Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 27-8-2016

Hmmm … 

I have to confess to having had to take the day off ill, yesterday.

I hate that when it happens: it’s a loss of income, especially in the type of job I’m in.

And … ?

Well, I hate letting the side down.   Even wanting to leave the job, as I do, I still don’t like letting the side down … 

Even given that … ?

Even given that, I still want to move on.

Today … ?   I’m facing a ten and a half hour shift, so I’d HAVE to ask if you can blame me!

Especially when — from what BT tell me — I’m expecting to receive a new router, today.

Why on EARTH do I never find nice 9 to 5, Monday to Friday jobs?

~≈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) Petroleum was discovered, on 27th August, 1859: in Titusville.   Discovery, and city, were in which US state?

Q2) Brian Epstein was found dead: on 27th August, 1967.   As their manager, he’d steered which four-piece band to fame?

Q3) 27th August, 1933, saw the first publication of a bible written in which language: Afrikaans, British English or Czech?

Q4) The East Coast of the USA was hit by a hurricane: on 27th August, 2011.   What was the Hurricane called?

Q5) Finally … 27th August, 1991, saw the EU recognise the independence of the three Baltic states.   Name any one of the three.

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) John Fitch patented the steamboat on the 26th of August.   In which year of the 1790s?

A1) 1791.

Q2) What did he name his first steamboat: Persistence, Percussion or Perseverance?

A2) Perseverance.

Q3) What river did his first boat travel: the Colarado, the Delaware or the Mississippi?

A3) The Delaware.   (What DID Dela wear?   Exactly?   We’ll possibly never actually know …)

Q4) Fitch got most of his funding from businessmen in which US city?

A4) Philadelphia.

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?

A5) New Jersey.   (There’s your answer: Dela wore a brand new jersey.)

Q6) Most US steamboats travelled which US river: the Brazos, the Rio Grande or the Mississippi?

A6) The Mississippi.

Q7) There was a line of steamboats on that river named for which Native American tribe: the Natchez, Navaho or Nisqually?

A7) The Natchez.

Q8) Which US writer worked on Mississippi steamboats: Nathaniel Hawthorn, Mark Twain or Edgar Allen Poe?

A8) Mark Twain.

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?

A9) Robert E. Lee.

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?

A10) Phillip Jóse Farmer’s Riverworld series.   (OK … who said Dune … ?)

I’ll leave you with this thought …

“The world language is English as spoken by foreigners.”

Kristen Nygaard, 27 August 1926 – 10 August 2002.

And, given it’s Lev Theremin’s birthday … ?

This tune … 

Have a good day!

*        Actually, I had a look at one of those, Olga: they do look rather impressive.   And slightly greener, because you don’t have to hook it up to the white box.   The trouble IS … is that BT’s replaced it with their new Smart Hub … !   Which is £99·99p   Wouldn’t you know it … ?

†        It’s quite an impressive list, isn’t it, Debbi?   I think the only people more prolific, were the old pulp writers: who went at huge rates of knots.   (Ye gods, how many Perry Mason novels did Erle Stanley Gardner write!?)