Saturday 30 April 2011

Why I've NOT blogged About the show, tonight ...

You know, I've got to admit, actual live blogging's rather fun, isn't it ... ?

Now, I know normally I'd be writing about Dr Who.

And fully intend to ...

Tomorrow ...

Definitely, tomorrow.

But I've got to admit, right at the moment ... ?

I'm in Strood, in Kent, with old Movie Night Gang regulars, Gwen and Stef, along with their friends, Aharon and Peppa, to catch a movie.

Which is probably why the typeface looks a touch odd, in case your wondering: I'm using Archie, over at Gwen and Stef's.

I'll let you know more in the morning ... !

The Daily Teaser …

You know, that’s a thing I’m thinking I liked about yesterday’s Royal Wedding …

The fly-past!

Quite amazing to catch … !

So were the kisses … !

… … … …

You know, I’m starting to worry.

I’ve a very old gay friend who doesn’t get this drama queen …

At any rate, one thing I know I am a touch boggled about, is some of the Royal Wedding commemorative widgets.

I mean …

Kate And William condoms … ?

Dear Lord …

About the only thing that does spoil it all, slightly, apart from the condoms … ?

Is that I missed the snooker semi-finals, yesterday.

The Mark Williams - John Higgins match is still finely balanced. But Ding Junhui - Judd Trump … ? Is currently at 13 frames, all.

THAT’S going to be one to watch …

Lets get moving on, shall we … ?

Yes, lets …

»»•««

Yesterday’s Teaser was quite quiet: I’m not surprised, as I know that Debbi, bless her, is at the Domestic Malice convention: good luck to her … !

So lets how you can cope with today’s questions, shall we … ? Here they are, along with the ‘How To’, License and video

Q1) 30th April is, of course, Walpurgis Night: which British city has a Beltane Fire Festival on Walpurgis Night … ?

Q2) The events of which Dennis Wheatley novel start on Walpurgis Night … ?

Q3) Which Disney closes with events on Walpurgis Night rather than Halloween, as is usually claimed … ?

Q4) Moving on … 30th April, 1812, saw Louisiana become the 18th State of the USA: how had it been known, until then … ?

Q5) 30th April, 1995, saw who become the first US president to visit Northern Ireland … ?

Q6) And finally … 30th April, 1900, saw the death of which railway engineer … ?
And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …
Q1) 29th April, 2011, sees the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton: which royal guest has announced he isn’t coming … ?
A1) Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, the Crown Prince of Bahrain. (And blamed the crisis in his homeland, at the moment … )

Q2) More to the point, in which church are they getting married … ?
Q2) Westminster Abby.

Q3) Name either of the three colours on the Middleton Coat of Arms.
A3) Red, blue or white. The chevron in the middle is Gold: as such, and heraldically speaking, it’s a metal, rather than a colour.

Q4) Who’s the only comedian listed as going to the wedding … ?
A4) Rowan Atkinson.

Q5) Moving on … 29th April, 2004, — the same day Oldsmobile built their last car — saw George W. Bush testify before what … ?
A5) National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States: also known as the 9/11 Commission.

Q6) 29th April is International Dance Day: in which year did UNESCO’s International Theatre Institute introduce it?
A6) 1982.

Q7) 29th April, 2010, saw the death of A. S. Douglas, the man credited with inventing the first graphical computer game: the game in question was a version of what … ?
A7) Noughts and Crosses: or tic-tac-toe, if your feeling transatlantic.

Q8) And finally … 29th April, 1958, saw which Broadway musical debut in London … ?
A8) My Fair Lady.
Enjoy those, everyone: I’ll catch you later … !

Friday 29 April 2011

The Royal Wedding

Oh, bless … !

William and Catherine are now, officially, Husband and Wife … !

OK, granted, I’m single, and feeling rather cynical about the whole thing.

But … … ?

Well …

Granted, one be be extremely arch about the cost of a Royal wedding.

Especially about the cost — whatever it may be — to the public purse.

But …

Well …

I’m enough of an ageing romantic to know that this is a lift to the country’s morale, and to the public spirit.

Good luck to the pair of them, though, in their future married life …

»»•««


The Wedding Day Teaser and the Friday Question Set.

Well …

Finally, the big day has arrived.

And I’ve got to admit, I’ve got the coverage of the Royal Wedding on, at the moment.

And you can tell Stephen Moffat’s a Scotsman: he’s just retweeted a rather cynical remark … !

BLESS … !

But, at any rate, today is the big day for William and Catherine.

Good luck to the pair of them.

Hopefully … ?

Hopefully, it won’t be as much of a disaster as his parents marriage …

»»•««

At any rate, something I’m thinking I should mention, before I move on … ?

Remember me mentioning Maggie’s suspicions about a scam, yesterday … ? Well, I had Councillor Chilvers get in touch, to let me know about this site: one dedicated to alerting people about scams.

Let’s get moving on, shall we … ?

Yes, lets …

»»•««

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi putting in her answers: and, along with bagging 5 out of 5, she also managed to offer us a few facts about President Nixon’s time in office, dealing with the Vietnam War.

Lets see how she — and you — do with today’s questions: here they are, along with the ‘How To’, License and video

Q1) 29th April, 2011, sees the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton: which royal guest has announced he isn’t coming … ?

Q2) More to the point, in which church are they getting married … ?

Q3) Name either of the three colours on the Middleton Coat of Arms.

Q4) Who’s the only comedian listed as going to the wedding … ?

Q5) Moving on … 29th April, 2004, — the same day Oldsmobile built their last car — saw George W. Bush testify before what … ?

Q6) 29th April is International Dance Day: in which year did UNESCO’s International Theatre Institute introduce it?

Q7) 29th April, 2010, saw the death of A. S. Douglas, the man credited with inventing the first graphical computer game: the game in question was a version of what … ?

Q8) And finally … 29th April, 1958, saw which Broadway musical debut in London … ?
And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …
Q1) 28th April, 2001, saw millionaire, Dennis Tito become the world’s first space tourist: what was the name of the investment company he founded, back in 1971 … ?
A1) Wilshire Associates.

Q2) 28th April, 1932, saw the announcement of a vaccine for Yellow Fever in humans, announced: is Yellow Fever spread by male or female mosquitoes … ?
Q2) Female ones.

Q3) 28th April, 1970, saw President Nixon authorize US troops to fight communists where … ?
A3) Cambodia.

Q4) 28th April, 1869, saw workers on the Central Pacific Railroad — in a never equalled record — lay how many miles of track, in one day … ?
A4) 10 miles.

Q5) And finally … 28th April, 1920, saw which small nation added to the Soviet Union … ?
A5) Azerbaijan.
And here’s the Friday question-set for struggling pub quiz-masters: covered, as ever, by the same Creative Commons License, as ever …
Online 101.

ROUND ONE. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.

Q1) PC World announced, in 2006, they were to stop selling what?
A1) Floppy disc.

Q2) According to a survey in February, in 2006, what North-eastern town was declared England’s noisiest?
Q2) Newcastle.

Q3) And what was England’s quietist?
A3) Torquay, in Devon

Q4) Who was the first guest star on the first episode of Swop Swap?
A4) Tom Baker, then playing Doctor Who.

Q5) What was the only Prince song to have won an Oscar?
A5) Purple Rain.

Q6) Dipsophobia is an unreasoning fear of what?
A6) Drinking.

Q7) What is the sum of a century, plus a gross?
A7) 244.

Q8) What word can go after ‘soap’, and before ‘office’?
A8) Box.

Q9) What is 60% of 3000?
A9) 1800

Q10) How many yards in a furlong?
A10) 220.



ROUND TWO. FOOD AND DRINK.

Q11) Ciabatta, and pitta, are types of what?
A11) Bread.

Q12) What’s the dominant flavour of fennel?
A12) Aniseed

Q13) What type of pea is used in hummus?
A13) The chick pea.

Q14) What flavour is the liqueur, Kahlua?
A14) Coffee flavoured.

Q15) In the kitchen, what is a mandolin used for?
A15) Slicing things. (Eggs, tomatoes, stuff like that.)

Q16) What colour is the sauce on a prawn cocktail?
A16) Pink.

Q17) What type of meat is brisket?
A17) Beef.

Q18) What name is given to a small segment of garlic?
A18) A clove.

Q19) True or false; - Rosé is made from red grapes that have had their skins removed.
A19) True.

Q20) What shellfish are used in Moules Mariniére?
A20) Mussels.



ROUND THREE. FASHION AND MODELS.

Q21) Edina is a well known designer; - which famed food critic is her father?
A21) Egon Ronay.

Q22) Which 60s model is married to actor, Leigh Lawson?
A22) Twiggy.

Q23) Which American singer collaborated with Tommy Hilfiger, on the True Star series of perfumes?
A23) Beyoncé Knowles

Q24) Which supermodel became linked with Babbyshambles frontman, Pete Doherty, in 2005?
A24) Kate Moss.

Q25) Who released a perfume called Stella, in 2005?
A25) Stella McCartney.

Q26) Which cosmetic house did Liz Hurley become the face of, in 1995?
A26) Estée Lauder.

Q27) Which famous English photographer is Hawaiin model Marie Helvin married to?
A27) David Bailey.

Q28) Which star of The Hours advertised Channel Number 5?
A28) Nicole Kidman.

Q29) Which British designer is well known for having pink hair?
A29) Zandra Rhodes.

Q30) Which 2004 Oscar winner was the 2005 face of L’Oreal?
A30) Charlize Theron.



ROUND FOUR. AT THE 90s MOVIES.

Q31) Which English star shot to fame, in the Brit-flick, Four Wedding & A Funeral?
A31) Hugh Grant.

Q32) Name the film shot in Ireland, in which Australian, Mel Gibson, played a Scotsman.
A32) Braveheart.

Q33) What was the name of the most recent Carry On film?
A33) Carry On Columbus

Q34) In which film did Robin Williams dress up as a Scottish nanny?
A34) Mrs Doubtfire.

Q35) What was the name of the Dustin Hoffman film about Peter Pan?
A35) Hook.

Q36) Who co-starred with Walter Matthau in the film, in the film, Grumpy Old Men?
A36) Jack Lemmon.

Q37) What did Sdhindler draw up, in the Steven Spielberg movie?
A37) Schindler’s List.

Q38) In which film did Whoopi Goldberg first get in the habit?
A38) Sister Act.

Q39) In the 1992 film of the same name, who or what is Beethoven?
A39) A Saint Bernard Dog. (Accept just either Saint Bernard, or dog.)

Q40) Who, or what, was Caspar?
A40) The friendly ghost.



ROUND FIVE. BOOKS AND NOVELS.

Q41) Josh Kirby, & Paul Kidby have provided cover art for which writer?
A41) Terry Pratchett.

Q42) Which detective novelist has the initials PD?
A42) PD James.

Q43) When writing science fiction, rather than mainstream novels, Iain Banks writes under which name?
A43) Iain M. Banks. (The M stands for Menzies. (Pronounced Mingies.))

Q44) Which little girl had Adventures in Wonderland?
A44) Alice.

Q45) In the title of the book by Alexander Dumas, how many Musketeers were there?
A45) Three.

Q46) Which Robinson was stranded on a desert island?
A46) Robinson Crusoe.

Q47) Toad of Toad Hall features in which children’s classic?
A47) Wind in the Willows.

Q48) Which artist’s name features in Dan Brown’s best known novel?
A48) Leonardo Da Vinci.

Q49) William Wordsworth wrote about which flower?
A49) The daffodil

Q50) What’s the religious occupation of medieval detective, Cadfæl?
A50) Monk.



ROUND SIX. GENERAL IGNORANCE.

Q51) Which car maker produced the Prefect?
A51) Ford. (Possibly the only car to have a science fiction character named after it.)

Q52) Agar-agar is a type of gelatine made from what?
A52) Seaweed.

Q53) Which former Big Brother contestant opened a beauty saloon, in Hertford, called Ugly’s?
A53) Jade Goody.

Q54) On a standard computer keyboard, what function key is in the top left corner?
A54) The Escape key

Q55) Who wrote the novel A Clockwork Orange?
A55) Anthony Burgess.

Q56) What word can go before ‘all’‚ ‘cast’ and ‘take’ … ?
A56) ‘Over’.

Q57) In ancient China, a vase made of what precious green stone, was buried with the dead?
A57) Jade.

Q58) In a non leap year, if February the 1st is a Thursday, what day day is March 1st?
A58) Thursday.

Q59) What’s the nearest river to Balmoral Castle?
A59) The river Dee.

Q60) If you were riding along Rotten Row, in which London park would you be?
A60) Hyde Park.
Enjoy those, everyone: I’ll catch you, later, once I’ve finished watching the going’s-on …

Thursday 28 April 2011

Look Out … Fraudster’s About

You know, I’ve got to admit, I’ve known some bright women, in my time, I really have …

And bright women, I’ve noticed, tend to be able to smell rats, from a mile off …

Remember Kelly? And the Comantra scam she managed to avoid, a while back … ?

Well, I’ve had another old friend — Maggie — who’s also a former boss get in touch about a chap she’s been introduced to on Facebook, called James Paul.

By another person called Carol Iannella.

From what Maggie told me, the Chief’s* always on the lookout for good causes to promote, as she’s always keen to be helpful: and, seemingly, Carol had been helped out by Mr Paul to the tune of some $30, 000 worth of wedge.

James Paul managed to befriend Maggie, and get chatting her about the work he does.

And asked for her email address …

Maggie was … cautious.

Ex-pub-landlady that she is, part of her automatically does ‘DING’ whenever large sums of cash get a mention.

And goes into overdrive when someone does something like what James Paul does next.

Asked for her email address …

And the associated password …

She immediately did two things.

Messaged me for a second opinion.

And confessed she was smelling a three-week-old, extremely dead rat.

As, while James Paul was pestering her for her login details, she’d down a search on FB for Carol Iannella …

And found Ms Iannella has at least three accounts with differing details, but exactly the same profile picture.

Old campaigner that I am … ?

And never being able to resist the Chief, when she needed a hand … ?

IMMEDIATELY started writing this post, with one aim in mind.

To suggest that, if you’re contacted by either of these two … ?

You block them.

AND report them to Facebook.

I’m thinking that James Paul and Carol Iannella are up to no good.






* Chief is the nickname Maggie ended up with, when she was in charge of the White Horse, back in the day, before it got turned into The Sugar Hut.

The Daily Teaser …

You know, I’ve GOT to admit, I’m in two minds about the upcoming Royal Wedding, I really am.

On the one hand … ?

I’m single …

And recently found out someone I’d been getting close to has started dating someone I’d felt was a friend.

So a wedding’s at the moment, is a bit ambiguous, and something I can’t help but be cynical about.

On the other hand … ?

The more upbeat side of me is also wishing Kate and William well.

After all, most people manage to get through both a wedding — and subsequent married life — with ups and downs, but intact and lovingly as a couple, ’til the finish*.

So …

Ambiguous.

But good luck to ’em both.

I think the one thing that does sort of make me twitch about it … ?

Is the non-stop news coverage.

I think there’s only so much I can take, of reporters telling me about how many other reporters have turned up for the gig!

Oh, and poking their noses into tents

Lets move on, shall we … ?

Before I get a chance to be really cynical … !

»»•««

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi putting in her answers, and managing to bag 5 out of 5. AND getting me double checking my answers for the exact number of buttons on the Xerox PARC mouse.

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

Q1) 28th April, 2001, saw millionaire, Dennis Tito become the world’s first space tourist: what was the name of the investment company he founded, back in 1971 … ?

Q2) 28th April, 1932, saw the announcement of a vaccine for Yellow Fever in humans, announced: is Yellow Fever spread by male or female mosquitoes … ?

Q3) 28th April, 1970, saw President Nixon authorize US troops to fight communists where … ?

Q4) 28th April, 1869, saw workers on the Central Pacific Railroad — in a never equalled record — lay how many miles of track, in one day … ?

Q5) And finally … 28th April, 1920, saw which small nation added to the Soviet Union … ?
And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …
Q1) 27th April, 1992, saw Betty Boothroyd elected as the first woman Speaker of the House of Commons: which political party was she a member of … ?
A1) The Labour Party.

Q2) 27th April, 1981, saw Xerox PARC introduce the computer mouse: how many buttons did that original design have … ?
Q2) Two, plus a scroll wheel.

Q3) 27th April, 1124, saw who named as King of the Scots: David 1st, Malcolm 3rd, or Alexander 2nd … ?
A3) David 1st.

Q4) 27th April, 1984, saw the end of a siege of which country’s London embassy … ?
A4) Libya’s.

Q5) And finally … 27th April, 1969, saw the birth of ballerina, Darcey Bussell: with which Ballet company was she Principle Dancer, for many years … ?
A5) The Royal Ballet.
Enjoy those, everyone: I’ll catch you later …











* From what she’s chosen to post, I know Debbi and her husband have: as have Kevin and Sarah, bless ’em