Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 9-9-2016: Tolstoy

Hmmm … It’s … what … day 6 of job-hunting … 

Remember, yesterday, that I had my initial New Claims interview: at ten thirty, at Brentwood Job Centre?

Frankly?   I was there, on time, and ready to rock and roll.

But told … that the various bits of paperwork I had were insufficient: and that, as a result of not having a passport of photographic drivers license, I needed half a ton more than I actually had.

Which means adding an EXTRA appointment to the mix: I have to go back to the Job Centre on Monday … with the relevant paperwork.

Oy … veh … 

~≈Ú≈~

At any rate … ?

I think today is the last bit of pay I’ll be getting from KFC.

At least, as far as I can tell: there may be one more, if I have it right, but I very much doubt it.

At any rate?

At ANY rate, my plan for today is to pay my bills … 

And, if possible?   Head into Romford to hand out my CV.

Something I’ve been doing all week: and may — hopefully — lead to a job.

I doubt it … but can only try … 

~≈Ú≈~

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 Tolstoy-themed questions, shall we?

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

Q1) 9th September saw the birth of Leo Tolstoy.   In which year of the 1820s?

Q2) He was born under which name: Leo, Lev or Lee?

Q3) Which noble rank did Tolstoy hold?

Q4) Tolstoy’s middle name — Nikolayevich — is a patronymic.   In other words, it tells us the name of his: mother, father or paternal grandfather?

Q5) Tolstoy was born at the family estate: Yasnaya Polyana.   The name of the estate means Bright what: Glen, Glade or Garden?

Q6) Tolstoy’s final short novel, Hadji Murat, was published posthumously.   In which year: 1911, 1912 or 1913?

Q7) His short story, Sevastopol Sketches, was about his experiences in which war: the Invasion of Northern Kyrgyzstan, the Crimean War or the January Uprising?

Q8) His 1863 novel, Kazaki, is usually called what, in English: The Cossacks, The Kazakhs or The Chechens?

Q9) Anna Karenina, focuses on Princess Anna Arkadyevna Karenina.   What’s her family name?

Q10) Finally … Tolstoy’s other best known work is War and Peace.   The novel was published, in its complete form, in which year of the 1860s?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 8th September is World Literacy Day.   The day was first proclaimed by UNESCO: in which year of the 1960s?
A1) 1965.

Q2) Literacy is defined as an ability to read, write, and use simple … what?
A2) Arithmetic.

Q3) Writing is said to have its origins, where: Sumer, Babylon or Mesoamerica?
A3) Sumer.

Q4) That area used Cuneiform script: a form of writing on what: paper, papyrus or clay?
A4) Clay.

Q5) The earliest forms of Chinese date back to which dynasty: Shang, Qing or McSweeney?
A5) Shang.

Q6) Written Chinese consists of what: letters, logograms or pictograms?
A6) Logograms.

Q7) Ancient Egyptian used what: hieroglyphs, an alphabet or a syllabary?
A7) Hieroglyphs.

Q8) Hiragana and Katakana are syllabaries: used to write which language?
A8) Japanese.

Q9) Many European languages use a version of the Latin alphabet.   The alphabet was originally used in Latin: originally spoken in WHICH Empire?
A9) The Roman Empire.

Q10) Finally … Which Asian nation — according to UNESCO’s 2015 reports — claims to have a 100% literacy rate?
A10) North Korea.

I’ll leave you with a though from Ernest Hemingway …

“But nobody’s going to get me in any ring with Mr. Tolstoy unless I’m crazy or I keep getting better.”   Ernest Hemingway.

And Janáček’s 1st String Quartet, inspired by Tolstoy’s Kreutzer Sonata … 

Have a good day … 

*        You know, Olga, there’s not that many pub quiz writers on Fiverr: that’s possibly a good thing: there’s minimal competition … !   That’s probably the way to go, in conjunction with some sort of Amazon business … (I still the digestion stats: AND the apparent research linking left-handedness to sex-linked paranoid schizophrenia.   The weird bit?   Apparently, the anti-nausea medication I’ve been prescribed is ALSO used — at higher dosages — is used to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.   Oy vey!)

†        You know, they only ever made 13 episodes of Bagpuss, Debbi.   Supposedly?   They based Professor Yaffle on Bertrand Russell.   Although I have my suspicions of who they REALLY copied.   At any rate, North Korea’s tested another nuclear missile, this morning.   It’s reassuring to know the thing can read and write …