22nd June, 2025: Saint Alban.
As I write, American planes have flown over Iran, trying to bomb people.
What do I mean, ‘trying’: they have bombed people.
Several sites that Iran has allegedly used to enrich uranium, for atomic bomb manufacture.
Does the US, or Israel, have proof of that … ?
Proof they’d be willing, if not happy, to share?
I doubt it.
I feel this is the Gulf War, all over again: bombings, death and damage … on spurious grounds.
Let’s move on.
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.
Let’s see how everyone does with today’s saintly question set, shall we?
Q1) 22nd June is the Feast Day of Saint Alban. He was the first recorded Christian martyr, where: Britain, Ireland or France?Q2) He’s said to have been what: hung, beheaded or electrocuted?Q3) He was killed in the Roman town of Verulamium. It’s now part of which Britain town?Q4) Some of the Saint’s relics are supposed to be in Saint Pantaleon’s Church. Saint Pantaleon’s Church is in which German city?Q5) Finally … ? Saint Alban is a patron saint of whom: torture victims, hedgehogs or mad dogs?
Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …
Q1) The LP record was introduced on 21st June. Of which year of the 1940s?A1) 1948.Q2) LP stands for Long … what?A2) Long player/playing/play.Q3) The format was introduced by Columbia …who? (I’m going to be picky on this one.)A3) Columbia Records. (Columbia Records. Columbia Record, or the Columbia Record, was a newspaper in South Carolina.)Q4) The record was usually how many inches across: twelve, fourteen or sixteen?A4) Twelve.Q5) Finally … ? LPs were usually made of PVC. In other words, of polyvinyl what?A5) Polyvinyl chloride.
Here’s a fact …
“Sparse records testify that Alban was a Roman citizen living in Verulamium around 300 CE.”From the Wikipedia on the Saint.
And a potted history …
The next ten question set will be on 26th June: it’s about Harry Potter.
Comments will be published, tomorrow morning.
Today’s questions will be answered in tomorrow’s Teaser.
Decisions about scores are final.
Thank you for coming: have a good day.
* Yeah: I saw that talk of that, too, Olga. From the little I know of this specific bill, though? It’s aimed at patients with terminal illness and a six month life expectancy: would depression count as terminal? There’s other safeguards in the bill: the Wikipedia entry summarises the main points as originally proposed. A patient:
- Must be a resident of England and Wales and registered with a GP for at least a year.
- Have mental capacity to make an informed decision free from coercion.
- Be expected to die within six months.
- Make two independent declarations about their desire to die, which must be witnessed and signed.
- Two doctors must be satisfied the person is eligible; with a gap of a week between their assessments.
- A High Court judge must hear from one of the doctors and may question the dying person or anyone else involved as they see fit. There is another two week gap after the judge has made their ruling.
The involvement of a High Court Judge§ was removed at the committee stage: I believe it’s been replaced by involvement from social workers.
Enjoy Saint John’s Day! (He says with a straight face … !)
† Hello, Mum! (It was poly-vinyl chloride!)
‡ I couldn’t tell you Debbi: but I was getting picky about the question because I knew it would be easy to mix up Columbia Records with the Columbia Record: even though that’s been out of business since the 1980s.
And you’re right about creative technology. Twenty, twenty-five years ago? I’d never imagined sitting in front of a computer, and recording home made videos … in front of a green screen. You need to be a TV company, or a film studio, to shoot green screen footage! There’s probably a version of Moore’s Law that explains that!
§ As I recall, Olga? Sir Terry Pratchett proposed the involvement of a tribunal in his Shaking Hands with Death Dimbleby Lecture, in 2010. So the safeguarding idea’s been around for a while.
3 comments:
Q1) Britain
Q2) beheaded
Q3) St Albans
Q4) Cologne
Q5) torture victims (It’s a shame to think that he has remained so busy after all these years).
I saw a documentary where they followed a person who used the law here, in Spain, and they talked to doctors, to the family, etc... In that case, everybody was in agreement, but it was still a long process, and it seems that many people die while waiting for the thing to go through. It also seems that if the original GP opposes it (not formally, because if a GP says they don't want to take part, the case will go to somebody else, but those who don't say one way or another), or simply doesn't act on the request, it can get blocked and nothing happens. I am pretty sure there is a judge involved in the Spanish case, as well.
I think the issue with depression was that people, when they first get the news of a terminal illness, might get depressed and decide they'd rather die and not explore other options. (And, of course, there are the anecdotal cases when doctors get it wrong, and people who were given a few months to live have survived for many years...)
I think the safest option is to leave a written living will, to make sure your wishes are followed, to have it registered, and to make sure your relatives know about it, although a lot of people don't feel comfortable talking about such topics. It's never bothered me.
1 Britain
2 Beheaded
3 St Albans
4 Cologne
5 Torture victims
The world is going nuts. I wish it were better.
1. Britain
2. beheaded
3. St. Albans
4. Cologne
5. torture victims
Speaking of torture ... um ... this has been one tough time ...
*sigh*
Hedge hogs? :) The Saint of Hedge Hogs! Sounds like a short story.
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