Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 11th December 2022.

11th December, 2022.

I have to admit: it’s Sunday.

Frankly?

It’s a cold Sunday.

Normally?

I’d be having a stroll around the block, at some point.

Just to try and keep trim, don’tcherknow!

Today … ?

I’m probably going to be walking, rapidly.

It’s not warm out.

~≈É≈~

That cold’s not helping the people of Jersey.

A block of flats exploded in Saint Helier, the capital, on Saturday.

And?

The news tells us no survivors have been found.

That’s sad: and my thoughts go to the families of those killed.

But?   And for all there’s talk of that some could smell gas in the run up to the explosion?

I’m wondering what happened, what caused this.

I’d like to know.

And have reassurance it can’t happened on my street.

~≈É≈~

The mild irony?   Is that, in amongst exploding flats and freezing weather?

Is that today is what the Catholic Church calls Gaudete Sunday*.

Apparently?   

The word means ‘rejoice.’

Like I say: mild irony … 

~≈É≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

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

The day also saw Trevorª leaving us a message.

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

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

Q1)        11th December, 2017, saw the death of presenter, Keith Chegwin.   He was one of the original presenters of the Multi-Coloured what

Q2)        Indiana joined the USA: on 11th December, 1816.   What’s the capital of Indiana?

Q3)        Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was born on 11th December, 1918.   He received the Nobel Prize of Literature in which year of the 1970s?

Q4)        11th December, 1929, saw the birth of cricketer, Subhash Gupte.   He played for which national side: India, Pakistan or Bangladesh?

Q5)        Finally … ?   11th December, 1920, saw British troops attack which city: Cork, Dublin or Galway?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1)        10th December is Human Rights Day.   It’s marked on the 10th December, as this saw the adoption of the Universal what of Human Rights?

A1)        The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Q2)        The first female writer to receive a Nobel Prize for Literature, did so on 10th December, 1909.   Who was she: Selma Lagerlöf, Grazia Deledda or Gabriela Mistral?

A2)        Selma Lagerlöf.

Q3)        10th December is the feast day of Eulalia of Merida.   She’s the patron saint of whom: runaways, cheese makers or courtesans?

A3)        Runaways.   (Drat: I’ve got an earworm.)

Q4)        George Shaw was born on 10th December, 1751.   He was a what: botanist, chemist or physicist?

A4)        Botanist.

Q5)        Finally … ?   Actor, Ray Collins, was born: on 10th December, 1889.   He made his feature film debut in which 1941, Orson Welles, film?

A5)        Citizen Kane.

Here’s a thought … 

“I am of course confident that I will fulfil my tasks as a writer in all circumstances — from my grave even more successfully and more irrefutably than in my lifetime.”

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, 11 December 1918 – 3 August 2008.

And a song …

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

Decisions about scores are final.

Thank you for coming: have a good day.

*        I found that out, as I had Radio Four’s Sunday Service on.   The celebrant was the Most Reverend Mark O’Toole, Archbishop of Cardiff.   Weirdly?   He shares his name with Mark O’Toole, the bassist from Frankie Goes to Hollywood.   I don’t see the arch-bishop co-writing Relax, though.

†        Funny you should mention relics, Olga: apparently, John the Baptist’s hand is supposed to be in Istanbul.   Why, I don’t know.

        Yes: the payment is damn awkward.   I’m still due the £150 Warm Home Discount, as well: quite when that’ll go onto my meter, I don’t know.   I have sent another letter to the Tribunal Service, though.   Which will probably get ignored, like the last one: but at least I’ve done something … !

        Spy fiction’s not for every one, I know that: but A Legacy of Spies is riveting.   I suspect — as I always have — that Le Carré’s own experiences with MI5 and MI6 would be helpful.   (I think Toby Esterhase and Peter Guillam were loosely based on real figures.)

‡        Hello, Mum!

^        That bad, eh, Debbi?   Probably puts it on a par with The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins!   (It’s very silly: and just a bit suspect!)

ª        £500?   I’ll let Mum know, Trevor: she’d possibly appreciate that.   And you don’t look a day over fifty.   At any rate … ?   About the only thing I know I’m due — in theory, any way — is the £150 Warm Home Discount, the one I mentioned to Olga.   I’ll be pleasantly surprised if it does turn up.

        Hmmm … I’m assuming those were what they called variables?   I’m also assuming that “Cairo is greater than Rome” statement meant “if X>Y, than copy/move A to B”?   I’m also assuming these would have been on tape and old fashioned print-outs, is that also right?   I’d imagine those would be a lot harder to find: the CMD+F/CTRL+F commands in most operating systems is damn handy: but only works on screen!

        OK, how were you with Unix?   And I’m guessing your phones an Android one, yes?   If you can get to the Terminal app on the thing you should be able to use some of the basic Unix commands in a terminal — ls, cd, pwd, what have you — as Android is a version of Linux: which is based on Unix.   (I have to wonder: were there more versions of COBOL, or more versions of Basic?   I think they used to call both, ‘high level languages’, when I was young.)