Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 21-12-2021: Ring Out Those Solstice Bell

21st December, 2021.

Right … it’s officially Tuesday: in the quiet week leading up to Christmas.

Yes: I’ve written themed Teasers for those!

At any rate?   

I’ have free time: quite a bit of it, given the circumstances.

So I’ve enough time to catch a film.

We’ll have to see.

~≈fi≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 21-6-2021: The Summer Solstice

21st June, 2021.

Yep: I have a busy morning.

Well, a busy morning … for a single man who’s unemployed.

I’ve got a meeting with my Work and Health coach, this morning.

Hopefully?

That won’t go on for too long.

As I’ve got a Zoom meeting for the course the Job Centre’s signed me up to.

At eleven … 

I’d better switch on the laptop the Job Centre got me: just to get the thing updated, before I start …

~≈¶≈~

All that … ?   And today is the last day I’m going to be eating for a while.

I’ve a colonoscopy on Wednesday.

Which means I’m going to be fasting, from 8am, tomorrow.

That, and the laxative?

Means I’ll be having fun … !

~≈¶≈~

The Daily Teaser — 21-12-2013: The Solstice

Good lord, they’re going where … ?

I have to admit, I’ve had last night’s episode of QI on,. as I’ve been prepping up this post.

At The end of the episode, aunty Beeb showed a trailer for a travel documentary: one I wished I’d caught the name of.

And time, now I come to think of it.

At any rate, the two presenters had filmed their travels across the Rub al-Khali or Empty Quarter: arguably, the most barren part of the Sahara Desert, and the bit we usually think of when we say ‘Sahara Desert’.

I think I’ll have to see if I can’t find out when that show’s on.   Having read about the Rub al-Khali in Clive Barker’s Weaveworld, and often felt it’s part of the inspiration behind Dune, it’s sort of fascinated me for years.

We’ll have to see what happens, there, shan’t we … ?

~≈$≈~

Moving on, Yesterday’s teaser saw Debbi* putting in her answers: along with letting us know she fancied staying in bed, yesterday, she also scored seven out of seven.

Let’s see how she — and you — do with today’s Solstice themed questions, shall we?   Here they are, along with the ‘How To,’ License and video … 

Q1) 21st December, 2013, sees the shortest day of the year: in the Northern Hemisphere.   Is it the Winter or Summer Solstice … ?

Q2) Again: in the Northern hemisphere, 21st December will see the longest what of 2013 … ?

Q3) 21st December will — on Earth’s Southern hemisphere — be what … ?

Q4) In Britain, many celebrate the Winter Solstice at Stonehenge, in Wiltshire.   On the Winter solstice, the Sun rises over which of the stones … ?

Q5) Finally … the old Latin term for the Northern solstice at this time of year is what: estival solstice or hibernal solstice … ?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 20th December, 1917, saw the founding of the first Soviet secret police force.   What was it called … ?

A1) The Cheka.

Q2) Its first director was Felix … who … ?

A2) Felix Dzerzhinsky.

Q3) Which Russian leader issued the decree that founded the force … ?

A3) Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.

Q4) The group was eventually replaced by the NKVD: short for its Russian name, Narodnyy Komissariat Vnutrennikh Del.   This translates as People's Commissariat for Internal … what … ?

A4) Affairs.

Q5) The last Soviet Russian secret police force was the Committee for State Security.   Better — or infamously — known by which initials … ?

A5) The KGB.

Q6) Russia’s current President is a former member of that latter agency: who is he … ?

A6) Vladimir Putin.

Q7) Finally … the Russian Federation’s current security body is — in English — usually known by what initials … ?

A7) The FSB.   (The full name, in the Latin alphabet, is Federal'naya sluzhba bezopasnosti Rossiyskoy Federatsii.)

I’ll leave you with this thought from e. e. cummings …

“i who have died am alive again today, and this is the sun's birthday... ”

e. e. cummings.

And this song … 

Have a good day … !

*        Yeah, I know how you felt, Debbi: I get the occasional day like that, myself … !

The Daily Teaser — 23-09-2012

Now this’ll sound weird … 

But does anyone have a spare monitor, keyboard, mouse, kettle lead and a copy of Mac OS X 10•4•x … ?

Anyone … ?

I’ll admit, I’m cadging: and for a reason.   One of my neighbours has given me an old G4 PowerMac tower: unfortunately, without the relevant bits and bobs.

Hmmm … 

OK … 

Look’s I’m going to have go on the serious scrounge.

Let’s get moving on, shall we?

~~~~~

Yes, let’s … !

Yesterday’s Teaser saw both Debbi and Grub putting their answers in.   With Debbi gently reminding me to save a few pirate tunes for my nephew, Jude*, it saw both bagging 8 out of 8.

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

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

Q1) 23rd September, 2012 is this years’s Autumnal Equinox: in which hemisphere?

Q2) More to the point, which equinox is it, in the other hemisphere … ?

Q3) Even MORE to the point, the equinox marks the time of year when what are of equal length … ?

Q4) As a final equinoctial question … In which year did Jean Michel Jarré release his Equinoxe album … ?

Q5) 23rd September, 1845, saw the founding of the Knickerbockers Baseball Club: in which US city … ?

Q6) 23rd September, 1980, saw Bob Marley perform the last concert of his life: what was the name of his last UK Top Forty hit, during his lifetime … ?

Q7) And finally … 23rd September, 2000, saw which British sportsman win their fifth Olympic gold … ?

And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 22nd September saw the birth of two of the characters of the Lord of the Rings novels: name either of them …    A1) Bilbo and Frodo Baggins.

Q2) More to the point, those two characters belonged to which family … ?   A2) The Baggins family.

Q3) Even MORE to the point … both those characters famously carried … what … ?   A3) The One Ring.

Q4) Moving on … 22nd September, 1957, saw François Duvalier elected as President of where … ?   A4) Haiti.

Q5) More to the point, what was his nickname … ?   A5) Papa Doc.

Q6) 22nd September, 1914, saw three Royal Navy ships sunk: by a German what … ?   A6) Submarine.

Q7) 22nd September, 1955, saw ITV — Britain’s first commercial TV station — go on air: what does ITV stand for … ?   A7) Independent Television.

Q8) And finally … 22nd September, 1991, saw the Huntington Library — near Pasadena, in California — make which scrolls available to the public … ?   A8) The Dead Sea Scrolls.

Enjoy those, everyone.

I’ll leave you with this quote from Mickey Rooney …

“When I say I do, the justice of the peace replies, ‘I know, I know…’”Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jnr, September 23, 1920)

And considering to is the 103rd anniversary of the first publication of The Phantom Of the Opera in Le Gaulois magazine, I’ll leave you with Sarah Brightman and Steve Harley, doing their thing … 

*        Actually, Debbi, did I tell you … ?   He’s walking … !   Bless her, Anna, my other sister, sent me the video, last night … !

º        Yes, I know, I know … I got my dates mixed upª.   Play fair, though, it’s not THAT often it happens.

ª        Frankly … ?   I’m blaming Jimmy Wales … 

The Solstice Teaser 21-6-11

You know, much as I’d love to get arrested — NOT! — at Stonehenge, I’ll make a confession.

I’d rather not.

Well …

I’d rather not get arrested, straight out: at Stonehenge, or otherwise.

But that’s sort of beside the point.

Mine … ?

Is simply that today is the Summer Solstice, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere.

Which, of course, means the tradition sunrise celebration at the monument.

And … ?

OK, granted, I’ve seen Stonehenge: mostly as a child, during family holidays to Devon and Cornwall. Stonehenge is on most routes you care to choose heading from Essex, to the southwest of England.

But never actually been, as an adult, to Stonehenge, on either the Summer or Winter solstices.

One of these days … ?

Well …

ONE of these days, I’ll have the finances to do something about that …

’Til then … ?

Well, ’til then, there’s always a Teaser …

Lets get moving on, shall we … ?

»»·««

Yesterday’s Teaser was a quiet one: so lets dive — without much further ado — into today’s questions, shall we? Here they are, along with the ‘How To’, License and video …

Q1) In which constellation does the sun appear — in the northern hemisphere — at the Summer Solstice … ?

Q2) More to the point, which of the Tropics is it over … ?

Q3) Which of the tropics is at the other extreme … ?

Q4) Moving on … 21st June, 2001, saw the death of bluesman, John Lee Hooker: in which film did he appear — as himself — playing Boom, Boom, in Chicago’s Maxwell Street Market … ?

Q5) 21st June, 173, saw the US Supreme Court establish the Miller Test: the test determines whether something is, or isn’t, what, under US law … ?

Q6) 21st June, 2006, saw the official naming of which planet’s two moons … ?

Q7) Give us EITHER of those two names …

Q8) And finally … 21st June, 1854, saw the first awarding of which British military decoration … ?

And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 20th June, 1975, saw the original US release of which Steven Spielberg film … ?

A1) Jaws.

Q2) 20th June, 1837, saw Queen Victoria ascend to the throne of the UK: how old was she, when this happened … ?

Q2) 18.

Q3) 20th June, 1963, saw the famed Hotline established between the White House and the Kremlin: in which year was its first use … ?

A3) 1967: during the 6-Day War.

Q4) 20th June, 1984, saw Education Secretary Keith Joseph announce that O-Levels were to be replaced by what … ?

A4) GCSEs.

Q5) And finally … 20th June, 1928, saw the birth of actor, Martin Landau: in which Gerry and Sylvia Anderson series did he play Commander John Koenig … ?

A5) Space:1999.

Enjoy those, everyone: and, as it’s the tenth anniversary of the death of John Lee Hooker … ?

I’ll let you boogie …