Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 24-2-2017

Have you ever heard of the Crucible Curse?

In case you’re not a Snooker fan?

The Curse takes its name from the venue: the tournament’s been held there since 1977.

It refers to the fact that no first time winner of Snooker’s World Championship has won the title the year afterwards.

And it’s generally held to be something psychological: attributed to weight of expectation after winning the biggest title in the game, tied to a lack of experience of winning the game’s biggest title.

The reason I mention it?

Is because I’m not a football fan.

But was shocked to hear the Leicester City FC have sacked manager, Claudio Ranieri: the man who’d steered them to winning the Premiership, last year, after many years out of the game’s top tier.

Yes, I know the team’s in the relegation zone.   Yes, I know there’s talk he’d lost the dressing room.

But I can’t help but think the team — manager and players — been suffering with football’s equivalent of the Crucible Curse.

For the owners to ignore the possibility?

Represents short-termism at its worst.

And bloody stupid.

~≈Ö≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

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

The day also saw Olga‡ leaving us a comment: leaving a rough guide to how she did screen captures.

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

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

Q1) 24th February, 1582, saw Pope Gregory 13th publish the bull, Inter gravissimas.   What did this reform: the Curia, the Calendar or the Papal states?

Q2) Louis Philippe 1st abdicated: on 24th February, 1848.   As king of where: Spain, France or Germany?

Q3) The first US president to be impeached, was impeached by the House of Representatives: on 24th February, 1868.   Who was that President?

Q4) The UK’s first perforated stamp was released: on 24th February, 1854.   Which stamp was it: the Penny Black, Penny Red or Two penny Blue?

Q5) Finally … Fidel Castro retired as Cuba’s President: on 24th February, 2008.   He remained head of Cuba’s what, until 2011?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1) 23rd February, 1739, saw Richard Palmer publicly named as whom?

A1) Highwayman, Dick Turpin.

Q2) At least 83 people were killed: in attacks made by so-called, Islamic State on 23rd February, 2012.   In which country?

A2) Iraq.

Q3) What was spotted in the Large Megallenic Cloud, on 23rd February, 1987: a red dwarf, a super nova or a black hole?

A3) A super nova.

Q4) The Symbionese Liberation army demanded a ransom: on 23rd February, 1974.   For whom?

A4) Patty Hearst.

Q5) Finally … the 28th Regiment of the 5th Marine Division took Mount Suribachi on 23rd February, 1945.   Some of the marines were photoed raising what, at its summit?

A5) The US flag.

I’ll leave you with a thought …

“You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.”

Steve Jobs, February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011.

And a tune … 

Have a good day!

*        Morning, Mr S!

†        You know, I’m going to have to sit down with some Vonnegut, again, Debbi: the man’s a giant of American literature.   (Ever see Back to School, with Rodney Dangerfield?   Vonnegut’s got a cameo in that …)

‡        It’d be interesting to hear about it, Olga, I know that.   That strikes me as odd: the fact you’ve had to go and get an extra app to record screen casts, AND do screen shots.   As I recall, using PrintScreen button should get the screenshots: but couldn’t tell you about screen recording on Windows.   Usually, on the Mac?   I can do screens shots, easily, and use Keynote (roughly equivalent to Excel) to turn them into a slide show … that Keynote can also turn into a movie.   I can then add audio, and captions if needed, and edit them them with iMovie.   All of which get handed out free with a new Mac.   (I can also use Quicktime — again, handed out for free — to do screen recordings like the one below.)   I can’t HELP but think there is — or was — a thing called Windows Movie Maker, that used to be handed out with a PC: is that still around?