The Daily Teaser — 10-1-2016

Did I tell you I have the TV version of The Martian Chronicles on order?

And frankly?

Frankly, I was a little concerned, when Amazon emailed me to say it was due to get to me, yesterday.

Well … 

Sceptical.

Especially given the incident with the hard drive I’d ordered.

But it got here: at about six o’clock, last night.

I was pleasantly surprised.

And, as soon as I get the chance?

I’ll be glued to them … 

~≈Ê≈~

But let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi* putting in her answers: scoring nine out of ten in the process.

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

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

Q1) 10th January, 1927, saw the original release of acclaimed science fiction movie, Metropolis.   Who directed Metropolis?

Q2) 10th January, 1996, saw King Hussein of Jordan make a visit to which country?

Q3) More to the point, which city did he fly to?

Q4) Media giant,Time Warner, was formed: on the 10th January, 2000.   Which of its divisions was originally owned by TV media mogul, Ted Turner?

Q5) Sir Clive Sinclair launched his famous — or notorious — Sinclair C5: on the 10th January, 1985.   What was the C5?

Q6) Finally … 10th January, 1776 saw Thomas Paine publish the pamphlet, Common Sense.   What did it argue for: women’s suffrage, American independence or the abolition of slavery?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 9th January, 1799, saw Income Tax introduced in the UK.   By which (then) Prime Minister?

A1) William Pitt the Younger.

Q2) He set the tax at two what, per pound of income: pence, groats or shillings?

A2) Shillings.

Q3) Income tax was introduced to fund what: the Napoleonic Wars, the US War of Independence or the Industrial Revolution?

A3) The Napoleonic Wars.

Q4) Generally speaking, Income Tax is a tax on a person.   A tax a company in the UK pays on profits, is usually referred to as what: personal tax, Value Added Tax or corporation tax?

A4) Corporation tax.

Q5) The UK government’s third largest source of revenue is VAT.   What does the ‘VA’ stand for?

A5) Value Added.

Q6) Income tax — and its business equivalents — are taxes on people, or entities.   What name is given to the tax on things made in a country: excise duty or customs duty?

A6) Excise duty.

Q7) What name is given to taxes on things being imported to a country: excise duty or customs duty?

A7) Customs duty.   (If I remember my time with HM Customs and Excise, the term comes from medieval business practices: anyone wanting to import things to the UK, had to do their ‘customary duty’ to the king.)

Q8) Income Tax is the UK government’s biggest earner.   VAT the third biggest earner.   What — generally — is the UK government’s second biggest earner?

A8) National Insurance.

Q9) The tax in Question 8 was in introduced in an act dated to which year: 1910, 1911 or 1912?

A9) 1911.

Q10) Finally … What’s the name of the tax charged by local governments, in England, Scotland an Wales?

A10) Council Tax.

I’ll leave you with this thought …

“I’ve come up through the ranks of this parliamentary party and let me tell you the principles that have guided me on that journey since my first election 25 years ago: Loyalty to the party, service to our country and a determination to always do my best for the people. They are principles that still guide me.”

Former Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, born 10 January 1960.

And this tune … 

Have a good day … !

*        I’m kind of lucky, Debbi: the various UK tax rules rules mean I have to pay NI, but not Income Tax, as I’m earning under the minimum bracket.   Which helps.   But I can’t help but think some bright spark will come up with a law that say you can only vote if you pay UK Income Tax … (Oh, I’m keeping my fingers crossed, Debbi.   I’m ALSO aware there’s a story doing the rounds of the Terry Pratchett fan community.   Seemingly, a Big Hollywood Movie Company bought the rights to Terry Pratchett disc world novel, Mort.   The novel tells the story of Mort, Death’s apprentice.   As you can appreciate, Death himself — as Mort’s employer — is one of the book’s main characters.   According to the story doing the rounds, at a meeting with studios executives, one asked Sir Terry if he could re-write the story … to take Death out of the film.   Sir Terry bought the movie rights back off the studio, and never went back to Hollywood.)