Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 23-1-2017: The Opium Eaters

Oh, well, that’s something.

I don’t know if you knew, but the UK government operates something called Tax Credits: a scheme designed to top up people’s earnings.

Technically?

You can only put in for them, under certain conditions.

You’ll get Child Tax credits if you have children.   Best I can do, there is a nephew with a trombone.

But working tax credits?   Get complicated.

Basically, you can only put in for them if you’re working over thirty hours.

Over the past few weeks?

I’ve managed to go over that thirty hour limit, by working an extra shift.

That’s no guarantee I’d keep getting those extra shifts, and stay over the limit.

One thin I did manage to do, last night?

Was have a word with my immediate supervisor.

By default, I do twenty-nine hours, and forty-five minutes,

Looks like I’ll be able to get an extra hour, on Sunday afternoon … 

~≈Ê≈~

But let’s move on, shall we?

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

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

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

Q1) The International Opium Convention was signed on 23rd January.   In which Dutch city?

Q2) The treaty was signed in which year: 1911, 1912 or 1913?

Q3) The Treaty was registered with the League of Nations: on 23rd January of which year: 1922, 1923 or 1924?

Q4) The Golden Crescent is one of the world’s major opium production areas.   Name any one of the three countries in the Golden Crescent.

Q5) The OTHER major production area is the Golden Triangle.   Name any one of the three countries to make up that triangle.

Q6) Opium, itself, is made from a type of what: tulip, rose or poppy?

Q7) Opiates are the substances extracted from that flower.   Artificial opiates, and drugs made from opiates, are called what?

Q8) Opium, itself, contains a substantial percentage of what: cannabis, morphine, or cocaine?

Q9) Heroin is made from that latter substance.   Heroin is also known as which ‘D’?

Q10) Finally?   Who said “Religion is the opiate of the masses”?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1) Apple introduced the Apple Macintosh computer: on 22nd January, 1984.   The computer was the first commercially successful product to use a what: joystick, mouse or keyboard?

A1) Mouse.

Q2) Which scientist was sent into exile: on 22nd January, 1980?

A2) Andre Sakharov.

Q3) More to the point, where was that scientist exiled to: Coventry, Siberia or Patagonia?

A3) Siberia.

Q4) Around thirteen people were killed: on 22nd January, 2015.   In an explosion on a trolley-bus in which disputed Ukrainian area?

A4) Donbass.

Q5) In the USA, 22nd January, 1946, saw the creation of the Central Intelligence Group.   The group was a forerunner to what?

A5) The Central Intelligence Agency, or CIA.

Q6) Finally … the man who popularized tobacco in England was born: on 22nd January, 1554.   OR on 22nd January, 1552.   Who was he?

A6) Sir Walter Raleigh.

I’ll leave you with a thought …

“The expense of a war could be paid in time; but the expense of opium, when once the habit is formed, will only increase with time.”

Townsend Harris.

And a song about an opium derivative … 

Have a good day.

*        Oh, and talking backward, Olga‡!   Interesting to see the relevant Wikipedia article.   And, yes, not fighting in a war’s a good thought.   Remind me to tell you about Monstrous Regiment, sometime … 

†        Yep!   That‘s Phil Silvers, Debbi‡.   The Carry On producers were trying to appeal to the US market: quite whether it worked, I really couldn’t tell you.   It’s possibly a bit too English.   I’m surprised you haven’t recognised the other chap … !

‡        Oh, strictly speaking: the region was Donblass.   Donetz is the biggest town in the area, if I’ve understood things correctly.