Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 30-9-2025 — Thunderbirds. (Ten Questions)

30th September, 2025: Thunderbirds.

It’s official: I’ve lost weight!

I was at my weekly weight management class — meeting? group? — yesterday: I go every Monday, so you know.

And … ?

I’ve lost one hundred grams.

About three ounces, if you want it in Imperial.

OK: that’s not as much as last week’s loss.

But … ?

It’s nice to know there’s an ongoing trend!

~≈⚖️≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 29-9-2025 — The Prisoner (Ten Questions)

29th September, 2025: The Prisoner.

It’s Monday morning.

And, of course, I’m up early: to get to my weight management meeting.

Hopefully?

I will have lost some weight.

I was under one hundred kilos, last week: so it would be nice if I’ve lost more, this week.

Here’s hoping.

~≈⚖️≈~

Something I know … ?

Is that one of my X followers is always happy to tell me what the weather’s like in her part of the world: including when she’s got fog.

I’m mildly jealous, as we’ve not had fog, here, for a couple of years.

Until this morning, that is.

I know it’s chilly out … but I always think the fog makes my street look romantic … !

~≈🌫️≈~

It seems that the people of Switzerland have had a referendum on digital ID.

And … ?

Narrowly voted in favour of their government’s proposed scheme.

Well done, them.

They’ve voted for a digital ID scheme that’s voluntary: unlike the scheme proposed by Sir Keir Starmer.

If someone could point out that a voluntary ID scheme seems popular, that could be a big hint for the PM.

Make the scheme voluntary, Sir Keir: you’ll have less problems getting it through the House of Commons … 

~≈🗳️≈~

The Mandalorian — Series 1 Chapter 6 — The Prisoner — A Review

28th August, 2020.

Right … it’s quite assertively a Friday … 

And a Friday where I’ve got stuff brewing.

Right at the moment … ?   I’ve got Handbrake on the go.

I’ve bought copies of the special edition version of The Power of The Daleks, and Good Omens, on blu-ray.

Normally?   I’d use MakeMKV to turn the discs into .mkv files: then use Handbrake to turn those into .mp4 file.

Recent changes to both MakeMKV and Catalina mean the process can produce iffy results.

Flawed, or unreadable, .mkv files, and no .mkv versions of shorter videos.

Fortunately?   I’ve managed to restore an older version of MakeMKV onto my Mac: via Time Machine.

Which still wouldn’t let me turn the discs into .mkv files.

But has let me make decrypted copies of the disc two series: that I can then re-code with Handbrake.

It’s — thus far — all good.

~≈¥≈~

At any rate … ?

I mentioned it’s Friday in that intro video.

Which I realise looks odd, I know.

Frankly, Apple have finally updated iMovie: scrapping some old filters, and introducing some new cartoony ones.

Which I think look good: and do interesting things to some of my usual Jester backgrounds.

I’m doing it again, aren’t I … ?

Burbling!

It’s Friday … 

Which means I’ve caught yet another series one of Disney+’s … 

The Mandalorian

~≈¥≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 2-7-2020: Two’s Company

2nd July, 2020.

Argh!

I hate it, when I get an earworm, first thing in the morning … 

Especially when it’s Bad Lip Reading at their oddest … !

Oy!

~≈¥≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 15-9-2019: International Day of Democracy

15th September, 2019.

Ir’s got to be said: I’m back to work, today.

Which is nice.

Although?

That does mean I’m not planning to watch telly, tonight.

Which is a shame.

I’m rather enjoying Chernobyl, at the moment … 

~≈†≈~

Oh, just as a quick thought?

I notice Glasgow Council’s banned some parades over the weekend.

I can’t say I blame them.

The parades in questions include four Loyalist ones and at least on Irish republican one.

Frankly?

Northern Ireland’s always seemed to have issues around sectarianism: something I think’s been getting violent in recent years.

Historically, there’s been less in Scotland.

Some … 

But considerable less.

So seeing parades get banned in Scotland is a good thing, I think.

But … ?

I think we’re going to see more of this, given Brexit seems to be encouraging it … 

~≈†≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 24-3-2019: Tamerlane

24th March, 2019.

You really do have to wonder about the human mind, sometimes.

I woke up this morning, yawning my head off, scratching my ankles, muttering about the pain in my lower back … 

And with the Associate’s Helicopter, Helicopter — or, at least, those two words — set to repeat themselves until I hit you with the tune.

If any neuroscientist out there have ANY idea what’s happening … ?

I’d love to know … !

~≈§≈~

Oh, remember the petition … ?

The Revoke Article 50 petition?

The Revoke Article 50 petition, that can’t, technically be debated by Parliament?

Until the closing date in August, and IF it reaches 100, 000 signatures?

That one … ?

It’s at 4.8 million signatures … 

OK, it’s possibly going to get ignored … 

But if it gets to OVER seventeen million signatures … ?

That would be lovely!

~≈§≈~

Just as a quick, final, point … ?

One for fans of The Prisoner?

Have a tune … 

~≈§≈~

Oh Dear LORD< why did I start watching … ?

Oh, Dear Lord … !

You know, I’ve got to admit, I think I owe the movie night gang something of an apology, for missing the past two weeks.

Or putting them off …

Because I’ve just sat through episode 2 of the AMC/ITV remake of The Prisoner.

Or the first half of it, at any rate.

Can I ask you a questions, here, if you’ve seen it?

Am I the only person who thinks ITV have shot themselves in the foot, by having anything to do with it?

The word ‘Dud’ is waving its hands at me, and saying “Here, am I a good choice of word for the remake? Am I? Go on, use me, tell everyone the remake’s a ‘great, big dud’ Go on, you know you want to!!”

Actually, that’s not quite true, I should be putting the word ‘complete’ in front of ‘dud’, because that’s what I’m thinking I’ve been watching.

And I think I know why …

For starters, it’s not the actual look of the remake: the production team have gone to great lengths to at least make their new village look as strange out of place as the original.

It’s safe to say the cast haven’t grabbed me.

Well, that’s not quite true.

Sir Ian McKellan is superb, as only a former RSC and Royal National Theatre regular could be.

In fact, he’s the best thing in it: I’m thinking that the rest of the cast — with no disrespect intended, here — are rather bland and forgettable.

As is the script …

Tonight’s episode — which sees Ian McKellan’s No. 2 trying to convince Caviezel’s No. 6 that No. 16 is who he claims to be — wasn’t the attention grabber that Episode 1 was.

Those who read my post about that will be able to give you a rather less vernacular summary of what I though of that … !

This is something that should not have been done.

Without doing what it has.

Ruined and urinated on the purity of the original.

•••••

Adrian, Dr Kevin, I think we’re going to have to take Kevin D up on his invite to head over his place for the next movie night.

At least it means I can record episode 3, and get really worked up, afterwards …

And at least have something pleasant to write about … !

TV Dog’s Dinner

Hmmmm …

Can I make a confession, here … ?

Right now, Allison’s sitting at the dining room table, happily doing a bit of embroidery.

And I think I might just see if she’s got spare bit’s of kit.

Because I’ve just seen Arrival, the first episode of the remake of The Prisoner.

And I think I’d rather be stabbing my fingers to bits with an embroidery needle!

Rather than possibly watch another five hours of it!

Maybe I’m being a little too hard on it.

I should at least watch the next episode, in the hope that it improves.

But tonight’s episode?

You know, I’m none to sure if I can be (excuse the language, Karen) arsed to talk to you about the plot, but need’s must.

It sees Jim Caviezal* as No. 6 waking up in a patch of unidentified desert, and being told by a dying man — named only as No. 93 — that he need’s to talk to No. 545, about getting away from The Village.

And it all goes down hill from there …

Hmmmm …

Now, I’ll be honest and tell you that the cult 1960s original series was — and still is — something of a favourite of mine.

Patrick McGoohan, the original’s co-creator and star, brought a lot of passion, charm, anger, intellect — what have you — to the role of No. Six: and had a hand in what had to be a series that was both ahead of its time, got people seriously thinking, and generated as much talk in Britain’s pubs as a controversial FA Cup final.

Or Superbowl, Aussie Rules Final, what have you.

Just as a point, that original series is still being talked, argued and debated, today, some 40 years after its original airing on ITV.

Going on the first episode of the remake, though?

Bar the appearance of Sir Ian McKellan, as No. 2, the remake could well be an utter, utter disaster.

And unless things markedly improve by the next episode, I}m going to have to add that I’m glad Patrick McGoohan is dead.

Because I think he’d’ve hated what’s been done to his series.

I really do.

* Jim Caviezal is, I should add, a fine actor. But I don’t think that he has any of McGoohan’s anger, that made McGoohan so riveting in the role. Thing’s had better improve!

I am Not A Remake … !!

Hmmm …

Well THAT’S a thing … !

I’ve got to admit I’ve just been idly channel surfing and manage to catch ITV 1’s trailer for the remake …

Of The Prisoner …

I’m looking forward to that, even though the actual DVD is due out in only a few week’s time …

Oy Veh!!

Oh, it’s this Saturday, at 9•30, on ITV1 …