Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 26-11-2020: Thanksgiving

26th November, 2020.

It’s got to be said, you have to ask what’s going on, occasionally … 

Especially in a world where the deep deserts of Utah start sprouting monoliths.

How weird are those?

Possibly not weird enough: when you realise whoever’s installed it … isn’t a fan of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

It’s the the wrong shape to be the monolith.

~≈¥≈~

Something else I’ve managed to pick up … ?

Is a little bit of news about the upcoming Dr Who special, Revolution of The Daleks.

Guess who’s back … ?

Ahem!

~≈¥≈~

Just as a last point … ?

Yesterday saw Chancellor Rishi Sunak made various announcements in a major spending review.

One of those … ?

Is what he called the Restart scheme.

It’s aimed at those of us who’ve been out of work for more than a year, back into work.

Frankly?   It sounds too much like the Work Programme I had to do, many years ago: one that was distinctly unhelpful.

I expect this — if I end up having to sign up for it — to be just as helpful.

The announcement he didn’t make?

Was about Universal Credit: the benefit those of us in the UK claim, if we’re out of work.

It’s been put up by roughly £20 per week, as a result of COVID-19.

And is due to end in April.

Mr Sunak didn’t say whether it would be removed, or made permanent.

Merely that an announcement would be made, nearer the time.

I hope it stays at its current level.

The extra few quid are bloody handy!

~≈¥≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Mum*, Trevor†, Olga‡, Debbi^ and Edithª putting in their answers: with Trevor, Olga and Debbi scoring five out of five, Mum on four and Edith on two.

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

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

Q1)        26th November, 2020, is Thanksgivingº in the USA.   It’s usually marked on the fourth what of November?

Q2)        The traditional Thanksgiving Dinner usually features mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce … and a roasted what: duck, goose or turkey?

Q3)        Thanksgiving Dinner traditionally includes pies made from what: oranges, limes or pumpkins?

Q4)        The night before Thanksgiving is usually the busiest night of the year for many US bars.   It’s usually known as Blackout what?

Q5)        Finally … ?   Since 1924, a well known New York department store has held a Thanksgiving Parade. Which department store?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1)        25th November, 1915, saw who presenting a set of equations to the Prussian Science Academy?

A1)        Albert Einstein.   (The field equations relate the local spacetime curvature to the local energy, momentum and stress, as expressed by the stress-energy tensor.   Apparently … )

Q2)        The same day, 25th November, 1915, saw the birth of General Augusto Pinochet.   Pinochet was led a junta that ruled which South American country … ?

A2)        Chile.

Q3)        Suriname became independent from the Netherlands: on 25th November, 1975.   Suriname is on which continent: North American, South America or Europe?

A3 )        South America.

Q4)        When he was still Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict 16th was named to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on 25th November, 1981.   The Congregation is also known as the Holy Office, and formerly know as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal what?

A4)        Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition.   (No-one expected that.)

Q5)        Finally … ?   25th November is the feast day of Saint Catherine of Alexandria.   Most of us will know of the firework named for her.   Which firework?

A5)        The Catherine Wheel.

Here’s a thought …

“Thanksgiving is a time for families and friends to gather together and express gratitude for all that we have been given, the freedoms we enjoy, and the loved ones who enrich our lives.”

George W. Bush.

And a song …

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

Feel free to share today’s video Teaser.

Have a good day.

*        Hello, Mum!

†        That’s sort of why I wrote the question, Trevor.   Everyone experts to quote that sketch!

And Catherine Wheels could be scary, couldn’t they?   I think that’s part of Bonfire night’s appeal: you’re taking you’re life in your hand … 

‡       I stand corrected, Olga: and start revising my spreadsheet!   And, lord, but the signed version’s a packet!

I’ll keep my fingers crossed for both of us: although I suspect you’ll’ve done a good job!

Oh, did I mention?   Someone got in touch with me about writing advertising content on Quora.   I’m a touch suspicious: it’s come out of nowhere, the person’s contacted a LOT of people … and they’re asking me to review stuff I’ve given other solutions to.   To give you can example?   One piece of software they were asking about was a .pdf to Word conversion tool.   I’ve already told people you can copy and past stuff.   It’s interesting … but … … … 

(Oh, I’ve just had a look on Amazon: there’s still no series four!   ARGH!)

^        No-one was expecting that, Debbi!   Trevor certainly wasn’t!   (Our chief weapon is fear.   Fear and terror.   Fear and terror, and nice red uniforms!   I’ll come in again!)

ª        Glad I could help, Edith.   Oh, did anyone mention a Monty Python Sketch about the Spanish Inquisition?   Just in case you were wondering about the “No one expects” lines!   (Actually, there’s a Spanish TV series called El Ministerio del Tiempo doing the rounds: there’s at least one episode where the genuine Inquisition get a mention.)

º        I’ve got no problem with Thanksgiving: every country has its own traditions: ones that make it unique.   The one thing I have an issue with?   Is that, here in the UK, we’ve started marking Black Friday.   The big sales day US shops have, after Thanksgiving.   About five years ago, now.   Thanksgiving isn’t a UK holiday: so why are we having the sale?