The Daily Teaser — 27-10-2015

Well, there’s a thing … 

The government’s Tax Credits reforms — the ones I talked about yesterday — have been delayed by the House of Lords.

Which means the Chancellor’s has to rethink his plans for reform.   It also means the House of Lords may have problems.

As, if I’ve understood things correctly, means it’s gone beyond it’s allowed range of actions, in delaying the reforms.

Personally … ?

Personally, I’m not affected by the loss of tax credits.   Although I’m no worse off, as it delays the introduction of the higher, National Living Wage.

Something I’m not expecting to see for a while, anyway.

The other reason I’m looking sideways at this?   Is that I’m not a Conservative voter.   Seeing a government I didn’t want, or vote for, getting a bloody nose?

Is enjoyable.

Still … 

We’ll have to see what happens … 

~≈Á≈~

But let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw both Olga* and Debbi† putting in their answers: with both scoring five out of five.

Let’s see how everyone does with today’s questions, shall we?

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

Q1) 27th October, 1961, saw Mongolia formally become a member of the United Nations.   What’s Mongolia’s capital city?

Q2) Many years later, 27th October, 1995, saw Latvia apply to join the European Union.   What’s Latvia’s sole official language?

Q3) 27th October, 1939, saw the birth of comedian, actor, and minister of silly walks, John Cleese.   Cleese co-founded the Secret Policeman’s Ball benefit gigs.   Which charity did the Balls raise money for?

Q4) One year later, 27th October, 1940, saw the birth of mobster, John Gotti.   Gotti headed which of the Five Families?

Q5) Finally … 27th October, 2014, saw the death of former politician, Starke Taylor.   Which US city was he mayor of?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 26th October, 1955, saw the first issue published of The Village Voice.   It’s the best known alternative newspaper in which US city: Chicago, New York or Los Angeles?

A1) New York.   (Actually, I always think of actress, Fenella Fielding: if you’ve ever seen The Prisoner??   She’s who I think of, whenever I hear the phrase ‘village voice’ …)

Q2) 26th October, 1917 saw Germany, and her ally, Austria-Hungary, defeat Italy: during the Battle of Caporetto.   Which German soldier distinguished himself, during the battle?

A2) Erwin Rommel.   (He captured Mount Matajur.)

Q3) Stephanie Fae Beauclair — known as ‘Baby Fae,’ in media reports — was given a heart transplant: on 26th October, 1984.   She received a transplant from what: a chimp, baboon or gorilla?

A3) Baboon.

Q4) A report was published, on 26th October, 2000: by Lord Phillips.   The report was critical of the UK governments action over the spread of which disease: HIV/AIDS, BSE and its human equivalent, vCJD, or Polio?

A4) BSE: more notoriously known as Mad Cow Disease.

Q5) Finally … In the anglican Church, 26th October is the feast day of Alfred the Great: an early English king.   Where, strictly, was he king of?

A5) Wessex.

I’ll leave you with this thought from John Cleese …

“When you get to my age, and I’m 66 now, you realize that the world is a madhouse and that most people are operating in fantasy anyway.   So once you realise that, it doesn’t bother you much.”

John Cleese, born 27th October, 1939.

And this tune from Elissa … 

Or, and this last minute video … 

Enjoy your day … 

*        You know, Olga, I’ll have to give Imitation of Life a look at some point: given she’s in it … !   And I caught clips of the remake of Psycho: with all due respect to Vincent Vaughan, I didn’t think he cut it, as Norman Bates.   (And yes, I meant 1955!   Me and my typing … !)

†        It’s a good little film, Debbi: but a touch too derivative of William Gibson, I felt.   (The major McGuffin is something the characters refer to as a Superconducting Quantum interference Device, or SQUID.   The only other time I’d seen the acronym mentioned, in that specific form?   Was in Gibson’s original short story, Johnny Mnemonic.   Would you like to give Mr Gibson a call?   He MIGHT have grounds for suing … !)