Friday 26 August 2016

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 26-8-2016: Steamboat Billie …

Oh, well, that’s THAT sorted … 

Obviously, you’re aware I’m online.

And use a BT Home Hub 3 as my router.

It’s had issues for years.

One ongoing problem?

Is the habit it has, of switching itself off, every-so-often.


Like that.

And, as you can imagine?   It’s rather annoying: especially when you’re streaming something from your computer, to an Apple TV.

Thankfully, though?

I’ve managed to get someone from BT to agree to replace the thing.

Hopefully, I’ll be in, when it turns up!

~≈†≈~

But let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s questions saw Olga* and Debbi† putting in their answers: with both scoring 9 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) John Fitch patented the steamboat on the 26th of August.   In which year of the 1790s?
Q2) What did he name his first steamboat: Persistence, Percussion or Perseverance?
Q3) What river did his first boat travel: the Colarado, the Delaware or the Mississippi?
Q4) Fitch got most of his funding from businessmen in which US city?
Q5) His boats made regular trips between that city: and Burlington.   Burlington was and is in which US state: New Jersey, New York or Rhode Island?
Q6) Most US steamboats travelled which US river: the Brazos, the Rio Grande or the Mississippi?
Q7) There was a line of steamboats on that river named for which Native American tribe: the Natchez, Navaho or Nisqually?
Q8) Which US writer worked on Mississippi steamboats: Nathaniel Hawthorn, Mark Twain or Edgar Allen Poe?
Q9) The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, by The Band, mentions a famous steamboat, named after a Confederate general.   Which general: Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson or George Pickett?
Q10) Finally … the writer mentioned in question 8 builds a steamboat: in which series of science fiction books: the Riverworld series, the Dune franchise or the Culture novels?
Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …
Q1) NASA’s Voyager 2 craft made it’s closest approach to Saturn: on the 25th August of which year of the 1980s?
A1) 1981.
Q2) The craft had been launched in which year of the 1970s?
A2) 1977.
Q3) What was the first probe to visit Saturn: in September of 1979?
A3) The Pioneer 11.
Q4) Saturn, itself, is what type of planet: a gas giant, ice giant or gas dwarf?
A4) A gas giant.
Q5) It takes roughly 29 and a half years for Saturn to orbit … what?
A5) The Sun.
Q6) Famously, the planet has nine main … what: rings or moons?
A6) Rings.
Q7) Saturn’s atmosphere is 96.3% what: Hydrogen, Helium or Lithium?
A7) Hydrogen.
Q8) Weirdly, Saturn’s North Pole has a cloud pattern that’s what?
A8) Hexagonal.   Six sided, in other words.   (Any halfway bonkers conspiracy theorist is going to have lunch on THIS one … )
Q9) How many known moons does Saturn have: 53, 63 or 73?
A9) 63.
Q10) Finally … what’s the largest of Saturn’s moons?
A10) Titan.
I’ll leave you with this thought …
“In the United States three new methods of transportation made their appearance at almost the same time - the steamboat, the canal boat, and the rail car”
John Moody.
And this song … 


Have a good day … !










*      That atmosphere’s probably because it’s snooker, Olga!   It’s only in the past few years the audiences have started applauding when a player pots a tough ball!   The Refs have probably got something to do with it!   Len Ganley was always a tough one, and snooker refs view him as a hero!


†        I do know his out-put was prodigious, Debbi: he was a former journalist, so got into the habit of writing a lot, AND to a time-table.   I read them in chronological order, so you know: but there IS a reading guide … SEVERAL of them … !

2 comments:

Olga said...

Q1) 1791
Q2) Perseverance
Q3) The Delaware
Q4) Philadelphia
Q5) New Jersey
Q6) The Mississippi
Q7) The Natchez
Q8) Mark Twain (His pseudonym comes from his time working in the river boats, or so he said, although he was fond of tall tales. A great writer and a very interesting man. Mind you, the other two are pretty good too and Edgar Allan Poe… Well. Mind you, Melville is my favourite ever, but a great trio)
Q9) Robert E. Lee
Q10) The Riverworld Series

I have a Home Hub 5 (I upgraded when they offered it recently for... was it £7? Something like that). The advantage is (I had to check as they didn't mention it) is that you don't need the white box with it, so you only have to plug one thing in. I know the reviews are a bit mixed although so far it's worked fine for me. I don't use it as much as you (I use the internet, but don't stream as many movies. I do use the Amazon Fire Stick on the TV and it works fine with that, as I have Prime...) Good luck with it!

Debbi said...

Well, I'll have to keep that list! :)

1. 1791
2. Perseverance
3. Delaware River
4. Philadelphia
5. New Jersey
6. the Mississippi
7. the Natchez
8. Mark Twain
9. Robert E. Lee
10. the Riverworld series