Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 2nd July, 2023.

2nd July, 2023.

Hmmm … 

You’ve possibly realised I’m on Twitter: as well as Facebook, Mastodon, and Instagram.

So I tend to follow the news about it.

Hearing, last night, that Twitter’s owner, Elon Musk, had decided to limit users ability to read posts.

To 600 posts, for a standard user, and 6000 for a verified one.

That got modified, a few hours later: to 1000 and 10, 000, respectively.

Musk says “We were getting data pillaged so much that it was degrading service for normal users.”

Quite what that meant, I don’t know.

But others have suggested he’s trying to turn Twitter into a subscription service: and that this is the beginnings of the process.

I’m cynical enough to agree with them!

~≈€≈~

Just in case you’re wondering … ?

Yes: I have seen another episode of Star Trek Strange New Worlds: episode three, “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow”.

I’ll tell you what: that’s one formidable piece of work!

~≈€≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?


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


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

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

Q1)        Bogdan 3rd became Voivode of Moldavia: on 2nd July, 1504.   Bogdan was known as Bogdan the what: One Handed, One Eyed or One Legged?

Q2)        Kerberos and Styx were named: on 2nd July, 2013.   They’re the fourth and fifth moons of where: Uranus, Neptune or Pluto?

Q3)        2nd July, 1575, saw the birth of Elizabeth Stanley.   She was Countess of Derby, and Lord of where: Mann, Wight or Jersey?

Q4)        2nd July, 1903, saw the birth of Alec Douglas Home (pronounced hume).   He was the last British PM to hold what: hands, a title or a Doctorate?

Q5)        Finally … ?   Brock Peters was born on 2nd July, 1927.   He played Tom Robinson in which 1962 film: Tender is the Night, To Kill a Mockingbird or The Twelve Chairs?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1)        Neuromancer was published on 1st July.   Of which year of the 1980s?
A1)        1984.

Q2)        Who wrote Neuromancer: Isaac Asimov, Bruce Sterling or William Gibson?
A2)        William Gibson.

Q3)        The book is part of the Sprawl Trilogy.   Name one of the other two books in the Sprawl Trilogy.
A3)        Count Zero or Mona Lisa Overdrive.

Q4)        The book is a what novel: steampunk novel, cyberpunk novel or hard sci-fi?
A4)        Cyberpunk.

Q5)        The novel’s main (male) character is a man called Case.   Case is a what: hacker, footballer or plumber?
A5)        Hacker.   You can read more about hackers, here.

Q6)        The book’s main (female) character, Molly, was a bodyguard, and a mercenary.   And what else: cyborg, chef or shepherd?
A6)        Cyborg.   (Gibson has mentioned — several times — that he based Molly’s look on Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders: specifically on this album.)

Q7)        Molly has an old friend called the Finn.   The Finn is a what: a fence, burglar or hacker?
A7)        A fence.   (There’s an old trope that features in many stories: the idea that the heroes need to get a magic item — or Bond style gadget! — from a wizard.   In Neuromancer, the Finn is that wizard.)

Q8)        The Neuromancer of the novel’s title is a what: AI, robot or zombie?
A8)        An AI.

Q9)        Neuromancer has a sibling called what: Wintermute, Summertalk or Cyberdyne?
A9)        Wintermute.

Q10)        Finally … ?   Neuromancer’s climax takes place in a what: an ocean liner, space station or kibbutz?
A10)        A space station.   Called Freeside, it’s an an O’Neil cylinder.

Here’s a thought …

“If every student was like me in college, we’d still be in Vietnam.”

Larry David, born July 2, 1947.

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.

*        Obviously, yesterday was a tougher set than I thought it would be.   At any rate, the next ten question set is on the 5th: Wednesday.   It’s about the National Health Service!

†        Hello, Mum!

‡        Oh, yes: water’s a fair healthier option, Olga¶.   It’s not quite as much fun, though, sometimes!   (I’m way too fond of Diet Coke for my comfort!)

§        You are!?!?!?   Blimey, Debbi¶, that sounds exciting!   Good luck with it!

¶        Just so Debbi and Olga know?   The other two novels were Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive.   He first used the term “cyberspace”, as a description of the ’Net, in “Burning Chrome”.   (That might appeal to Debbi: it’s basically a heist novel.)