Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 30-6-2020: Asteroid Day.

30th June, 2020.

Did I mention I have a mobile phone … ?

I’ve got a mobile phone: on O2, so you know.

The week before last?

A local mast went down: meaning I couldn’t make, or accept, calls when at home.

If you’re jobhunting, that can be … 

Can be unhelpful: if the mast’s down, there’s a very good chance you can’t receive incoming calls about interviews, or appointments.

Annoying?   Yes!

There was little I could do about it, except wait.

Until, in theory, yesterday.

As that, according to the O2 website, was when we’d hear whether the mast was back in action.

I went back to the site, yesterday.

To find that date had been revised.

We’s now going to find out that will be happening … next Monday.

I’m not happy.

And thinking I should emend some form of compensation.

Especially as O2 have this habit of handing out refunds.

~≈†≈~

Did you follow my digital poverty pieces?

This, this, this and this?

Broadly, I’m trying to find out how various people are helping those of us who can’t get online: especially with Lockdown in place.

The first piece I did was all about schools.

And I’ve managed to follow that up … by sending an email to the Department for Education.

Last night.

From what I can see, it’ll take three working weeks to hear back from them: at least.

We’ll have to see what happens.

~≈†≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 29-6-2020: Docking Stations

29th June, 2020.

Yes: it’s Monday.

And yes, I am knackered … !

Frankly?

I’m blaming late night episode of Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.

Saying that … ?   And I’ve only been saying this for the past ten weeks?

One?   The show’s fantastic.

Two … ?   Natalie Dormer’s worked her rear off.

Three …  … ?   Nathan Lane’s the star of the show.

Whether there’s a second series, I don’t know.

But the producers will have to work, to match this … 

~≈¥≈~

Penny Dreadful: City of Angels — Series 1 Episode 10 — Day of The Dead — A Review

28th June, 2020.

Not that I’m feeling rushed or anything … but I’m not feeling rushed.

Which is possibly contradictory, I think.

I’m not feeling rushed … but am feeling tired … !

Cie la vie … !

At any rate … ?

I’ve not felt tired enough to not to watch TV.

Frankly?

The last episode of Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, Series 1, was calling.

And, my lord, that’s one hell of a finale.

~≈Ö≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 28-6-2020: Harlan Ellison.

28th June, 2020.

Hmmm … 

I have to say, the puzzle I got sent, the other day — the one I got sent, instead of the one I wanted — does have a mild up-side.

If nothing else, I can twiddle it around and make some entertaining arrow type shapes.

Which is lovely … 

If you’re bored, first thing on a Sunday morning … and an ex-smoker who still needs something to fiddle with … 

~≈∑≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 27th June, 2020

27th June, 2020.

Right … I ordered a thingie on Amazon, a while back.

This thing, to be precise.

I actually ended up … 

With this … 

When I asked how to return it, the people that sold it to me, told me to keep it.

Quite what I’m supposed to do with a puzzle that looks that fiddly, I don’t know!

~≈Ω≈~

As a quick thought … ?

You’ve possibly followed my digital poverty pieces: at least, I hope you have!

Here they are: parts one, two, three and four.

Just to keep you informed?   Phoenix FM, the local radio station, have been in touch about it.

Hopefully?

I’ll be able to do something with them.

We’ll see.

~≈Ω≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 26th June, 2020.

26th June, 2020.

It’s got to be said, when I woke up, this morning … ?

It was raining.

Nice, cool, chilled, rain: that made the air a lot more bearable than it’s been for the past couple of days.

Guess what … ?

As I write … it’s stopped … !

That’s a mixed set of blessings.

It’ll be dry when I go out … 

But, lord, we need that rain … !

~≈Ç≈~

Oh, just as a quick thought … ?

I thoroughly enjoyed the recent. movie version of Wonder Woman, a couple of years ago.

The sequel, Wonder Woman 1984, has been held up by Lockdown … but certainly looks equally watchable.

I do know more publicity shots have been released.

It has to be said: Gal Gadot’s going to get some odd fan-mail!

~≈Ç≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 25-6-2020: Gaudí

25th June, 2020

Yep: it looks like there’s lots of stuff going on, on the 4th of July.

Here in the UK, anyway.

There’s possibly a lot that’s going to be opening: including the library, I hope!

I’m looking forward to that!

At any rate … ?

The other thing we’re told will be opening?

Will be hairdressers and barbers.

I don’t know about you, but I need a hair cut!

~≈†≈~

Just as a thought … ?

I don’t know if you’ve been following my digital poverty articles: but I published the last in the current series, last night.

Part four, in other words.

If you’d like to read it, comment, feel free.

More importantly?   If you know anyone that can help, flag them up for me.

~≈†≈~

Digital Poverty — What One Man’s found. (Pt 4: Devices: and conclusions.)

24th June, 2020.

Foreword.


This is part four of a series of articles on digital poverty.

You can find the first three parts here, here and here.

Feel free to comment and share.

Introduction.

Just to let me, in case this piece is new to you?

My name’s Paul: I worked in hospitality for years, and as a retail worker, and call centre agent.

Currently, I’m unemployed: very aware I struggle to pay my bills, and lucky to own the computer kit I have.

And am a lot luckier than at least one of my neighbours: who doesn’t.

This last piece of my current digital poverty pieces?

Tries to explain how I’ve coped, getting hold of things.

~≈¥≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 24th June, 2020

24th June, 2020.

I think we can safely say I had an interview, yesterday.

You might have noticed the photos on Instagram … 

View this post on Instagram

I'm off to an interview … looking like a bandito

A post shared by Paul Nikolas Nak Downie (@mrcuddy2977) on Jun 23, 2020 at 3:22am PDT

Including the photo of a Romford street call Ducking Stool Court.

View this post on Instagram

Burn the Witch

A post shared by Paul Nikolas Nak Downie (@mrcuddy2977) on Jun 23, 2020 at 5:01am PDT

Obviously, Romford takes burning witches, seriously.

At any rate … ?

The interview seemed to have gone well enough.

But I’ll find out in a couple of weeks time.

~≈†≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 23-6-2020: Gangsters

23rd June, 2020.

Yep: it’s officially the case.

I have an interview, today: in Romford.

I’m … nervous, as ever.

And, frankly, right at the moment?   I’d rather not go.

That’s my self confidence for you … 

~≈§≈~

You’ll possibly have realised — over the years — that I’m something of a Mac fan: and one that’s been mildly critical of macOS Catalina.

There’s possible improvements coming: possible improvements.

As, at this year’s WWDC conference, Apple have announced the autumn release of macOS 11 Big Sur.

According to Wikipedia?   Should work on my machine.

Whether it’s an improvement … ?

Only time will tell.

~≈§≈~

Just as a final thing … ?

I’ve done another entry in my Digital Poverty articles.

Feel free to comment!

~≈§≈~

Digital Poverty — What One Man’s found. (Pt 3: Connections and Prices.)

22nd June, 2020.
Updates, 30th June, 2020.   (See below.)

Pt 3: Connections and Prices.

Foreword.

Hi: this is the third in a series about digital poverty.



If you’ve not read part one or two?

You can find Pt One, about schools, here, and Pt two, about job hunting, here.   Pt four, is now available, here.

~≈†≈~

Introduction.



Just to remind you?



My name’s Paul: I’m an unemployed former barman, call centre agent and dogsbody.



One trying to keep himself occupied in Lockdown.

The last of these pieces?

Told you about jobhunting with no internet connection.



This is the third in the series.

~≈†≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 22nd June, 2020.

22nd June, 2020.

Right … it’s Monday … and it has to be said, late nights in front of the TV can be murder … !

Saying that … ?

I’ve been watching Showtime’s Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.

It’s quite a thing!

~≈¥≈~

That’s one thing … 

The other thing to mention … ?

Is the pieces I’ve done about digital poverty.

I’ve done parts one and two, already.

I’ll hopefully get the next few bits done this week.

I hope they go down well!

~≈¥≈~

Penny Dreadful: City of Angels — Series 1 Episode 9 — Sing, Sing, Sing — A Review

21st June, 2020.

*Spoilers*

It’s got to be said: sometimes you need a break.

Sometimes … ?

Even a change of pace, can be good: for even a change of subject.

Or poking your nose in, where it’s not wanted.

Franky, I’ve spent a couple of weeks doing just that: doing a couple of pieces about digital poverty.

I’d don’t know if that would grab you … 

But feel free to read Pt 1 and Pt 2, and leave me a comment … 

~≈†≈~

At ANY rate … ?

Sunday night’s are getting to be something of a tradition.

I watch TV.

I caught the twelfth series of Doctor Who on a Sunday night.

And, just recently … ?

Catching Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, Series one.

Episode nine … ?

Has left me panting … 

~≈†≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 21st June, 2020

21st June, 2020.

Right … 

I’ve officially released part two of my Digital Poverty pieces … 

I’m hoping it goes down well!

However?   I don’t know who it was that left the comment: but I’ll repeat what you said, here.   It raises a good point.   However, I deleted it: as you didn’t leave a name.   Please, feel free to put it up, again … but leave a name, if you could: I’d appreciate seeing that.

“I have a friend who has been actively looking for a job for the last eight months.   Our local job centre has told her she doesn’t need to keep a diary of job applications during this crisis, her payments won't be affected.   Fine and dandy, except she wants to find a job but has no online access.   She occasionally used the library, but those computers were often busy, so she'd use our computers and internet.   But neither option is available to her at the moment.

She was very distressed that the job centre’s attitude seemed to be one of “aren’t you lucky, you don’t have to bother job hunting for a while.”

The comment does highlight the point of the piece, though.

If you’re out of work, don’t have ’net access at home, and can’t use public access points?

You can’t hunt for a job: whatever the Job Centre says about it.

~≈†≈~

Digital Poverty — What One Man’s found. (Pt 2: Job Hunters.)

20th June, 2020.

(Pt 2: The Unemployed)

Foreword.

Just so you know?

This is the second in a set of pieces I’ve done on digital poverty*.

~≈†≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 20-6-2020

20th June, 2020.

Right … 

I’ve officially had the boiler man around: yesterday.

To fix the thermostat.

Ha!

It didn’t get fixed, or moved … as head office ordered the wrong replacement … !

I think I’m phoning the office on Monday … !

~≈¥≈~

Oh … 

I mentioned digital poverty, towards the end of May: with the vague intention of maybe doing a piece about it.

I did the first part, last night.

Feel free to leave me a comment … 

~≈¥≈~

Digital Poverty — What One Man’s found. (Pt 1: An Introduction/Schools)

19th June, 2020.

Foreword.

Just so you know?

This is the first of a few pieces I’m planning on digital poverty*.

How many I’ll eventually write?

I don’t know.

That all depends on what I hear from the various companies involved.



I’m also not planning to turn this into something for my YouTube channel: at least right now.




It seems inappropriate.

At any rate, let’s move on.

~≈†≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 19th June, 2020

19th June, 2020.

Yep: it’s official … I’m getting my boiler’s thermostat replaced, today.

At some point between eight and one.

OK … that means I’m going to be stuck in doors, at a time I’d prefer to be out and about.

Still …

At least I can ask him if moving the thing’s possible.

Given the bad signal, that would be handy.

~≈§≈~

Example Under New blogger

This is an example.





<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RDpZB4Wbx8A" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<i><b><a href="www.example.com">this is an example</a></b></i>

As an extra point for my fellow bloggers?   We could, in theory, use the ne interface’s ‘movie’ button to add videos from YouTube.

But?   It doesn’t show our links YouTube Channel, the way the legacy version does.   Nor does it allow you to add a YouTube playlist.

This is a serious flaw, as far as I’m concerned.

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18th June, 2020.

18th June, 2020.

Yes: it’s raining.

Which is possibly the last thing on your mind.

Frankly, though … ?

That means I’ve got some nice cool air coming through the window.

Given last month was fairly warm … ?

That makes for a nice change … 

~≈†≈~

One thing I’ve seen doing the rounds?

Is the view that we’re making a martyr of George Floyd: because he’s a convicted criminal, after being gaoled for robbery in 2007, and released in 2011.

I’ve just been sent a message to that effect.

I think that’s deeply offensive to George Floyd’s memory.

It’s saying people convicted of a crime, are incapable of redemption or reform.

It’s saying people convicted of a crime, are incapable of going straight, and living good lives, from then on.

It’s saying people convicted of a crime, deserve to die at the hands of police.

The other point?   He was arrested for passing what the cashier where he was shopping, thought was a bad $20 bill.

That cashier is complicit in George Floyd’s death.

They could — as I, over a long cash handling career was taught to do — have checked it, then said “I’m sorry, this is a bad note, I can’t accept it.   Have you got an alternative way of paying, please?”

A man died … potentially because of racism on the part of the police officer … and possibly because of that cashier’s incompetence.

~≈†≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 17th June, 2020.

17th June, 2020.

Oh, LORD, but’s it ’s been a morning … already … !

I’ve managed to switch on my computer, this morning, and connect my keyboard to a charging cable …

And mess my screens up in the process!

It took half ban hour, and a lot of swearing, to get things back to normal.

That’s on top of yesterday: where my mobile started acting up.

What’s gone wrong, there … ?

Is quite simple: the local phone mast has gone down.

When you consider I’ve two voice messages I can’t get to, because of this … ?

And that I’m supposed to have a swab test, today, arranged over the mobile?

I’m not having a good morning, and it’s only two hours old … !

~≈†≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 16th June, 2020.

16th June, 2020.

Hmmm … 

Clearing my caches, yesterday?

Seemed to help me upload the day’s intro video on yesterday’s Daily Teaser.

Today … ?

I’m back to uploading the thing to YouTube … 

So I can embed it here.

What’s happening?

I don’t know.   

Given it’s also happening in Firefox?

It’s either Google’s fault … or something to do with the current version of macOS, the much sworn at Catalina.

I’m … well, I’m in a bind … !

~≈Ω≈~

I have to admit, I’ve just had a look at my Instagram page.

Seemingly?

I’m now being followed by someone calling themselves daniellecaron9.

She’s got just one photo: her profile pic.

Just one photo.

My limited experience of Instagram … ?

Is telling me she’s a romance scammer.

We’ll have to see, won’t we?

~≈Ω≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 15-6-2020: National Beer Day

15th June, 2020.

Yes: it’s now the 15th June  … and Lockdown is starting to ease.

We still have to keep two metres apart … AND wear face masks on public transport.

If you wear glasses, the condensation is mad!

At ANY rate … ?

I can theoretically get to the High Street and sell a box set.

Assuming CeX is definitely open … !

~≈Ï≈~

Penny Dreadful: City of Angels — Series 1 Episode 8 — Hide and Seek — A Review

14th June, 2020.

Right …

It’s hot, sweaty … and decidedly uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable enough that you don’t want to know what I’m wearing.

Really!

Either way, it made me bad tempered enough that, whilst writing this morning’s Daily Teaser?

I managed to not be able to upload a video intro straight into the post … and had to upload it to YouTube, and embed it from there.

It turns out I just needed to clear my caches …

I could kick myself …

Except I’d possibly miss …

At ANY rate … ?

I’ve seen episode 8, of Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, series one.

With two more episodes to go?   Episode eight is setting the bar …

~≈†≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 14th June, 2020.

14th June, 2020.

Right …

Blogger hasn’t let me upload the intro directly to today’s post …

So I’ve just spent five minutes uploading it to YouTube, so I can make use of the embed code.

Happy, moi?

Non!

~≈¥≈~

At ANY rate … ?

I was going to tell you about the riots last night, in London: led by far-right activist determined to ‘protect statues,’ in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests.

Those?   Recent Black Lives Matter protest have been relatively peaceful.

Frankly?   I think last night’s disturbances were motivated by racism … no, scrub that, know they were motivated by racism.

Especially as I’ve seen posts from far-right activist, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon — the coward who hides behind the name Tommy Robinson — float across my Facebook timeline.

The person who reposted that got de-friended and blocked.

I’m not having idiots* like Yaxley Lennon floating across my timeline.

~≈¥≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 13-6-2020: Naughty Miranda

13th June, 2020.

Hmmm … 

I have to admit, I’m a Terry Pratchett fan … who’s in a couple of Terry Pratchett groups on Facebook.

The biggest one of which … ?

Has been archived!

Suspended, in other words.

After … 

Well, after civil war broke out: over J. K Rowling’s recent comments on transgendered people.

There’s possibly a lot to say about that article.

It’s a very well though out one.   Not necessarily one I agree with, nor one where Ms Rowling’s cites her figures: but well argued, well written and intelligently made.

Let me emphasises that sentence, there: not necessarily one I agree with*.

Before anyone starts!

But, lord … it’s caused a huge row on this one Facebook Group: that got the administrators suspending it.

I’m told it’s temporary … I hope it’s temporary … 

But it’s something to see.

“All I’m asking – all I want – is for similar empathy, similar understanding, to be extended to the many millions of women whose sole crime is wanting their concerns to be heard without receiving threats and abuse.”

J. K. Rowling.

~≈¥≈~