Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 23-6-2016

Today … 

It’s raining.

It’s raining, on the morning after some of rather BIG thunderstorms.

It’s also raining — here in the south-east of the UK — on the morning of the vote.

The vote.

The vote on whether Britain’s should remain a member of the European Union.

Quite frankly?

I’m still fairly undecided.

On the one hand?   I know voting Leave will annoy the hell out of Brentwood’s local MP, Eric Pickles.

Annoying a Tory?   The mildly rebellious teenager in me would be happily pleased to do so.

On the other hand … ?

On the other hand, I’m tempted to vote remain: after the death of MP, Jo Cox,

I know the case is still sub-judice. 

But I get the impression — from the media coverage of her death, at the time of her death — that her killer murdered her, in part, because she’d help many refugees.

And partly because she’d been a member of the Remain campaign,

Personally?   My emotional instinct is to vote leave: not because the Leave campaign is making an issue of controlling migration, but because Britain gains more sovereignty as a result.

But I’m ALSO sympathetic to the family of Jo Cox.

And think if her murderer killed, in part, in support of Leave?

I think voting Remain is a good way of showing my sympathies.

~≈É≈~

A European Referendum: Some Thoughts

Can I make a confession, please?

If that's OK with you?

I believe I'm not racist.

No, stop laughing!

I honestly feel I have no issues with those of us who are of a different ethnic group to myself.

Whether my Afro-Caribbean or Asian neighbours would agree with me, there, is another matter: but I don't think they've any complaint on that front.

There's a reason I say this.

It's because I'm about to get very contentious, during this post: and tell you about something I'm thinking of doing, come next year's election. 

I'm also going to to tell you I have no problem with immigration to the UK.

I welcome it, believing it to have made the people of the UK stronger, as a whole.

I say this, because I'm VERY aware that my next statement will get many of my readers assuming - wrongly - that I have an issue with race or ethnicity, that I believe myself not to have.

I'm thinking of voting for UKIP, at the next General election.

~≈∏≈~

The Daily Teaser — 13-12-13: Europe Endless

Ye … GODS, but I’m tired … !

Lord knows why: it’s not like a I didn’t get an early night.

Yet, this morning … ?

I’m happily — ok, happilyish — yawning my head off.

Which possibly isn’t good: especially as I have to go into Basildon, for this week’s Work Programme course, on Self-employment.   Something I’d rather be awake for!

Hmmm … 

I’d better get a move on, hadn’t I … ?

~≈Â≈~

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi* putting in her answers: along with letting me about cult TV, also bagged nine out of ten.

Let’s see how she — and you — do with today’s questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the ‘How To,’ license and video … 

Q1) 13th December, 2002, saw the EU announce it would be joined by ten new members: in May of which year … ?

Q2) More to the point, name any of the ten nations.

Q3) One of those ten nations became a republic on 13th December, 1972.   Which nation … ?

Q4) Another elected Archbishop Makarios 3rd as its first President, on 13th December, 1959: WHICH of them … ?

Q5) Which of those ten nations was placed under martial law, on 13th December, 1981 … ?

Q6) Finally … One of those ten nations declared war on the USA, on 13th December, 1941.   Which of them … ?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 12th December, 1911, saw George 5th proclaimed as Emperor of India: who was his Empress … ?

A1) His wife, Mary of Teck.

Q2) More to the point, what name to given to the ceremony: Durbar, Durban or turban?

A2) The Delhi Durbar.   (The word means ‘court’.)

Q3) Even MORE to the point, in which Indian city was it held … ?

A3) Delhi.

Q4) What R was the name given to British rule of India … ?

A4) The Raj.

Q5) Who was the first British monarch of India … ?

A5) Queen Victoria.

Q6) Who was the last Mughal Emperor … ?

A6) Bahadur Shah 2nd.

Q7) Who was the last British Emperor of India … ?

A7) George 6th.

Q8) The last British viceroy of India was Viscount Mountbatten of where … ?

A8) Burma.

Q9) 12th December, 1911, also saw the capital of India moved to Delhi: from where … ?

A9) Calcutta: also spelt ‘Kolkata’. 

Q10) Finally … Name any of the modern countries that occupy territory that had been part of British India …

A10) Bangladesh, Burma, India, Pakistan and, believe it or not, Yemen.

Enjoy those.

I’ll leave you with this thought from Jose Manuel Barroso …

“What we have is the first non-imperial empire .. We have 27 countries that fully decided to work together and to pool their sovereignty. I believe it is a great construction and we should be proud of it.”

Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the EU Commission.

And with some Kraftwerk … 

Have a good day.

*        You realise, Debbi, that both Britain and the US have at least one cult hit like that, ones that, a given number of years ago, weren’t thought well of: and are now HUGE money spinners?   As an incidental thought … ?   I loved the new look Klingons in Star Trek: Into Darkness.   I mean,  Space Marines and cranial ridge piercings?   Where can you go wrong … !

Referenda … And Why I think we Should have them Frequently …

Hmmm …

Well, there’s a how-de-do …

»»•««

Can I make a confession, here … ?

I hate sounding like a right-wing tory, I really do …

But I’m also going to make a confession, here.

Unlike the majority of Liberal-Democrat MPs — including party leader, Nick Clegg — i really don’t fancy the idea of increasing — if that’s the term? — ties with Europe.

Oh, granted, it’s handy to be a member of the EU.

I realise the impact of being a part of our neighbouring Big Trading Partner’s Organisation.

If, for no other reason than the fact that it meant we had to put the European Human Rights Convention onto the UK’s Statute books: as far as I understand it, having these rights in UK law had never been done before*.

But I’ll be frank and tell you to have a look at this article.

Seemingly, 60 Conservative MPs have signed a parliamentary motion, calling for a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union.

Like I say, I don’t like agreeing with a bunch of right-wing tories.

But I’d like to formally express my opinion on the matter.

Now, granted, nation-wide UK referendum has only ever been twice in my lifetime.

The last was the one on the Alternative Vote: something that, at the time we were all told was An Important Thing In The History Of The UKªº.

Which I think is my entire point, here.

The Alternative Vote referendum was bloody important.

SERIOUSLY important to the nation as a whole.

SO seriously important, that we, the people of the UK, were asked to decide about it.

My personal believe … ?

Is that membership of the EU is as important as the Alternative Vote.

If not more so.

And given the importance of this … ?

We, the people, should also have a vote on the matter.

Despite Nick Clegg, Ed Milliband and David Cameron believing otherwise.

* Before 1998, I should add. 1998! Apparently, we’ve got a constitution, somewhere … (I’m no legal expert, Debbi, before you ask: but the UK famously has an ‘unwritten constitution’. I’m positive that — to a US legal practitioner — that’s going to look good, if not impressive. Or, if not good, then certainly billable by the hour … … … … )

ª Feel free to do a silly voice when you read that bit out.

º The last time a referendum was held on the EU — or EEC, as it was then^ — was in 1975. Just to give you an idea, I was 7. Nick Clegg would have been 8. Ed Milliband, 6 and David Cameron, 9. The only reason they get a say is that they’re in Parliament.

^ I think!