The Daily Teaser — 17-1-2013

You know, if it hadn’t been for the fact I was putting together some videos, last night, I’d’ve possibly mentioned this sooner.

But — if you were watching the news, yesterday — you’d’ve seen the sad news that the UK arm of Blockbusters has gone into administration.

Well … It’s sad for the staff: I’ve been in their position, when Thresher collapsed.

But I have to admit, I’ve been vaguely expecting this sort of news, ever since the US arm’s troubles, a few years ago.

And I’m very aware that, much like Threshers, back in the day, haven’t managed to keep up with the digital age: after all, I, like many I know, use VoD services.   I think if Blockbusters had managed something on those lines … ?   They’d have entered administration a lot later.

Let’s move in, shall we?

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Yesterday’s teaser saw Debbi* putting in her answers: along with being very flattering about a certain person’s efforts, also bagged 5 out of 5.

Let’s see how she — and you — do with today’s distinctly non-themed Teaser, shall we?

Here it is, along with the ‘How To’, License and video … 

Q1) 17th January, 1946, saw which UN body have its first meeting … ?

Q2) More to the point, how many non-permanent members does that body have … ?

Q3) Name any of the current non-permanent members … 

Q4) Moving on … 17th January, 1983, saw the BBC first air its Breakfast TV show.   What was the name of the show … ?

Q5) Equally to the point, what was the name of the rival ITV breakfast show … ?

Q6) 17th January, 1977, saw the USA end its moratorium on execution: by executing which killer … ?

Q7) And finally … 17th January, 2007, saw the famous Doomsday Clock set at five minutes to midnight: in response to which country’s nuclear tests … ?

And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 16th January, 1920, saw Prohibition go into effect in the USA: what name was given to illegal bars in the US, during Prohibition … ?

A1) Speakeasies: and occasionally as ‘blind tigers’ or ‘blind pigs’.

Q2) More to the point, the illegal transport of alcohol, during Prohibition was called what … ?

A2) Bootlegging: and also as rum-running.

Q3) Equally to the point, which US state was the last to lift laws on the sale of alcohol: Mississippi, Massachusetts or Michigan … ?

A3) Mississippi .

Q4) A loophole in the Prohibition Act allowed the sale of sacramental wine … to whom … ?

A4) Priests and rabbis.

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” … ?

A5) Al Capone.

As today is Susannah Hoffs — of the Bangles — birthday, I’ll leav you with their BIG UK hit.   (She’s singing the last verse …)

Susannah shares her birthday with the man I always regarded as a genuine American hero, as a child …

“Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go ten thousand miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights?”

Muhammed Ali, January 17, 1942

And purely because I happen to like some of Wall Of Voodoo’s lesser known first album, and I’ve had the song bouncing around my head … 

I hereby declare it Animal Day … !

*        Oh, bless you: and thank you for saying so.   Actually … the eBooks idea is something I’ve been mulling over for a while.   Ever since you mentioned publishing the Sam McRae series as an indie publisher.   Right at the moment, though, I’d have to look at the how.   Me being me, I’m interested in Apple’s iBook Author programme, which is unfortunate: Bruce is using an earlier version of OS X, which won’t support it.