The Daily Teaser — 21-2-2016

It’s official.

We now have a referendum lined up.

Just in case you didn’t know?   Yesterday say the Prime Minister announce that — after protracted negotiations about reforms that define the UK’s position in the EU — the UK would be holding a referendum on whether to leave the organisation.

Or to stay in.

On the 23rd of June, this year.

Had a referendum happened twenty years ago?

I would have voted to leave.

Now … ?

I’ll happily admit, I’ve no idea how I’ll be voting: and will probably only finally decide in the voting booth.

I do know this much.

I’d heard arguments — most from those of a pro-Europe stance — that EU membership is a good thing: and that a referendum is unneeded.

I’d disagree.

I think a referendum — whatever it’s outcome — is needed.

This is such an important decision, that we — you and me — must have our say.

~≈Á≈~

But let’s move on, shall we?

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

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

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

Q1) 21st February, 1972, saw the start of a visit by the US President: to Communist China.   Which US President?

Q2) The USS Bismarck Sea was sunk: on 21st February, 1945.   The ship was sunk by what kind of Japanese attack?

Q3) Gerald Holton completed his design of peace symbol: on 21st February, 1958.   Which group did he design the symbol for?

Q4) 21st February, 1937, saw the League of Nations ban volunteers entering what: the Red Cross, the Eurovision Song Contest or the Spanish Civil War?

Q5) Finally … 21st February, 1975, saw two White House aides jailed: for their involvement in the Watergate Scandal.   The Scandal famously involved which US President?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 20th February saw the first performance of Swan Lake.   In which Moscow theatre?
A1) The Bolshoi Theatre.

Q2) In which year?
A2) 1877.

Q3) What date would it have been, had Russia been using the Gregorian calendar?
A3) 4th March.   (Which technically means I share my birthday with it.)

Q4) What WAS Swan Lake: an opera, ballet or musical?
A4) A ballet.

Q5) The heroine of the story was called what: Olivia, Odette or Adele?
A5) Odette.

Q6) The heroine of the story is turned into a swan: by an evil sorcerer called Von … what?
A6) Von Rothbart.

Q7) The hero of Swan Lake is the handsome Prince … who?
A7) Siegfried.

Q8) Which Russian composer wrote the music for Swan Lake?
A8) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.   (Пётр Ильч Чайко́вский, in the original Cyrillic script.)

Q9) Which 2010 Natalie Portman film, is based around a production of Swan Lake?
A9) Black Swan.

Q10) Finally … which country’s State Circus tours an acrobatic version of Swan Lake?
A10) The Chinese State Circus.

I’ll leave you with this thought …

“Living never wore one out so much as the effort not to live.”
Anaïs Nin, February 21, 1903 – January 14, 1977.

And this song … 

Have a good Sunday … 

*        I read To Kill A Mockingbird at school, Olga: and keep thinking I should go back to it.   There’s not many books almost universally loved: that’s one of them … !   (Oh, that’s a thought, talking of books: remember me asking about the Catalan tradition of giving a book to a loved one?   Well, the people that run World Book Night use it as part of their justification for what they do, and when they do it: 23rd April, each year.   I’ve just been accepted as a volunteer giver, for this year: and will be giving away free copies of Treachery.   I might end up cheekily keeping a copy: as I’ve never actually read it.)

†        Was that in the Smart TV, Debbi, or on the iMac, just out of curiosity?   I might just have a few other things, going begging!   At ANY rate … Episodes 5 and 6 are fantastic.   There’s a scene in Episode 6 — where Sarah and the Doctor are talking about the ethical implications of aborting the Daleks at birth  — that burnt it’s way into my head, forty years ago, and stayed there ever since.   (And, yes, they are: US and UK sci-fi, remember?   The Borg^ are basically Evil Commie Villains, the Daleks are Evil Nazi Villains!)

^        Actually … ?   You could probably argue the Klingons are, too: or, at least, were: especially if you look at some of the original series episodes