Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12th August, 2020.

 12th August, 2020.

Right … 

Right now, it’s just coming up to eight o’clock in the morning: and, even with the windows open, it’s hot and sticky.

And distinctly unpleasant.

However?

The BBC’s Weather page tell us we’re expecting a thunderstorm.

I hope so … !

Something’s got to clear the air.

~≈†≈~

While I’ve got the BBC’s new pages open … ?

Apparently, the UK is now in a recession: one on a par with the last one, back in 2008/9.

I’m … 

Not surprised, to be honest.

I do remember the first time I met my current case officer at the local Job Centre: he’s a nice chap who’s recently become a father.

Which is a side issue, maybe.

My point?   Is that, when we first met, I told him I’d be very surprised if I got a job, before I retired.

His reply was that he intended to try and help me avoid that.

Some × years on … ?

I’m still trying to find an employer that’ll have me.

And thinking a recession going to really slow my job hunting down … 

~≈†≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Trevor*, Olga† and Debbi‡ putting in their answers: with all three scoring five out of five.

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

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

Q1) 12th August is Sea Org Day.   It’s a holiday in which religion?

Q2) US Baseball players went on strike, on 12th August, 1994.   What was cancelled as a result: the World Cup, World Series or Super Bowl?

Q3) Helena Blavatskaya was born on 12th August, 1831.   The occultist was born in what’s now which country … ?

Q4) 12th August, 1881, saw the birth of director, Cecil B. DeMille.   What was the name of his first, 1914, film?

Q5) DeMille did a biopic of Cleopatra: who, by a huge coincidence, died on 12th August, 30BC.   After — apparently — being bitten by what: asps, spiders or Venus flytraps?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1) 11th August saw the birth of Enid Blyton.   In which year?

A1) 1897.

Q2) Her first  was a book of poetry called Child Whispers.   It was published in which year of the 1920s?

A2) 1922.

Q3) Which of her characters has a blue hat and a best friend called Big Ears?

A3) Noddy.

Q4) Julian, Dick Anne, George and Timmy the Dog are better known how?

A4) The Famous Five.   (Enid wrote twenty-one of the stories.)

Q5) Finally … ?   1946 saw Enid start writing about which fictional school?

A5) Malory Towers.

Here’s a thought …

“Every year a new lesson is learned, but the one precept that never fails to be true is that a good picture will always be well received by the public.”

Cecil B. DeMille, August 12, 1881 – January 21, 1959.

And a song …

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

Have a good day.

*        I’ve got to admit, Trevor, it’s been years since I’ve read either!   I do remember this TV version of The Famous Five, though.   Turns out the chap who played Dick has done a lot of Dr Who novels.   (Ever heard of an actress called Jemima Rooper?   Turns out she played George, in the 1995 series.)

†        Ah HA!   Are we talking about Saint Olga of Kiev, Olga?   Turns out her husband, Igor, was the second ruler from the Rurik dynasty: so she’d be very distantly related to Ivan the Terrible.   Olga managed to subjugate the tribe that killed her husband.   Sounds like a very assertive woman!

Actually, it looks like there’s two Saint Olga’s.   It seems the other is Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna Romanova: Nicholas 2nd’s eldest daughter.   The family got canonised not long after they were killed.

Finally!   The book’s in!   It’s fascinatingly distracting!

‡        I know what you mean, Debbi: the stuff I find out always surprises me!   And you’re right, Enid certainly was … um … yeah … um … 

At ANY rate … ?   Did you know enyd was another word for these guys … ?