Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 24-6-2022: UFO You Way, I’ll FO Mine.

24th June, 2022.

Right … 

I’ve had my kitchen sink checked by a plumber.

One sent by my landlords.

That’s an upside to renting: you don’t own your property, but don’t have to pay for much in the way of repairs.

He’s managed to confirm that the blockage causing the problem is no more.

I’m grateful.

However, if I need further non-emergency repairs?

Well … 

I — and a good chunk of my neighbours, the ones who rent from Clarion Housing — have all had an email from our landlord.

One reinforced by a message on their website.

They’ve told us “We are currently experiencing IT system issues, which means some of our emails, IT systems and phone lines are not working as normal.”

They tell us “This disruption has been caused by a cyber security incident.”

That “… we are working urgently with our cyber security partner to restore our systems as soon as we can.”

They’re asking residents to not contact them by phone, unless it’s for emergency repairs, and that payment systems are working normally … although it may take a while for balances to be updated … 

Right sounds about right.

Frankly, I’m wondering what’s happening.

I think — given it seems to be common, these days — that Clarion’s been hit by some form of ransomware.

From the little I know, usually, an unsuspecting member — or members — of staff get sent a dodgy email with an attachment that infects their machine: then spreads to other machines on the same network.

And, before you know it?   The network’s down.

I’m … 

I’m not sure how I feel about this situation.

But?   I’m deeply concerned that I and my neighbours being affected by this.

And grateful I’m not immediately affected.

That could so easily change if I need something fixed.

~≈†≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Mum*, Olga† and Debbi putting in their answers: with everyone scoring five out of five.


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

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

Q1)        24th June, 1947, saw Kenneth Arnold make the first widely reported sighting of UFOs: nine of them.   UFO stands for Unidentified Flying what

Q2)        Many journalists referred to those UFOs as flying what’s: sausages, cigars or saucers?

Q3)        Arnold admitted he got a lot of mail about the sighting.   Mail that saids the UFOs were what: flown by aliens, flying angels or piloted by Nazis?

Q4)        Shifting, slightly? UFO was the first live-action series produced by whom: Chris Chibnall, Toby Whithouse or Gerry Anderson?

Q5)        Finally … ?   U-Friend or UFO? was an episode of which show: The Goodies, Monty Python’s Flying Circus or Dr Who?

Yesterday’s answers are in today’s video.

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1)        23rd June is the Grand Duke’s Official Birthday.   The Grand Duke of where: Luxembourg, Lichtenstein or San Marino?

A1)        Luxembourg.

Q2)        The Battle of Bannockburn started: on 23rd June, 1314.   Bannockburn is in which country of the UK: England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland?

A2)        Scotland.

Q3)        The International Olympic Committee was founded on 23rd June, 1894.   At which University: Cambridge, Harvard or the Sorbonne?

A3)        The University of Paris: also known as the Sorbonne.

Q4)        23rd June is the feast day of Saint Joseph Cafasso.   He’s the patron saint of whom: politicians, prisoners or pirates?

A4)        Prisoners.

Q5)        Finally … ?   Caesarion, the last Pharaoh of Egypt, was born 23rd June, 47BC.   His mother was Cleopatra.   Who was his father: Julius Caesar, Augustus Caesar or Marcus Antonius?

A5)        Julius Caesar.

Here’s a thought … 

“The Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting occurred on June 24, 1947, when private pilot Kenneth Arnold claimed that he saw a string of nine, shiny unidentified flying objects flying past Mount Rainier at speeds that Arnold estimated at a minimum of 1,200 miles an hour (1,932 km/hr).”

From the Wikipedia entry on the event.

And a song …

Today’s questions will be answered in tomorrow’s Teaser.

The quizmaster’s decisions about scores are final.

Thank you for coming: have a good day.

*        Hello, Mum!

†        Cheers, again, Olga!   I keep forgetting that: you have mentioned it before!   Now I think of it … ?   Could you wave at everyone, and tell them I said Hola … ?   Give Carla my best, and welcome Pau^ aboard?   Cheers, me dears!

        I keep meaning to visit Brentwood Museum: it’s not that far from me.   The Computer Museum at Bletchley Park’s the one I really want to see: it was shut, the last time I was there!

        Your Mum sound’s like she a tough woman!

        As for the Russians?   I’m assuming their government’s got ways to get hold of copies of Windows.   Replacing it would be one HELL of a job.   It would be like replacing the windows machines a hospital.   You’d have to replace the servers, first, then the PCs in the typing pool, then the ones in each doctor’s office … then the ones running all the machinery, the x-ray machines, the CT scanners.   Oy!   My sink was easy by comparison!

‡        I liked him, myself, Debbi: there were some interesting doomy hints there.   Do you remember a pair of David Tennant episodes called Human Nature and The Family of Blood?   They were taken from a Paul Cornell Dr Who novel called Human Nature: that originally featured the Seventh Doctor.   Quite what McCoy would’ve done with it, I don’t know.

        Oh, you’re not wrong, there, either.   Brentwood Town Hall had automatic doors for many years.   The hum as they opened?   Was VERY familiar.

        Oh, talking of the Doctor?   I caught up with an old episode of Blake’s Seven, yesterday: called City at the Edge of the World.   Valentine Dyall, the Black Guardian, crops up in it.   And Colin Baker puts in a appearance as Bayban the Butcher.   He does make a good villain.

^        From the little I know, Olga?   Parts of the world celebrate name days instead of birthdays: it’s common in some parts of Scotland, I’m told.   Wish Pau a good one, if if he’s marking Saint Paul’s day!   It’s on Wednesday!