Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 2nd January 2025.

2nd January, 2026.

Right: I wrote, yesterday, that I was having issues with my Mac.

It was overheating, and freezing, when I had a lot of apps open: specifically, a lot of apps, when used with Pages, Apple’s word-processing software.

Or when I have a lot of Pages documents open, some thirty odd, when trying to record a QuickTime video: which normally isn’t an issue.

All I knew for sure … ?

Was Activity Monitor was telling me that processes called corespotlightd and kernel_task were going into overdrive: using up a lot of RAM, and CPU resources, in the processes.

I did a lot of asking around.

Apple’s support line wasn’t especially helpful.

Apple Communities were more useful.

They, and a confirmatory Google search, told me that corespotlightd is the part of Spotlight, the Mac’s onboard search software, that corespotlightd is part of that … 

And that, if the files in corespotlightd’s cache folders go bad … ?

You end up with a look of overheating.

There were — or are, I should say — several solutions.

Most of which involve getting Spotlight to re-index — re-organise — the hard drives.

In my particular case?

That involved opening up the relevant cache folder, ~/Library/Metadata/Corespotlight, then emptying the contents of the folders within it.

Then restarting my machine.

So far … ?

That seems to have solved the problem: although I’ve not used my machine at full pelt.

We’re going to have to see what happens, there.

~≈🍏≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 1-1-2026 — The Archers (Ten Questions)

1st January, 2026: The Archers.

Right, then: it’s a refreshing start for a whole new year.

At least … we can … if we’re wearing clothes.

Going by the BBC’s weather site?

And a quick check outside?

My home town’s looking, and feeling, cold.

I should be grateful, though.

And old friend lives in southern Finland.

Apparently, it was -17°C, last night.

I should be grateful for heating … 

~≈❄️≈~

Or payments … 

UK benefit claimants had a bit of news, a day or two, ago.

Seemingly?

We should get a cold weather payment of twenty-five pounds: if the overnight weather stays under 0° for seven days in a row.

Assuming the boiler holds out?

I have enough on my meter to survive.

But … ?

I hot the weather holds out: that cash could coming in handy.

~≈💰≈~

I’m a big one for the macOS platform: you’ve possibly worked that out, over the years.

And mostly had a ok time with the platform.

Since the installation of an updated version of the operating system — macOS Tahoe 26·1, to be precise — I’ve notice overheating issues: that seem to be linked to having one or more Pages documents, open.

Linked to processes that Activity Monitor lists as ‘kernel_task’ and ‘corespotlightd’.

Checking with Apple’s support wasn’t helpful: beyond identifying that Pages seemed to be causing the issue, neither was asking on Apple’s support community.

Neither was Macworld’s article on the problem: they’s seemingly simple fix didn’t work.

Quite what’s going on … ?

I don’t know.

But I think it’s something Apple need to sort out: the opinions of a few people I’ve talked to is that it’s an issue with Pages.

And that it’s something Apple needs to sort out.

~≈🍎≈~

The War Between the Land and the Sea — Episode 4 “The Witch of the Waterfall” — A Review

14th December, 2025: “The Witch of the Waterfall”.

An Introduction.

It’s not often I duplicate posts: at least, not often I use the opening of one post as the opening of another.

Except it’s something I did, last week: when writing my introduction to my reviews of the first two episodes of The War Between the Land and the Sea.

And it’s something I’ve repeated with this week’s episodes.

Sue me!

Additionally?

It’s not often I complain about Apple.

For those of you who don’t know, I’m something of a Mac fan: I’m writing this on a 2024 Mac mini, using macOS Tahoe 26.2, and Safari 26.2, to write this post.

I had problems, updating to the new versions, last Thursday: when, after the update to 26.2, my browser would not stay logged into my usual websites, after switching the thing on in the morning.

Then would sign me out when I switched it off.

As you can imagine?

It was very frustrating.

Contacting various people proved little help: including Apple’s community forums.

So?

I contacted Apple’s Support line.

Where an extremely helpful young person managed to diagnose the issue.

All I had to do, it seems, was make a small change to Safari’s preferences: turning off the cross-site tracking option in Safari>Settings>Privacy.

That seems to have solved the problem, for now: although I don’t know what long term issues may happen as a result.

I hope they’re minimal.

But I’m also aware I had that box checked for several years: with no problems.

Why it’s happened with this update?

I don’t know!

~≈🧜🏼‍♂️≈~

My problems aren’t why you’re here.

You’re possibly here out of curiosity, boredom, or a random social media post.

So, if you’re a newcomer to Nik Nak’s Old Peculiar, I’ll have to repeat what I’ve said in earlier posts.

In other words, say “Welcome aboard”, tell you I write the Daily Teaser quiz, and about films and TV shows I’ve watched.

One of those shows?   Is the Dr Who spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea.

I saw the first episodes, “Homo Aqua”, and “Plastic Apocalypse”, last week, and caught the third episode, “The Deep”, last Sunday.

This post?

Is about the fourth episode, “The Witch of the Waterfall”.

Yes: I’ve started this post, early.

But?

It’s Christmas.

It’s busy!

And the weather is acting up.

Let’s move onto the review, shall we … ?

~≈🧜🏼‍♂️≈~

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

14th December, 2025.

Right … 

I think I know what’s going on.

I updated my operating system, a couple of days ago.

Ever since?

I’ve had issues signing into Blogger.com: and needed to sign into everything, every time I start Safari, after re-starting my machine in the morning.

It’s meant that when I start a post?   I can’t upload photos to it, without having to reset God knows what!

The workaround that I’m using for now … ?

Is simply that I log into the site with Firefox, upload photos, then switch back to Safari.

It’s a right royal pain … 

~≈🦊≈~

About the only thing I can say for certain, though … ?

Is that is the photo uploading problem only happens, only needs the work-around … when I’m adding the first photos!

The next ones, like the ones of the this morning’s gorgeous sunrises?

Aren’t causing issues … !

Why … ?

If I knew that, I possibly wouldn’t have an problem!

~≈📰≈~

14th December, 2025: 10:53

Just as a revision to this post … ?

I’ve contacted Apple’s Support people.

It seems all I had to do to correct the login issue was to make a small change to Safari’s preferences: turning off the ‘Cross-site tracking’ option in Safari>Settings>Privacy.

That seems to have solved the problem, for now: although I don’t know what long term problems may happen, as a result.

Here’s hoping those are minimal.

~≈✔️≈~