Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 7-4-2020: Ravi Shankar

7th April, 2020.

I think I’m going to have something of a rant, here.

Ish … 

We know Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been taken into intensive care at Saint Thomas Hospital: as a way of staving off the the Corona Virus.

Good luck to him.

I hope he doesn’t die: the country could do with out a leadership election at a time like this.

But … ?

For starters, the man could have observed the social distancing rules he himself was promoting: far better than he actually did.

Secondly?

I can’t help but notice the amount of supportive comments — comments bordering on hero worship — the man’s getting.

Literal, hero worship.

That is not something I’m comfortable with.

That amount of reverence is not a good thing.

I’m sort of with Frank Herbert, here.   Religious reverence for a political figure — which, for me, is what this appears to be — is distinctly unwise: as it hands a lot of power to a human.

We have, not a PM, but a messiah.

We have a hero.

Who the hell wants that?

“No more terrible disaster could befall your people than for them to fall into the hands of a Hero.”
Frank Herbert, Dune.

~≈†≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

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

The day also saw Olga‡ looking in to say hello.

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

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

Q1) 7th April saw the birth of sitarist, Ravi Shankar.   In which year?

Q2) He was born to a Bengali Brahmin family.   Brahmins are a caste in which religion?

Q3) What country was Shankar born in?

Q4) Famously, Shankar played the Sitar.   What’s the minimum number of strings a sitar will have: eighteen, nineteen or twenty?

Q5) Whilst young, Shankar learnt to play a form of improvised Indian music: known as which ‘R’?

Q6) Which of the Beatles learnt the sitar from Shankar?

Q7) That musician was the first to record a sitar solo in a Beatles song.   Which Beatles song?

Q8) In his early career, Shankar record music for the Apu Trilogy: a series of Indian … what?

Q9) Shankar received his country’s highest honour, the Bharat Ratna: in which year of the 1990s?

Q10) Finally … ?   Ravi Shankar was usually know as which P?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1) 6th April is National Beer Day, in the US.   It’s marks the repeal of what?

A1) Prohibition.

Q2) The Church of Christ was formally organised by Joseph Smith: on 7th April, 1830.   The Couch, and it’s descendants, are known as the Latter Day … whats?

A2) Saints.

Q3) 6th April, 1812, saw British troops attack the fortress of Badajoz.   Badajoz is in which European country?

A3) Spain.

Q4) 6th April, 1926, saw the birth of comics book artist and writer, Gil Kane.   He worked on the Green … what?

A4) Green Lantern.

Q5) Finally … ?   6th April, 1944, saw the birth of opera singer, Felicity Palmer.   Is she a contralto or mezzo soprano?

A5) A mezzo soprano.

Here’s a thought …

“Thank you, if you appreciate the tuning so much, I hope you will enjoy the playing more.”

Ravi Shankar.

And a song …

Today’s questions will be answered in tomorrow’s Teaser.

Have a good day.

*.     I think I managed to get the obvious flaws, Trevor.   (Ian Dury?   Really?   Trouble is, Trevor, both of your legs work …)

†        Right: got you, Olga.   I think Liverpool’s had similar issues, over here … 

‡        It was a good speech to watch, Debbi.   Mind you, she’s being doing broadcasts like that for some time!