Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 17-3-2023 — William Gibson.

17th March, 2023: William Gibson.

Right … 

I’m half expecting an old friend, today: although I don’t know if they’ll be able to make it, I’m hoping they will.

Company would be nice.

And I’m very aware they after some buying advise … 

~≈fi≈~

I’m due to attend a tribunal: on the 30th March, this year.

As part of that … ?   The cost service running the tribunal, tells me I need what they call an appeal bundle: the necessary paperwork, in other words.

I’ve checked with the court: they tell me I need to get it from the DWP.

Who, it seems, don’t have it.

Quite what I’m supposed to do now?

I don’t know!

~≈fi≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Mum*, Olga† and Debbi‡ putting in their answers: with Olga and Debbi scoring five out of five, and Mum 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)        17th March saw the birth of writer, William Gibson.   In which year of the 1940s?

Q2)        In his 1982 story, ‘Burning Chrome,’ he coined a tern for the internet.   What term: ‘Cyberspace’, ‘world wide web’ or ‘information superhighway’?

Q3)        Gibson wrote an early draft of the script for which film: The Crying Game, Braindead or Alien 3?

Q4)        Gibson co-wrote ‘Kill Switch’ and ‘First Person Shooter’.   ‘Kill Switch’ and ‘First Person Shooter’ were episodes of what: Babylon 5, The X-Files or Star Trek: The Next Generation?

Q5)        Finally … ?   Gibson is the author of the only novel to win the Nebula, Phillip K. Dick and Hugo awards.   Which novel: Neuromancer, Count Zero or Mona Lisa Overdrive?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1)        16th March, 2014, saw Crimea hold a referendum, and vote to leave where: Russia, Ukraine or Belorussia?

A1)        Ukraine.   (This sort of thing causes issues.)

Q2)        16th March, 2014, saw Crimea hold a referendum, and vote to join where: Russia, Ukraine or Belorussia?

A2)        Russia.

Q3)        16th March is the feast day of Hilarius of Aquileia.   Modern Aquileia is now in which European country?

A3)        Italy.

Q4)        Three people were killed at a funeral in at the Milltown Cemetery.   The killings were carried out in which British city: Belfast, Glasgow, London or Swansea?

A4)        Belfast.   (The people being buried were members of the IRA killed by the SAS on Gibraltar.   The killer, Michael Stone, had links to loyalist paramilitaries.   I don’t know about you: but I find the word ‘loyalist’ extremely distasteful: as distasteful as ‘Provisional IRA’.   As much as I hate a cliché?   They’re as bad as each other.)

Q5)        Finally … ?   Marshal Josef Tito visit the UK: on 16th March, 1953.   He was the then leader of where: Czechoslovakia, Romania or Yugoslavia?

A5)        Yugoslavia.

Here’s a thought … 

“The NET is a waste of time, and that’s exactly what’s right about it.”

Title of an article Gibson wrote for the New York Times Magazine.

And a playlist …

The Damned’s ‘New Rose’ inspired a short story called ‘New Rose Hotel’.

The Pretenders’ ‘Stop Your Sobbing’ is from their first album: the one that provided the look for Molly Millions, his best known character.

Tosh’s ‘Steppin’ Razor’ was a nickname for Molly.

‘Screaming’ Fist’, by the Viletones, gives its name to the mission that sees Armitage injured.

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

Decisions about scores are final.

Thank you for coming: have a good day.

*        Hello, Mum!

†        Oh, tell me about it, Olga!   It’s going to need more chasing up, today, as well.   

        Thankfully?   The meds are on order: and the plumbers have turned up, nice and early, and mob handed!   They can’t do anything about the bath — that’s a big job — but are fixing the dripping tap in the kitchen.   We’re in ‘Right Said Fred’ territory, here!

‡        It’s possibly the only National Lampoon film I’ve seen, Debbi^.   I think it spawned a few imitators, as well.   Possibly not as good, I think!

^        I get the impression, Debbi, that Belushi was fairly functional on Animal House:   Apparently, he was pretty wasted, filming The Blues Brothers.   (Oh, Stephen First, Flounder?   Crops up in Babylon 5: he’s an ambassadorial aide.)