Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 7th December 2024.

7th December, 2024.

It’s: it’s officially official.

I’ve had more work done to my bathroom: and now have grab rails.

That’s … 

Well, a sign of getting old, I think.

~≈🧼≈~

Here’s a storm coming … 

Every-so-often, Britain get’s storm: which very occasionally, get nasty.

Storm Bert at the end of November: which was bad in some parts of the UK, but, thankfully, wasn’t too bad here in Brentwood.

Bar turning the ‘Lighting Up Brentwood’ event into something of a washout.

This week?

Storm Darragh is due to hit: today.

With Red, Amber and Yellow warnings for various parts of the country: that thankfully don’t seem to include Essex.

I’m thankful.

Whilst being very aware it’s blowy out.

~≈⛈️≈~

Every so often?

I’ll rip a blu-ray.

In other words, I’ll copy a Blu-ray Disc, then turn it into something I stream to my AppleTV.

I did the final half of the equation — re-coding the copies — over night.

Using HandBrake’s ‘Apple 2160p60 4K HEVC Surround’ setting to turn the copies into 1440*1080 resolution .mp4 files, on a 2024 M4 Mac mini.

If I’ve got the figures right … ?

It’s taken Handbrake roughly a minute to re-code each minute of video at those settings.

I don’t know how the combination of settings and machine would do with a 4k video: but those results are very impressive: compared to my old Intel machine.

~≈🍹≈~

Let’s move on.


Yesterday’s Teaser saw Olga*, Mum† 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)        Nicole Appleton was born on 7th December, 1974.   She’s a member of which girl band: the Spice Girls, the Saturdays or All Saints?

Q2)        Delaware became the first state to ratify the US Constitution on 7th December.   Of which year of the 1780s?

Q3)        The Galileo spacecraft arrived at its destination: on 7th December, 1995.   Which planet was the probe’s destination: Mars, Jupiter or Saturn?

Q4)        Eli Wallach was born on 7th December, 1915.   In which film did he play Silva Vacarro: Baby Doll, The Lineup or Seven Thieves?

Q5)        Finally … ?   Fuel trials took place on 7th December, 1904: between HMS Spiteful and HMS Peterel.   HMS Spiteful was the first British warship to use what: nuclear power, fuel oil or steam?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1)        The Nefertiti Bust was discovered: on 6th December, 1912.   Nefertiti was the wife of which pharaoh: Ramses 2nd, Akhenaten or Amenhotep 4th?

A1)        Akhenaten.

Q2)        What was Nefertiti’s title: First Consort, Great Royal Wife or Great Cow of the Arch of the Sky?

A2)        Great Royal Wife.   (Come on, who believed ‘First Consort’?)

Q3)        Nefertiti’s husband is believed to be the father of Tutankhamun. Is Nefertiti Tutankhamun’s mother: yes, or no?

A3)        No.   Tutankhamun’s mother is believed to be the mummy — ha! — identified as ‘the Younger Lady’ found in Tomb KV35, in the Valley of the Kings: that’s been confirmed, as far as possible, by DNA testing.

Q4)        Nefertiti and her husband promoted an early form of what: veganism, monotheism or agnosticism?

A4)        Monotheism.   (They promoted a religion called Atenism)

Q5)        Finally … ?   Nefertiti’s bust is in the Neues Museum. Bust, and Museum, are in which German city: Berlin, Leipzig or Hamburg?

A5)        Berlin.

Here’s a thought …

“My dog knows all my secrets, but she’s sworn to secrecy!”

Ellen Bustyn, born December 7, 1932.

And a Louie Prima song …

The next ten question sets are tomorrow, and the day after.


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



Decisions about scores are final.

Thank you for coming: have a good day.

*        You know, that Earworm Eraser’s raises an interesting point, Olga.   Or the article does, anyway.   Playing something else is usually the way I drown out whatever’s playing in my head!   Or playing The song, itself, if I have a copy.

        But I wish I knew about the eraser when Jessica Laing’s version of The Name Game was in my head.   Six weeks that lasted: six whole, bloody, weeks!

†        Hello, Mum!

‡        Are we having a rough one, Debbi … ?   

        Oh, do you remember Hudson, in Aliens?   The one that kept panicking all the time?   Strikes me he could’ve EASILY been in Derry Girls … !