Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 4th May 2023.

4th May, 2023.

It’s got to be said: it’s voting day, today, in this part of the world’s Local Elections.

Local Elections for local people: they don’t want strangers here.

If you’ll forgive me quoting The League of Gentlemen.

At ANY rate, it’s local election day: and, frankly?

I’m planning my usual thing: and planning to spoil my vote.

To me, it makes sense as a protest vote: especially as I see no-one I want to vote for.

Including the local Tories.

I grant you, the current crop genuinely seem to want to build a cinema in town: that still doesn’t mean I’m going to vote for them.

~≈🗳️≈~

Yes: it’s officially official.

Jude’s made another video.

And, as fun as it was, making it … ?

It’s not the one I know he wanted to make.

He’s got a GoPro camera, so you know: one that can record in 4k.

Which is where the problem starts: we’ve figured out how to sync his camera with various phones, and copy the footage to them …

But then uploading them to various free cloud services — Google Drive, in this case —, so we can download them to my computer … 

Is a serious faff.

It took me seven hours, overnight, to upload a two minute video to my Drive.

Faff?   Is possibly understating it!

~≈¥≈~

I’m also very aware of something else.

The trailer for Dune Pt 2* has dropped: and looks interesting.

The fact I know one of the characters depicted is called Harah … is almost incidental!

~≈🪱≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Mum†, Olga‡ and Debbi§ putting in their answers: with everyone scoring ten out of ten.


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

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

Q1)        Local elections are due to be held on 4th May, 2023.   Where: England, Northern Ireland or Scotland?

Q2)        4th May is Coal Miners Day.   Where: Brazil, Russia, India, China or South Africa?

Q3)        From 2007, 4th May is Greenery Day.   Where: Brazil, Russia, India, China or Japan?

Q4)        4th May say the start of the General Strike, in the UK.   In which year of the 1920s?

Q5)        Finally … ?   The first race of the all-women W Series motor race took place on 4th May, 2019: at the Hockenheim racing circuit.   The Hockenheimring is in which European Country?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1)        Singer, James Brown, was born on the 3rd May.   Of which year of the 1930s?

A1)        1933.

Q2)        He was known — amongst other things — as the Godfather of what?

A2)        The Godfather of Soul.

Q3)        Between 1956 and 1961, he was lead singer of the Famous who: Flames, Farts or Furies?

A3)        The Famous Flames.

Q4)        Brown released ‘Prisoner of Love’, when: 1962, 1963 or 1964?

A4)        1963.

Q5)        His first live album was released in the same year.   What was it called: Live at the Apollo, Live at the Royal or Live at the Garden?

A5)        Live at the Apollo.

Q6)        Brown is considered a big influence on which genre: funk, heavy metal or southern rock?

A6)        Funk.   (And on hip hop: as many of Brown’s early funk riffs were used for a lot of hip-hop tracks.)

Q7)        According to the Godfather’s first Top Ten hit, ‘Papa’s Got a Brand New …’ what: bag, bone or bottle?

A7)        Bag.

Q8)        Brown performed a version of ‘The Old Landmark’ in which musical comedy: The Blues Brothers, Little Shop of Horrors or Tokyo Pop?

A8)        The Blues Brothers.   (Like many African American performers, Brown got his start in Gospel choirs.   Much like Chaka ‘I Feel For You’ Khan: who’s a member of the choir that backs Brown in The Blues Brothers.   Blink and you miss her: but she IS there … !)

Q9)        The film, Rocky 4 used a James Brown song called ‘Living in’ … where?

A9)        ‘Living in America’.

Q10)        Finally … ?   For many years, Brown had an undiagnosed form of what: diabetes, schizophrenia or arthritis?

A10)        Diabetes.

Here’s a thought … 

“My theory is that we are all idiots.   The people who don’t think they’re idiots — they’re the ones that are dangerous.”

Eric Sykes, 4 May 1923 – 4 July 2012.

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.

*        Going by that trailer?   Florence Pugh’s version of Princess Irulan, the Emperor’s daughter, seems a lot more prominent than her role in the book.   (Harah’s husband, Jamis, is killed in a ritual knife fight: by Paul Atreides.   He — under Freman tradition — has to marry Harah, or hire her as a servant: and must look after Jamis’ children.)

†        Hello, Mum.   Happy birthday!

‡        Yes: I was checking, Olga.   The patient-facing NHS pages don’t seem to use the phrase: the Diabetes UK site does, but you need to really search for it.   I’m thankful I know how to use the CMD and F key combo.   But, yes, you’re equally right: it’s more curiosity, and a touch of reassurance.

        I have used the software, once, for writing a question set.   And drew the same conclusion you did.   It’s a useful starting point … so long as I double check the questions it generates.   I think I ‘used’ three of the questions: those served as jumping off points for two, non-AI, others.

        Either way, I think you’re right: it’s going to generate discussion, especially around copyright.   Something I think AI art generators have come across.

§        Yeah.   I’d heard there were issues around it, Debbi.   I know there’s been at least one case in the States: where Getty Images are suing at least one AI art generator¶.   I think there’s other cases as well.

        And, yes: you’re right, I think.   They’re a helpful tool.

¶        I’ve occasionally used one called Night Cafe, Debbi.   The results I got, feeding in the words ‘Dalek’, ‘Cyberman’ and ‘steampunk’ were interesting.   They’re fun to see: but I’m not exactly sure of the copyright issues …