Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 14-12-2020: Alabama Song

14th December, 2020.

It’s officially official.

I’m in a mild rush.

I’ve got an engineer down to install software on the by now notorious laptop.

At ten.

And I’ve got a phone meeting with my Shaw Trust meeting.

At ten.

I’ll get the hang of this diary thing, I swear blind!

~≈Ê≈~

Just as a quick thought?

David Cornwell has died: of pneumonia, at the age of 89.

If you don’t know the name?

You’ll know him under his pen name: John Le Carré.

I’ve only read three of his works: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy*, and The Honourable Schoolboy.   But with their deeply ambiguous tone?   A tone unlike Fleming or Forsyth?   They are quite something to read.

Possibly now is a good time to read A Legacy of Spies, the last of Le Carré’s novels.

It seems only right.

~≈Ê≈~

Let’s move on, shall we? Yesterday’s Teaser saw Olga†, Trevor‡, Donna^, Mumª, Debbiº and Edith¹ putting in their answers: with Olga, Trevor, Donna and Debbi scoring five out of five, and Mum and Edith on four.

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

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





Q1)        14th December marks the day Alabama joined the USA.   In which year?

Q2)        Was it the twenty third, twenty second or twenty-first state to join?

Q3)        Alabama’s known as the heart of where?

Q4)        Alabama’s capital is Montgomery.   What’s Alabama’s largest city by population: Auburn, Birmingham or Decatur?

Q5)        Alabama’s known as the Cotton State: but isn’t the USA’s largest producer of cotton.   Which state is: Texas, Rhode Island or Washington?

Q6)        Alabama’s also known as the Yellowhammer state.   What is a Yellowhammer: a bird, cat or crocodile?

Q7)        AFC Mobile is a team from Alabama.   What do they play: American Football, Association Football or Baseball?

Q8)        Mobile, itself, is Alabama’s only port.   It’s on the Gulf of where: Mexico, Arabia or Aden?

Q9)        Muscle Shoals, Alabama, is home to one of the world’s best known what: special effects companies, server farms or recording studios?

Q10)        Finally … ?   Alabama’s flag features a red cross: on what colour background?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1)        Abel Tasman was the first European to sight New Zealand.   On 13th December of which year of the 1640s?

A1)        1642.

Q2)        Tasman spotted what we now call New Zealand’s what: North Island or South Island?

A2)        South Island.

Q3)        Tasman named New Zealand, Staten Landt: in honour of his country’s Parliament.   That country was what we now call what: Belgium, Luxembourg or the Netherlands?

A3)        The Netherlands: it was then the Dutch Republic.

Q4)        Which M are New Zealand’s native peoples?

A4)        The Māori.

Q5)        Finally … ?   What’s New Zealand’s capital city?

A5)        Wellington.

Here’s a thought …

“Audemus jura nostra defendere.”

“We Dare Defend Our Rights.”

Alabama state motto.

And a playlist …

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

Feel free to share today’s video Teaser.

Have a good day.

*        From what I’m told?   Le Carré liked cropping up in the adaptions of his work.   He makes an appearance, forty seconds into this clip from the Gary Oldman version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

†        I think we managed to solve THAT one, haven’t we, Olga?   It was Carlo Gambino!   Literally, the Capo dei capi!   Having read Jimmy the Weasel’s biography, I’m not sure what’s bloodier: medieval British history, Game of Thrones … or American Mafia history from 1927 to 1994!

At any rate?   Passing on one of your books could possibly work well.   And if she’s not a big TV fan?   You might just get her writing!

(I bet she’s glued to a PS4!   )

‡        I know what you mean, Trevor, mine’s going her same way … !

^        Morning, Donna: cheers for joining us!

ª        Hello, Mum!   (That’s a thought, have you still got that history of Jazz?   the one with the photo of Jimmy Durante?)

º        If what I’ve heard’s correct, Debbi, it wasn’t a Scorsese movie?   Did you ever see The Godfather?   One story I heard said the singer, Jonny Fontane, is based on Frank!   Actually?   Did you ever hear of an English band called Frankie Goes to Hollywood?   Apparently, the lead singer got the name from a news headline about Sinatra.   (Oh, the video for Relax is notorious!)

¹        Oh, cheers for that, Edith!   It’s nice to see a bit of old school, newfangled boogie!   :D