Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 14th January 2025.

14th January, 2026.

A few weeks ago, now, the Government made a great fanfare of its proposed mandatory digital ID scheme.

Something that they implied would help catch illegal migrants working illegally in the UK.

It’s something I objected to: as did many others.

Personally?   I felt it would cost a fortune.

As I know a few people who could not afford to buy, set up or use, the smart phone needed for the app.

As far as I was concerned, the cost of buying someone a new phone, and helping them set it up, would be prohibitive.

Additionally?   The government didn’t realise that, if someone couldn’t afford the smart phone need for the scheme, they not be able to get a job, as they’d not be able to prove their right to work in the UK: whether they had that right, or not.

Thousands wouldn’t be able to get a job: despite being legally able to.

That’s before you factor in any privacy issues: or having to repeat this for other groups, for college students, the elderly or for those with learning disabilities.

Thankfully?

The government has decided to drop the scheme.

Or, at least, make it optional, rather than compulsory.

I’m thankful, and left thinking this government is like many others.

It doesn’t know its bum from its elbow.

~≈💪≈~

In better news?

The t-shirts I ordered, finally turned up.

Custom ones that feature the covers for the old Games Workshop* version of second edition RuneQuest, and the fifth edition of Tunnels and Trolls.

I’m glad they got here: I was getting impatient.

But I’m also thinking one of them could cause a fuss … 

~≈👙≈~

Let’s move on.


Yesterday’s Teaser saw Olga†, Mum‡, Irene§ and Debbi¶ putting in their answers: with Olga, Mum and Irene scoring five out of five, and Debbi on four.

Let’s see how everyone does with today’s questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the How To, License and video.

Q1)        14th January is Ratification Day, in the US.   It marks the ratification of the Treaty of where: New York, London, Paris or Munich?

Q2)        According to UNESCO, 14th January is World what Day: World Logic Day, World Mathematics Day or World Calculus Day?

Q3)        Warren Mitchell was born on 14th January, 1926.   Who did he play on Till Death Do Us Part?

Q4)        To Medieval Christians, 14th January is the Feast of the what: Ass, Horse or Zebra?

Q5)        Finally … ?   14th January is the usual date for Maghe Sankranti. Maghe Sankranti is a festival, where: Bhutan, Nepal or Tibet?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1)        Harold Shipman was found dead in his cell: on 13th January, 2004.   He’s said to have killed how many people: 200, 300 or 400 … ?

A1)        200.

Q2)        13th January is Liberation Day.   Where: Togo, Turkey or Uganda?

A2)        Togo.

Q3)        13th January is Stephen Foster Memorial Day in the US.   Stephen Forster was a noted American what: composer, postman or soldier?

A3)        Composer.   He wrote “Oh, Susanna”, and “Campdown Races”, amongst others

Q4)        The Nika Riots started on 13th January, AD532: at Constantinople’s Hippodrome.   The Hippodrome was a what: Roman Circus, soccer ground or theatre?

A4)        A Roman Circus.

Q5)        Finally … ?   The Chemical Weapons Convention was signed on 13th January.   13th January of which year of the 1990s?

A5)        1993.

Here’s a thought …

“All during the war, we kept saying, [my husband] and I, that when it was over, we would come back to Hollywood.   But now we’ve been here, and we just have to be honest, this is no longer home.   Home is back in London, because we went through the bombings with them.”

Bebe Daniels, January 14, 1901 – March 16, 1971.

And a Richard Briers-voiced cartoon …

The next ten question set is on tomorrow: it’s about director, David Lynch.

Your comments, and today’s answers, will be published in tomorrow’s Teaser.

AI is avoided when writing these questions.

Answers are as accurate as possible: at the time of writing.

Decisions about scores are final.

Thank you for coming: have a good day.

*        These days, Games Workshop covers have nothing to do with chainmail bikini babes: instead, they have tasteful covers whose exaggerated, over-inflated, hyper-masculine, space marines have nothing to do with toxic masculinity.   No, really …

†        You know there’s a bit of a fuss, here, Olga?   About the Grok AI thing built into X?   Seems it can sexualise images: without consent.   The UK government is making a fuss about it: and Elon’s complaining.

        I’ve a feeling that — because I’ve been using ChatGPT to make some images for the Teaser — that X is playing silly buggers.

        On the other hand?   It may well have decided I’m spam: for only the second time in all the years I’ve used the service.

‡        Hello, Mum!

§        Morning, Irene: how is the day … ?

¶        I was hoping you’d round down, Debbi!   I got the 200 figure from the BBC’s article.

        Yeah, the Star Trek spin-off novels have been going for years, Debbi: if I recall correctly, Star Trek: Discovery picked up a couple of words of klingonaase from John M. Ford’s The Final Reflection.   (“The Vulcan Hello” got the idea of the Black Fleet from the book: and I believe one of the Klingon episodes used the word ‘kuve’, servitor.)