Working For Benefits

Hmmm … 

Have you ever watched a politician and wondered if they really know what your end of the street’s like … ?

No, really … ?

You see, it’s conference time, in the UK: when Britain’s politicians get together for their annual shindigs: the public side of which includes a lot of varied policy announcements.

Including the Work for Benefit one proposed, today, by 

Basically, the policy seems to involve making sure that those of us who fail to find a job under the Work we have to attend, will have three choices.

Either do various types of community service.

Or sign on, on a daily basis.

Or do various training courses

The training courses … ?

I’m told the training will mostly literacy courses for those of us who need them: and not much else, by the sound of things.

Something that — from the little I know — already done as a matter of course.

The second, singing on, on a daily basis … ?

To be frank, for me, that’s not too much of an issue: I only live around the corner from Brentwood Job Centre, so it wouldn’t present problems.

At least, for me.

But having to travel to Basildon, for the work programme, once a fortnight means I’m VERY aware that I have to save money for bus fare.

That those in a similar position to me — but travelling to Brentwood — will have to keep aside the fare money for those daily trips.

Which means that, even given being able to claim any money back, that that’s money they will not be able to spend on food, gas, electricity, water rates, what have you.

Then there’s the third option: that of being forced to work for one’s benefit.

Right here and now … ?

Right here and now, this proposal, to me, sounds a LOT like enforced slave labour.

Or a variation of Demanding With Menaces.

We prosecute those.

The Daily Teaser — 30-9-2013: Jack The Ripper … !

Right: it’s a Monday.

And it’s pone of those Monday’s where I have to be in Basildon, at an awkwardly early time.

I’m rushed.

But I did want to briefly mention that the date for the next Dropkixx show — officially endorsed by Brentwood’s own wrestler, Cayden Blade — has been announced: 12th October, this year.

If you click on the links in the sidebar — where the poster is — you’ll get taken through to Brentwood Theatre’s Facebook page, where you’ll be able to find out where to book tickets.

With that said … ?

Let’s move on.

~≈Ï≈~

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi* putting in her answers.   Along with letting us know she felt there couldn’t be enough fans of Dr Who and The Prisoner, also bagged eight out of eight.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 … ?

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>?

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

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

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

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 29th September is — apparently — Coffee Day.   Name either of the two most common form of coffee bean.

A1) Coffea arabica or Coffea canephora.

Q2) What’s the main stimulant ingredient in coffee?

A2) Caffeine.

Q3) Which drink generally has more of that stimulant: tea or coffee … ?

A3) Coffee.

Q4) What — after being eaten by civet cats in Indonesia — is reputedly the world’s most expensive coffee … ?

A4) Kopi Luwak.

Q5) Which chain of coffee shops was founded by Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker and Zev Siegl … ?

A5) Starbucks.

Q6) According to website, ChartsBin, one European nation holds the world record for drinking the most coffee, per head: which nation ?

A6) Finland: at twelve kilograms per head.

Q7) Coffee — and other products — that are sold or marketed with a view to giving more profits to the coffee-bean growers, are usually marketed how: fair-trade, organic or tubular … ?

A7) Fair-trade.

Q8) Finally … which English city was the first to see a coffee-house open … ?

A8) Oxford.   (A place called The Angel, in 1650.)

Enjoy those.

I’ll leave you with this threat from the man himself …

“ … you’ll hear about Saucy Jacky’s work tomorrow double event this time number one squealed a bit couldn’t finish straight off.”

From the Saucy Jacky postcard.

And Link Wray’s Jack The Ripper

Enjoy the day.

*        I’m not going to disagree with you there, Debbi … !

The Daily Teaser — 29-9-2013: Coffee Day … !

Hmmm … 

Well, that seemed OK … 

I have to admit, I actually made a point of watching TV, last night: Aunty Beeb debuted their new fantasy series, Atlantis.

I enjoyed it, to be frank: even though a) it does seem a hodge-podge of Greek myths and b) there’s no Katie McGrath!

What’s going on, there, then … ?

Honestly … !

~≈Î≈~

Let’s (rapidly) move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi putting in her answers: along with asking about the word ‘overbearing*’, she ALSO managed to score five out of five.

Let’s see how she — and you — do with today’s coffee themed questions, shall we?

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

Q1) 29th September is — apparently — Coffee Day.   Name either of the two most common form of coffee bean.

Q2) What’s the main stimulant ingredient in coffee?

Q3) Which drink generally has more of that stimulant: tea or coffee … ?

Q4) What — after being eaten by civet cats in Indonesia — is reputedly the world’s most expensive coffee … ?

Q5) Which chain of coffee shops was founded by Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker and Zev Siegl … ?

Q6) According to website, ChartsBin, one European nation holds the world record for drinking the most coffee, per head: which nation?

Q7) Coffee — and other products — that are sold or marketed with a view to giving more profits to the coffee-bean growers, are usually marketed how: fair-trade, organic or tubular … ?

Q8) Finally … which English city was the first to see a coffee-house open … ?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 28th September is World Rabies Day.   In which year of the 1880s did Louis Pasteur and Pierre Paul Émile Roux develop a Rabies vaccine … ?

A1) 1885.

Q2) 28th September, 1995, saw Israeli and Palestinian leaders agree to Palestinian self-rule: where … ?

A2) The West Bank.

Q3) 28th September, 1928, saw the UK government ban Cannabis.   What’s the name of the fibre made from the cannabis plant … ? 

A3) Hemp.

Q4) That same day — 28th September, 1928 — saw Sir Alexander Fleming  notice some mould growing in his lab.   What was the name of the antibiotic he developed from that mould … ?

A4) Penicillin.

Q5) Finally … 28th September, 1961, saw a coup that brought down the United Arab Republic.   Name either of the countries that made up the United Arab Republic …

A5) Egypt and Syria.

I’ll leave you with this thought …

“A mathematician is a device for turning coffee into theorems.”

Alfréd Rényi (20 March 1921 – 1 February 1970)

And with Black Coffee by Ella Fitzgerald … 

*        You’d (possibly) be surprised, Debbi … !   (I met quite a few fellow Prisoner fans, when I joined 6o1, a few years ago: very civilised bunch, and possibly the most intellectual group of fans I’ve come across.   Dr Who fans … ?   We’re notoriously vocal, — murderously so — when we come across something we don’t like )

The Daily Teaser — 28-9-2013

Hmmm … 

That’s something.

It seems that the BBC’s replacement for Merlin — TV fantasy series, Atlantis — starts tonight, at 8•25pm.

It could be good — Merlin certainly worked for me* — or it could be bad: much like Robin Hood†, which really didn’t grab me.

Hmmm … 

We’ll have to see, won’t we?

Let’s get a move on … 

~≈Û≈~

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi‡ putting in her answers: along with asking about Dr Who Steven Moffat, she also scored six out of six.

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) 28th September is World Rabies Day.   In which year of the 1880s did Louis Pasteur and Pierre Paul Émile Roux develop a Rabies vaccine … ?

Q2) 28th September, 1995, saw Israeli and Palestinian leaders agree to Palestinian self-rule: where … ?

Q3) 28th September, 1928, saw the UK government ban Cannabis.   What’s the name of the fibre made from the cannabis plant … ? 

Q4) That same day — 28th September, 1928 — saw Sir Alexander Fleming  notice some mould growing in his lab.   What was the name of the antibiotic he developed from that mould … ?

Q5) Finally … 28th September, 1961, saw a coup that brought down the United Arab Republic.   Name either of the countries that made up the United Arab Republic …

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 27th September saw Jean-François Champollion announced he’d translated the Rosetta Stone.   Which ancient language had it let him translate … ?

A1) Ancient Egyptian.

Q2) More to the point, what was the name of the script that language was written in … ?

A2) Egyptian Hieroglyphs.

Q3) Which country was the Rosetta Stone found in … ?

A3) Egypt.

Q4) The stone was found by a soldier from which country’s army … ?

A4) France.

Q5) While we’re at it, that country’s forces were there, under orders from whom … ?

A5) The little Emperor’s, Napoléon Bonaparte’s.

Q6) Finally … in which year of the 1820s did Champollion make his big announcement?

A6) 1822.

Enjoy those: I’ll leave you with this thought …

“I talk to myself through the computer. I ask myself questions, leave things to be looked at again, things that you would do with a notepad. It turns out today that it’s much better today to do with a personal computer rather than a notepad.”

Computer designer, Seymour Cray, September 28, 1925 – October 5, 1996

And this song … 

*        As did Katy McGrath and Angel Coulby … !

†        The eighties version on ITV … ?   Was fine, as far as I’m concerned.

‡        I really couldn’t tell you, Debbi.   I do know he had problems — and a lot of flack — from sone quarters, on Twitter: which possibly influenced his decision to leave the site.   I’d imagine that’s been an influence in any decision he makes about joining other sites.   (Dr Who’s a lot like Star Trek, and football: in the sense that fans can get passionate about it.   I can easily see fans some getting a touch … overbearing, as a result.)

The Friday Question Set — 27-9-2013

I have to admit, right now — just to keep vaguely occupied — I’ve got some of the extras on, from an aging copy of an old Dr Who story: one of the ones about The Dalek Invasion Of Earth.

It’s fascinating: even though it’s something I’ve caught before.

Including the bit about the cue of Daleks and the grating … 

~≈$≈~

At any rate: it’s Friday, today.

Which means, of course, that it’s time for the Friday Question Set.

Here’s this week’s: covered by the usual Creative Commons License* … 

Online 221

ROUND ONE. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.

Q1) How many wives did Henry 8th divorce?

A1) Two.   (Catherine of Aragon and Anne of Cleves: although, strictly speaking, the marriages were annulled.)   OR zero: see my comments about the two marriages being annulled: they amount to the same thing: but are legally different

Q2) An amalgam is an alloy that contains which metal … ?

Q2) Mercury.

Q3) The king of Bahrain declared his Kingdom to be a constitutional monarchy on Valentine’s Day of which year of this century?

A3) 2002.

Q4) A pier table is built to between two what, windows, or chairs?

A4) Windows.

Q5) A bright red Gran Turismo is used in which US detective series?

A5) Starsky & Hutch.

Q6) Which PM held office first, Eden or MacMillen?

A6) Anthony Eden.

Q7) Sharron Davies is associated with which sport?

A7) Swimming.

Q8) If you are ‘crapulous,’ what are you full of?

A8) Alcohol.   (It’s a very old word for hungover.)

Q9) A young turkey is a poult, and a female one, a hen.  But what is the name of a male turkey?

A9) A Tom.

Q10) Which Premiership boss completed 10 years at the same club, in 2005? 

A10) Alan Curbishley.

ROUND TWO. HISTORY.

Q11) Which English King lost the Crown Jewels in the Wash?

A11) King John.

Q12) What was the 1st country to put a man made object on the Moon, deliberately, or otherwise?

A12) The USSR. (The Lunik 2 crashed there in 1959.)

Q13) Who were the Jacobins: followers of James 2nd, or French Revolutionaries?

A13) French Revolutionaries. (James 2nd’s follower’s were Jacobites!)

Q14) Which hero of the Wild West was shot, whilst playing poker?

A14) Wild Bill Hickok.

Q15) Joseph Smith founded which odd, American church?

A15) Mormonism. (Accept Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.)

Q16) In which year of the 1980’s was the Space Shuttle first launched?

A16) 1981.

Q17) In which South American country are the remains of the Inca, Peru, or Brazil?

A17) Peru.

Q18) During the 60’s, Leonard Pearson was PM of which Commonwealth country?

A18) Canada.

Q19) Which civil rights said, “I have a dream”?

A19) Doctor Martin Luther King.

Q20) Which detective writer caused a sensation by disappearing, for a few weeks, in 1926?

A20) Agatha Christie.

ROUND THREE. TV DINNERS.

Q21) Which future Doctor Who appeared in Our Friends in the North?

A21) Christopher Ecclestone.

Q22) Who is Steve & Tracey’s daughter, in Coronation Street? 

A22) Amy. 

Q23) What’s the first name of Hugh Laurie’s character, in House?

A23) Gregory. (Accept Greg.) 

Q24) In which ITV series was business conducted at the Winchester?

A24) Minder.

Q25) Which panel game regularly features Merton v Hislop?

A25) Have I Got News For You.

Q26) Who played Remington Steele?

A26) Pierce Brosnan.

Q27) In M*A*S*H, what does MASH stand for?

A27) Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.

Q28) According to the title of their chat–show, The Kumars live at which number house?

A28) 42.

Q29) What was Mr Ed: a talking horse, a barking cat or a flying dog?

A29) A talking horse.

Q30) Roobarb & Custard were a dog and cat, respectively: name either character’s colour. (Two point’s for both.)

A30) Roobarb was green, Custard was pink.

ROUND FOUR. THE WRITTEN WORD.

Q31) Who wrote Frankenstein, Percy Shelley, or his wife, Mary?

A31) Mary Shelley.

Q32) Who wrote the Foundation series of sci–fi novels?

A32) Isaac Asimov.

Q33) Dorothy Sayers created which fictional detective?

A33) Lord Peter Wimsey.

Q34) Who wrote Agnes Grey: Emily Brontë, Charlotte Brontë or Anne Brontë?

A34) Anne.

Q35) Portia is in which of Shakespeare’s plays?

A35) The Merchant of Venice.

Q36) The Charles Dickens character, John Dawkins, is better known how?

A36) The Artful Dodger.

Q37) Which famous horse was created by Anna Sewell?

A37) Black Beauty.

Q38) Which English king compiled the Domesday Book?

A38) William the Conqueror.

Q39) Winston Smith is the main character in which George Orwell novel?

A39) 1984.

Q40) In the Bible, what’s the 1st Commandment?

A40) “Thou shall have No Other God Before Me”.

ROUND FIVE. BLINDED WITH SCIENCE.

Q41) Au is the chemical symbol for which element?

A41) Gold.

Q42) Which organ is affected by Cirrhosis?

A42) The Liver.

Q43) How much doe a litre of water weigh?

A43) 1 kilogram.

Q44) In which year of the 1860’s were traffic lights introduced in London?

A44) 1868.

Q45) Which European city was home to the world’s 1st contraceptive clinic?

A45) Amsterdam. (In 1881)

Q46) How many moons does Saturn have, 5, 15, 18, or 25?

A46) 18.

Q47) How many degrees from the Greenwich Meridian is the International Date Line?

A47) 180°

Q48) What Comet is thought to be the star of Bethlehem, that foretold the birth of Jesus?

A48) Halley’s Comet.

Q49) True or False: Ubuntu is a commercial computer operating system. 

A49) False: it’s both free.

Q50) Ombrophobia is a fear of what: rain, umbrellas or Mexicans?

A50) Rain.   (Strictly, it’s a term that’s applied to plants … )

ROUND SIX. GENERAL IGNORANCE.

Q51) In which North American country is the city of Calgary?

A51) Canada.

Q52) Which Martin starred in The Chief?

A52) Martin Shaw.

Q53) Milk & Alcohol was the only hit for which Canvey based band?

A53) Dr Feelgood.

Q54) What word can go after sign and before

office?

A54) Post.

Q55) Which George wrote Pygmalion?

A55) George Bernard Shaw.

Q56) How would 71 be shown in Roman numerals?

A56) lxxi.

Q57) It was 9/11 in the States; – how is it usually written, in England?

A57) 11/9.

Q58) In which month is Saint George’s Day?

A58) April.

Q59) Which bird gave Fleetwood Mac their 1st Number 1?

A59) The Albatross.

Q60) What’s the only English anagram of the word CAUTION?

A60) AUCTION.

Enjoy those: I hope they help.

*        Regulars will know already, but for newcomers … all it means is that you’re free to copy, use, alter and build on each of my quizzes: including the Teasers, Gazette Teasers and the Friday Question Sets.   All I ask in return is that you give me an original authors credit on your event’s flyers or posters, or on the night: and, if you republish them, give me an original authors credit AND republish under the same license.   A link back to the site would be appreciated.

The Daily Teaser — 27-9-2013: The Rosetta Stone.

Oh … … … … BOTHER … !

Remember me saying, a few days ago now, that me towel rail had broken,

It got fixed.

Badly, as it turned out.

As, under the weight of my towels, the NEW rail has come off the wall.

I’m a touch unhappy about that

Especially as a) the repair lasted for only a short time and b) I’m going to have to go through the palaver of reporting it … AGAIN … !

I believe the word Sheesh may be appropriate … 

~≈Ω≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi putting in her answers: along we’ve letting us know she’s enjoying Necromancer*, she also bagged six out of seven.

Let’s see how she — and you — do with today’s Rosetta’d questions, shall we?

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

Q1) 27th September saw Jean-François Champollion announced he’d translated the Rosetta Stone.   Which ancient language had it let him translate … ?

Q2) More to the point, what was the name of the script that language was written in … ?

Q3) Which country was the Rosetta Stone found in … ?

Q4) The stone was found by a soldier from which country’s army … ?

Q5) While we’re at it, that country’s forces were there, under orders from whom … ?

Q6) Finally … in which year of the 1820s did Champollion make his big announcement?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 26th September is — according to the EU — the European Day Of Languages.   Roughly how many languages are native to Europe: 225, 235 or 245 … ?

A1) 225.

Q2) How many of them are official EU languages … ?

A2) 24.

Q3) Greek is an officially recognised language in how many countries?

A3) Nine: Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Armenia, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Turkey and the Ukraine.

Q4) Bulgarian, one dialect of Romanian and East European forms of Romani, use which alphabet … ?

A4) Cyrillic: the one that’s famously used in Russia.

Q5) Basque, Catalan and Galician, are all spoken in which Iberian country … ?

A5) Spain.

Q6) What’s the most widely spoken mother tongue in the EU … ?

A6) German.

Q7) Finally … what’s the most widely spoken second language in the EU … ?

A7) English … !

Enjoy those.

I’ll leave you with the Stone’s (suitably translated) opening lines of the Stone, itself …

“In the reign of the young one who has succeeded his father in the kingship, lord of diadems, most glorious, who has established Egypt and is pious towards the gods, triumphant over his enemies, who has restored the civilized life of men, lord of the Thirty Years Festivals, even as Ptah the Great, a king like Ra, great king of the Upper and Lower countries, offspring of the Gods Philopatores, one whom Ptah has approved, to whom Ra has given victory, the living image of Amun, son of Ra, PTOLEMY, LIVING FOR EVER, BELOVED OF PTAH, in the ninth year, when Aetos son of Aetos was priest of Alexander, and the Gods Soteres, and the Gods Adelphoi, and the Gods Euergetai, and the Gods Philopatores and the God Epiphanes Eucharistos; Pyrrha daughter of Philinos being Athlophoros of Berenike Euergetis, Areia daughter of Diogenes being Kanephoros of Arsinoe Philadelphos; Irene daughter of Ptolemy being Priestess of Arsinoe Philopator; the fourth of the month of Xandikos, according to the Egyptians the 18th Mekhir.”

The opening words of the Rosetta Stone, translated into English.

And this translation of the Stone’s words … 

Have a good day.

*        I think you meant William Gibson’s Neuromancer, didn’t you Debbi … ?   I know what you meant, though … ! :D

The Daily Teaser — 26-9-2013

Blimey, that was something to watch … !

I have to admit, Channel 4 had a documentary on, the other night, that I’ve only just managed to catch up with.

Believe it or not, about the definitive 1980s music show, The Tube.

And, trust me, definitive doesn’t even start: this was, quite literally, must-see-tv, in a way that nothing else was.

It was something that literally hadn’t been done, before or since.

That’s literally a shame.   It was both refreshing, and much a needed alternative.

~≈$≈~

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi* putting in her answers: along with taking a very ‘here goes’ view, she also bagged five out of six.

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) 26th September is — according to the EU — the European Day Of Languages.   Roughly how many languages are native to Europe: 225, 235 or 245 … ?

Q2) How many of them are official EU languages … ?

Q3) Greek is an officially recognised language in how many countries?

Q4) Bulgarian, one dialect of Romanian and East European forms of Romani, use which alphabet … ?

Q5) Basque, Catalan and Galician, are all spoken in which Iberian country … ?

Q6) What’s the most widely spoken mother tongue in the EU … ?

Q7) Finally … what’s the most widely spoken second language in the EU … ?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 25th September, 1956, saw the formal inauguration of TAT-1: the world’s first submarine, transatlantic what: telegraph cable, internet cable or telephone cable … ?

A1) Telephone cable.

Q2) More to the point, it connected Scotland … and a town in which country … ?

A2) Canada: Newfoundland, to be exact.

Q3) 25th September, 2013, is — obviously — a Wednesday: according to the Old Testament, what did God create on Wednesday?

A3) The sun and moon.

Q4) 25th September, 1951, saw the birth of actor, Mark Hamill.   Which character did he play in the Star Wars movies … ?

A4) Luke Skywalker.

Q5) 25th September, 1513 — five hundred years ago, today — saw Vasco Núñez de Balboa become the first European to sight what … ?

A5) The Pacific Ocean.

Q6) Finally … 25th September, 1950, saw UN forces capture the capital city of South Korea.   What’s that city’s name … ?

A6) Seoul.

I’ll leave you with this thought from actor, Richard Burton …

“The only thing in life is language. Not love. Not anything else.”

Richard Burton  10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984.

And with the Tom Tom Club’s Wordy Rappinghood: altogether, now …

“Ram samsam a ram samsam

Houdi qouri houdi qouri ram samsamHaykayay yipi yaykayeAhou ahou a hikichi”

*        It’s keeping track of the Old Testament, isn’t Debbi … ?  It’s a bother …