Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 9-10-2024 — Starman

9th October, 2024.

Yes: it’s official.

I have COVID!

I mentioned, yesterday, that I was feeling rough: and felt I had a cold.

I had a few COVID tests left: so thought using one to check would a good idea.

I got the dreaded two red lines: that meant a positive result.

Which was awkward: I had an opticians appointment, yesterday, and could have gone to a non-compulsive thing for the job centre.

Those … definitely went out of the window.

And?

Irony of irony?

I’m supposed to be having my COVID shots, next week.

Heigh-ho!

~≈💉≈~

In other news … ?

I was contacted by the Department of Work and Pensions, yesterday.

I’m assuming it’s about my Personal Independence Payment.

They wanted me to re-upload my bank statements, and photo IDs: as they weren’t happy with the originals I sent them, last week.

They’ve now arranged for a phone meeting with me, for this coming Monday.

A meeting with a member of something called the Claim Review Team.

I wish they’d contacted me, sooner, about the uploads.

The delays are frustrating!

~≈🪙≈~

Let’s move on.


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)        9th October, 1604, saw the spotting of the most recent recorded what in the Milky Way: black hole, super nova or pulsar?

Q2)        Who was it named after: Kepler, Copernicus or Herschel?

Q3)        The Milky Way is a what: galaxy, gas cloud or nebula?

Q4)        The object was spotted in the constellation, Ophiuchus.   Ophiuchus is traditionally represented as a man holding a what: snake, sword or badger?

Q5)        Finally … ?   The object is studied by whom: chemists, biologists or astronomers?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1)        The Council of Chalcedon started on 8th October, AD 451.   The city of Chalcedon’s in what’s now where: Syria, Turkey or Egypt?

A1)        Turkey.

Q2)        8th October is the feast day of Saint Reparata.   She’s the patron saint of which French city: Metz, Nice or Lyon.

A2)        Nice.   (According to the list I checked, in writing this question, there’s a French city called Le Tampon.   And a Canadian area called Dildo.   Nothing I can say will keep me out of trouble … !)

Q3)        8th October, 2023, saw Israel declare war on which group: Islamic State, Hamas or Hezbollah?

A3)        In the wake of an attack, the day before?   Hamas.

Q4)        Commercial radio stations started broadcasting in the UK: on 8th October, 1973.   On VHF, and what else: short wave radio, medium wave radio or long wave radio?

A4)        Medium wave radio.

Q5)        Finally … ?   Which American Civil Rights activist was born on 8th October, 1941: Martin Luther King Jr, Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton?

A5)        Jesse Jackson.   (As I know Jesse Jackson’s a Baptist minister, my instinct is to call him Reverend Jesse Jackson: but don’t know if that’s the correct form of address.)

Here’s a thought … 

“Appearing in 1604, it is the most recent [object of its type] in the Milky Way [ … ] to have been unquestionably observed by the naked eye”.

From the Wikipedia entry on the object.

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.

*        Hello, Mum!

†        I always remember the t-shirts my rehab course offered, Olga: complete with the phrase “Denial is not a river in Egypt.”  Ho-hum!   At any rate, Louisiana not mentioning slavery sounds about right: it’s a tourist trap, rather than a live issue.

        I’ve possibly mentioned, already: about a thing I saw on TV, many years ago, that marked Black History Month.   The interviewer was talking to a (black British) Scouse tour guide: who did tours of Liverpool, and it’s black history.   The chap was pointing out the decorated column on the main door of what used to be Barclay’s Liverpool HQ: which included a clearly African baby, at the bottom of the column.   In a nappy … and a baby-sized pari of manacles … and told you exactly how the bank made money back them.

        There are some films I’ve clearly missed!

‡        There’s a lot of films I’m missing out on, Debbi!

        Did I mention I caught another episode of Bodies, last night?   The plot thickens: and definitely reminds me of V for Vendetta: there was a bomb mentioned in the backstory for that, as well.

        Oh, it turns out the actress playing Iris Mapplethorpe is Israeli.   I thought she was Welsh!