Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 5th August, 2020

5th August, 2020.

Right … 

I’ve officially spent a lot of time on the phone, over the past couple of days.

Yesterday?

I had a phone call from a temp agency: who wanted to keep my CV on file, in case they found anything.

I spent a lot of time on the phone, yesterday morning … ?   On the phone to the Work and Health programme I’ve been signed up to: discussing all sorts of things.

Including the possibility of getting funding for a computer literacy course.

Yes, I’m reasonably computer literate: but it would be nice to have recent paperwork that says so.

At ANY rate?   That funding could be expensive.

It would need to cover the cost of the course.

The nearest one is, unfortunately, a remote one.   Which leads to issues.

I’d possibly need a copy of Microsoft Office: not something I want, but it is the standard people expect you to be familiar with.

Both the Mac and Windows version of the suite?   Costs roughly £120.   That’s about €130, or $160.

However, whilst the Windows version of MS Office is four gigabytes in size — about the size of a film on a DVD — the Mac version is ten gigabytes.

Twice the size of the Windows version.

As I told my case worker, yesterday?   That’s not something I have drive space for.

As I also told him?   The only way I’d be able get a copy of MS Office, is if someone bought my a Windows based laptop, with a copy of the blessed suite included.

Whether that happens … ?   Is a whole other issue.

~≈Í≈~

Monday, on the other hand, was a different kettle of fish.

I had to phone BT, to arranged my landline/internet contract.

I finally came away with a deal that isn’t perfect — it basically involves a pay as you go landline — but that is a lot better than what I’ve got.

The internet connection will cost roughly £15 less than what I’m paying now: which can be spent on food.

It also involves a new payment card.

The BIG drawback … ?   Was the amount of time I actually waited for the phone to be answered.

I phoned, initially, at 10:30 … and waited for roughly thirty minutes before I got answered.

I sorted out the basics of a new deal: then got told I’d be put through to the sales team, to finalise it.

Then got cut off.

So I rang back … and waited for forty-five minutes, forty-five whole, frustrating, damn minutes, listening to soothing — ha! — music before I got thought to someone who could put me through to the sales team.

Who, once they’d finished with me, said I’d need to talk to someone else, to actually finalise the deal: before I got cut off … again … 

It didn’t take long to get back in touch with them.

But, ye gods …

I can see why people have heart attacks on the phone!

~≈Í≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw 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) 5th August is the feast day of Saint Emygdius.   He’s the patron saint of where: Los Angeles, San Francisco or Anaheim?

Q2) 5th August, 1100, saw Henry 1st crowned as king of England: in Westminster Abbey.   Who did he name as his heir?

Q3) 5th August, 1861, saw the US Army ban what: amputation, hanging or flogging?

Q4) Rick Huxley was born: on 5th August, 1940.   He played bass for which 60s era, British band?

Q5) Finally … ?   5th August, 1998, saw the birth of actress, Mimi Keene.   In which soap does she play Cindy Williams?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1) 4th August, 1690, is the traditional date for the invention of champagne.   Traditionally?   Champagne is what colour of sparkling wine: red or white?

A1) White wine.   (It’s white … despite the fact two of the grapes used to make are red.   Red and white grapes can be used to made white or red wine.   If I’ve understood it correctly, red win is made with red wine grapes … with the skins left on.   White wine is made from grapes … with the skins removed.)

Q2) Champagne’s inventor, Dom Pérignon, was what kind of monk: Benedictine, Cistercian or Dominican?

A2) A Benedictine.   (I believe there’s arguments about whether he did or not)

Q3) There’s a brand of champagne named after Dom Pérignon: made by which champagne house?

A3) Moët & Chandon.   (Killer Queen, by Queen, is the only song I know that mentions it.   There’s possibly others: I couldn’t tell you what they are, though!)

Q4) Name any one of the three main grapes usually used to make champagne.

A4) Chardonnay, pinot noir or pinot meunier.   (Chardonnay is white: Pinot meunier and noir are red.)

Q5) Finally … ?   We can open a bottle of champagne with a technique called sabrage.   In other words, with a what?

A5) A champagne sabre: a type of sword, in other words.   (I saw it done on an episode of QI: it’s bonkers!)

Here’s a thought …

“Happiness is a house without a telephone.”

Gay Byrne, 5 August 1934 – 4 November 2019‡.

And a song …

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

Have a good day.

*        Save me a bottle of it, would you, Olga?   Sore guts are the bane of my life, sometimes!   And, yeah: I can see how the name would cause … um … issues … !

Saying that … ?   If I’ve understood it, the reason for the different names for different sparkling wines is because they’re made differently: champagne’s made differently to Cava, which is different to Prosecco, which is different to Spumante, which is different to Sekt … 

And, just to be REALLY odd?   Apparently, the way champagne’s made is similar to how English real ale’s made!

†        I’ll keep my fingers crossed, Debbi!   Oh, did I mention I’ve just finished Moonraker?  It’s VERY different to the film: I can see why it gets compared to The Girl Who Was Death.   It’s got a rocket in Kent.   (I’ve just started Who Goes There?)

‡        I wrote this set about two weeks ago: and had no idea how relevant Gay Byrne’s quote would be.   BT, O2, phone towers … …