather frustrating one, as you can imagine.

As you probably know, by now, I’m using a mid-2007 model Mac Mini, running Mac OS X 10.6.2.

With the past few files I I’ve tried burning to blank DVD — every format, bar DL’s, and quite a few different brands — and all I get in reply is the following:

The disc can’t be burned because because communication between the computer and the disc drive failed (error code 0x80020022).

Which wasn’t something I got, before the patch went on.

I also know that — having browsed through the various Apple forums —

I think I’d appreciate any thought’s people have. Or help anyone can give.

If you’ve come across this problem, and developed a workaround, or solution, I’d appreciate a comment or two.

And not ones of the ‘Get a PC sort’, THANKING you … !

The Daily Teaser …

You know, it always impresses me, how busy Friday’s Teasers can get, it really does!

We had five — FIVE — whole entries, yesterday, so I’m pleased about that!

I’m just wondering one thing.

B, ol’ bean, who are you?!?

You’ve got me rather curious! And I’m willing to bet everyone else is!

At any rate, let’s have the scores on the proverbial doors, shall we? Yes, let’s … !

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Trevor getting 5 out of 5, Andrea, Tim and Simon getting 4.5 out of 5, and B getting 2 out of 5.

Those half points all hinge on yesterday’s Q2: about the Cullinan Diamond?

The actual answer I was after was The First Star of Africa: also known as Cullinan 1, and currently the centrepiece of the Sceptre with the Cross. (Where everyone went slightly wrong was either not specifying that, or naming Cullinan 2, or the Lesser Star of Africa … Ah HEM! Trevor, bless him, hedged his bets and named both … )

Hmmm …

At any rate, I know giving both Jimmy Durante and Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven lead to our first actual quote from Trevor, bless him, Simon putting in a classic from The Schnozzola, himself, and Andrea digging up both Poe’s ‘A Dream’, and an interesting line from Durante himself: “Politics is developing more comedians than radio ever did.”.

Is it me, or did Jimmy have a point, there, Andrea? (I know Rory Bremner, one of the UK’s best impersonators and satirists, said on TV, yesterday, that David Cameron — the current Leader of the Opposition — does a better Tony Blair impersonation then he does. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions* … )

Anyway, let’s get cracking, shall we?

Yes, lets!

Here’s today’s questions, along with the ‘How To’ and License …

Q1) 30th January, 1649, saw the execution of which English king?

Q2) 299 years later, 30th January, 1948, saw the assassination — by a Hindu extremist — of which Indian leader?

Q3) 30th January, 1972, saw 13 people killed in a civil rights protest in Londonderry: how is this incident more notoriously known?

A3) Bloody Sunday.

Q4) 30th January, 1913, saw the House of Lords reject a bill on … what?

Q5) 123 year’s earlier, 30th January, 1790, saw the first official testing of a lifeboat: on which English river?

Q6) 57 years after that, the Californian town of Yerba Buena renamed … what?

Q7) And finally … today in 1969 saw the last public performance by which band … ?

And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 29^th January, 1845, saw the first publication of which Edgar Allen Poe poem?

A1) The Raven.

Q2) Nine years earlier, 29^th January, 1834 saw US President Andrew Jackson order the first use of Federal troops in a … what?

A2) Labour dispute.

Q3) 29^th January, 1905, saw the discovery of the Cullinan Diamond, which weighed in at 1 1/3^rd pounds, and 3, 106 carats. What are either of the two names given to the largest of the diamonds cut from this stone?

A3) The Star of Africa 1, or Cullinan 1. (It’s currently the centrepiece of the Royal Sceptre of the UK’s Crown Jewels, and was, until 1985, the largest cut diamond in the world: it can also be demounted and worn as a brooch.)

Q4) 29^th January, 1980, saw the death of American comedian and actor, Jimmy Durante: what facial feature did his nicknames refer to?

A4) His large nose: he was known as the Schnozzle or Schnozzola on account of it.

Q5) And finally, today in 1996, saw which European country finally cease nuclear testing?

A5) France.

Enjoy those, everyone. I’ll catch you later!

* And make sense of my grammar yourself. Because I’m blowed if I can … !

The Friday Teaser

Oy!

I’m up a little later than usual, I’ll be honest!

So I’m going to apologise for that.

But make no apology for the fact I’ve got the Chilcott enquiry playing in the background. A certain former British Prime Minister’s on the witness chair, right now …

Hmmm …

Let’s see if Tony can wiggle out of this …

•••••

At any rate, while the Show’s going on, let me tell you about yesterday’s Teaser.

We had Simon and Andrea going Head To Head, yesterday, with both getting 5 out of 5.

Andrea has handed back the Ointment to Simon, as Simon, bless him, managed to bag the Official First-In-Clap!

Saying that, I think Andrea managed to get the Quote of the day, by digging up a line or two, from Chapter 24 of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Hand the ointment back, Simon, I think Andrea’s bagged the Quote-Clap!

Let’s move see what everyone can do with today’s questions!

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

Q1) 29^th January, 1845, saw the first publication of which Edgar Allen Poe poem?

Q2) Nine years earlier, 29^th January, 1834 saw US President Andrew Jackson order the first use of Federal troops in a … what?

Q3) 29^th January, 1905, saw the discovery of the Cullinan Diamond, which weighed in at 1 1/3^rd pounds, and 3, 106 carats. What are either of the two names given to the largest of the diamonds cut from this stone?

Q4) 29^th January, 1980, saw the death of American comedian and actor, Jimmy Durante: what facial feature did his nicknames refer to?

Q5) And finally, today in 1996, saw which European country finally cease nuclear testing?

And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 28^th January, 1547, saw the death of Henry 8^th. Who became the first protestant ruler of England on his death?

A1) 9-year-old Edward 6^th.

Q2) 266 years later, 28^th January, 1813, saw the first publication of which classic novel?

A2) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Q3) 28^th January, 1986, saw which challenging space disaster occur?

A3) The explosion — on launch — of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

Q4) 33 years before that, 28^th January, 1953, saw who hanged for murder?

A4) Derek Bentley.

Q5) 329 years before that, Sir Thomas Warner founded the first British colony in the Caribbean: but on which Caribbean island?

A5) Saint Kitts.

Q6) And finally … 28^th January, 1958 saw the patenting of which brick?

A6) The Lego brick.

And finally, as it’s Friday, here’s the 60-question-set*, for struggling pub quiz masters.

Online 39.

Round One. General Knowledge.

Q1) In which year of the 1970’s was free contraception 1st handed out on the NHS?

A1) 1974.

Q2) According to the proverb, what plays, while the cat’s away?

A2) Mice.

Q3) What did Harry Vardon give his name to, a disease, a sports trophy, or a type of apple?

A3) A sports trophy. (In golf.)

Q4) Who originally wore moccasins?

A4) Native Americans.

Q5) Which European language is the main toungue spoken in Mexico?

A5) Spanish.

Q6) In which year did Hong Kong revert to China?

A6) 1997.

Q7) Who had hits with Catch a Falling Star and Magic Moments?

A7) Perry Como.

Q8) Actor Sean Pertwee’s dad played which TV Scarecrow?

A8) Wurzel Gummidge. (He was actor Jon Pertwee.)

Q9) The 1st atomic bomb to be used in combat, was dropped on which Japanese city, Nagasaki, or Hiroshima?

A9) Hiroshima.

Q10) What do Americans call a tap?

A10) A faucet.

ROUND TWO. MUSIC AND LIGHTS.

Q11) Who released albums called Machine Head and Burn?

A11) Deep Purple.

Q12) Which Marty Wilde hit shares a name with an Al Pacino film?

A12) Sea Of Love.

Q13) Which Gilbert and Sullivan Opera was sub-titled The Lass that Loved A Sailor?

A13) HMS Pinafore.

Q14) Who provided the choreography for ZZTop’s videos?

A14) Paula Abdul.

Q15) Which Pink song provided a hit for Shakin’ Stevens?

A15) Trouble.

Q16) Bad Penny Blues, was the first jazz song to enter the British charts; - who was it by?

A16) Humphrey Lyttelton.

Q17) Before joining the Beatles, Ringo Starr was with which band?

A17) Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.

Q18) Which boat provided a hit for the Beach Boys?

A18) The Sloop John B.

Q19) The fourth movement of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony provided the soundtrack to which controversial 70’s movie?

A19) A Clockwork Orange.

Q20) Urban Hymns was a hit LP for which band?

A20) The Verve.

ROUND THREE. IN THE ARMY, NOW.

Q21) Big Willy & Little Willy were early example of what?

A21) The tank.

Q22) The Charge of the Light Brigade took place during which battle?

A22) The Battle of Balaclava.

Q23) Which is more senior, a lieutenant general or a major general?

A23) A Lieutenant general.

Q24) The soldiers of which country were the 1st to Berlin, at the end of WW2?

A24) The USSR. (Accept Russia.)

Q25) Which Eastern European alliance took its name from the capital of Poland?

A25) The Warsaw Pact.

Q26) What’s the name of the war memorial, in Whitehall?

A26) The Cenotaph

Q27) What name is given to the organisation founded by General William Booth?

A27) The Salvation Army.

Q28) Which Gulf War general was nicknamed Stormin’ Norman?

A28) H. Norman Schwarfkopf, the US army commander.

Q29) Which British army troops wear maroon berets?

A29) Airborne troops, such as parachutists.

Q30) What’s the highest award for bravery, in the US army?

A30) The Medal of Honour.

ROUND FOUR. CHILDREN’S MOVIES.

Q31) Who played the title role in the 1971 film, Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory?

A31) Gene Wilder.

Q32) In The Wizard of Oz, what colour are the slippers that allow Dorothy to go home?

A32) Ruby.

Q33) R. Lee Ermey appeared as the sadistic sergeant in Full Metal Jacket. What part did he voice in Toy Story?

A33) Sarge, the plastic soldier.

Q34) Which author wrote Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang?

A34) Ian Fleming. (It’s also the only non-James Bond film to be made by Eon Productions, the company behind the James Bond movies.)

Q35) Which actress starred in the 1944 film, National Velvet?

A35) Elizabeth Taylor.

Q36) Which sailing novel by Arthur Ransome was turned into a 1974 film?

A36) Swallows and Amazons.

Q37) Which child star was left Home Alone in 1990?

A37) Macalley Culkin.

Q38) Angela Lansbury plays a trainee witch in which 1971 Disney film?

A38) Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

Q39) In the 1998 film, Mulan, who provides the voice of Mushu, the Demoted One?

A39) Eddie Murphy.

Q40) Which 1999 film was advertised with the slogan, “…the Little family just got bigger?”

A40) Stuart Little.

ROUND FIVE. SPORTING GEAR.

Q41) In which sport does the top of the net stand 8ft(2.4m) from the floor?

A41) Volleyball.

Q42) In 1863, the ‘Cambridge Rules’ became the first commonly accepted rules for what sport?

A42) Football.

Q43) A Silver Wilkinson would be used in which sport?

A43) Angling; it’s a type of fly.

Q44) What’s the stick in lacrosse called?

A44) A crosse.

Q45) On a golf course, what does a stimpmeter measure?

A45) The pace of the green.

Q46) What is 10 ft high, and 18 inches wide?

A46) A basketball net.

Q47) What sport would you be participating in, if you were hauling halyards?

A47) Yachting.

Q48) The basic equipment of which sport includes a bolt-action rifle, and a pair of skis?

A48) Biathlon.

Q49) Which sport is played with a cesta in a cancha?

A49) Pelota.

Q50) What was Jack Broughton’s pugilistic invention?

A50) Boxing Gloves.

ROUND SIX. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.

Q51) Who wrote The Shining?

A51) Stephen King.

Q52) In which country was Jan Smuts Airport?

A52) South Africa?

Q53) Moving clockwise round a standard dartboard, which number is next to the nine?

A53) 12.

Q54) What’s the collective name for a group of Rhinos?

A54) A crash.

Q55) Which sign of the zodiac is represented by a pair of scales?

A55) Libra.

Q56) Which of these metals is the densest, lead, gold or platinum?

A56) Lead.

Q57) Which politician was nicknamed The Incredible Sulk?

A57) Ted Heath.

Q58) Ganymede is a moon of which planet?

A58) Jupiter.

Q59) Which is the only US state to start with the letter G?

A59) Georgia.

Q60) Which large rodent is Canada’s national emblem?

A60) Beaver.

Enjoy those, everyone: I’ll catch you later!

* Actually, Andrea, would something like that work in the coffee shops in your area? Just a thought …