The Daily Teaser — 5-5-2016: Locally Elected

Right … 

It’s officially Election day, here in the UK: I’ll be off out to vote, at some point today.

Right now?

JUST for a change, I’m thinking of not spoiling my paper: but giving deep thought to voting either Green or Lib-dem.

I really couldn’t vote #Conservative: mostly on principle.   I’m ALSO not voting #Labour.   The local candidate self-identifies as a Christian.

While I’ve no problem with faith, I do think highlighting it in an election context is … distasteful, if not offensive.

Who know’s where my vote will go.

But getting out TO vote … ?

Is the important thing.

~≈Ω≈~

But let’s move on, shall we?

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

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

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

Q1) 5th May, 2016, sees many local elections take place in the UK: including in my home town of Brentwood.   Brentwood, and 50 other district councils, will see how many seats contested: one third, two thirds or all seats?

Q2) Twelve district councils will be contest ALL of their seats.   True, or false?

Q3) Prince Zylinski, Siân Berry and Peter Writtle are all standing for one major elected position.   Which elected position?

Q4) Thirty-six counties across England will be electing a police … what?

Q5) London is electing members to its governing body, today.   The body is called the London … what?

Q6) Bristol, Milton Keynes and Thurrock are holding elections, today.   These are what: County Councils, metropolitan boroughs or unitary authorities?

Q7) Lord Ellis-Thomas, Elin Jones and Kirsty Williams are all facing re-election … for which regional government?

Q8) Elections are being held, today: in Scotland.   To the 129 member Scottish … what?

Q9) How old must you be: in order to vote in Scottish elections?

Q10) Finally … elections are held held for the Northern Irish Assembly.   The assembly meets where?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 4th May, 1776, saw one US colony renounce allegiance to the British Monarch.   Which monarch: George the 3rd, 4th or 5th?

A1) George 3rd.

Q2) More to the point … which colony?

A2) What’s now Rhode Island.

Q3) Which Commonwealth country’s navy was founded on 4th May, 1910: Australia’s , Canada’s or South Africa’s?

A3) Canada’s.

Q4) 4th May, 2000, saw Ken Livingston elected as Mayor of where: Greater London, the City of London or Hackney Council?

A4) Greater London.

Q5) Singer, Jay Aston, was born on 4th May, 1961.   She found fame with which Eurovision winners?

A5) Bucks Fizz.

Q6) Finally … 4th May, 1998, saw Theodore Kaczynski given four life sentences.   He’d been more notoriously known as whom?

A6) The Unabomber.

I’ll leave you with this thought …

“Democracy is so overrated.”

Frank Underwood, House of Cards.

This thought …

“You might very well think that. I couldn’t possibly comment.”

Sir Francis Urqhart, House of Cards.

Another thought …

“Good evening. For too long, we in Washington have been lying to you. We say we’re here to serve you when in fact, we’re serving ourselves. And why? We are driven by our own desire to get re-elected. Our need to stay in power eclipses our duty to govern. That ends tonight. Tonight, I give you the truth. And the truth is this: the American Dream has failed you. Work hard, play by the rules? You aren’t guaranteed success. Your children will not have a better life than you did. Ten million of you can’t even get a job, even though you desperately want one. We’ve been crippled by Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, by welfare, by entitlements… and that is the root of the problem: entitlements. Let me be clear: You are entitled to nothing. You are entitled to nothing. America was built on the spirit of industry. You build your future, it isn’t handed to you. And the problem with Washington is that we haven’t given you the tools to build it. The only way for us to serve you is to give you the means to serve yourselves. That’s exactly what I intend to do. Not handouts - jobs. Real paying jobs. In the next few weeks, the Democratic leadership will introduce a bill called America Works. Its goal is simple: to put the ten million Americans who are unemployed to work. All of them. If you want a job, you get one. The cost is $500 billion. Now, that’s a lot of money. To pay for it, we’ll have to rethink Social Security, health care, and benefits from the ground up. We can’t maintain the welfare state as we know it. Now, that's not a popular thing to say. Anyone running for office wouldn’t dare utter those words. Every adviser and consultant and staff member would beg a presidential candidate not to say them. But I can say them… because I will not be seeking the Democratic nomination in 2016. Candidates are cautious. They must equivocate. They dodge and tip-toe. But I’d rather leave this office having accomplished something of value than secure another four years having done nothing at all. Franklin Delano Roosevelt ushered in an era of hope and progress when he proposed the New Deal, and at the time his reforms were considered radical. But he once said, ‘This country demands bold, persistent experimentation.’ It is common sense to take a method and try it and if it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something. Roosevelt would have understood better than anyone the necessity for trying something different. The New Deal succeeded for many years, but we must now try something newer before it fails us. If America Works succeeds, we will reinvent the American Dream. If we fail in our attempt, we will admit it frankly and try another. But above all, we must try something. Thank you, and God bless the United States of America.”

Frank Underwood^, House of Cards.

And this song … 

Have a good day!

*        I know I had fun with it, Olga‡.

†        I don’t know about that, Debbi‡: but at least you can get a pint … !   (Oh, you might just want to watch the Teaser video, all the way to the end …)

‡        Yep, I meant Theodore: but can at least turn around and blame autocorrect!!

^        I saw that episode, recently.   And couldn’t help but notice Francis Underwood tells us politicians lie.   And THEN that he won’t be standing for re-election.   With a straight face.   Go figure …