Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 13th October 2025.

13th October, 2025.

Right … it’s Monday … 

I’m up, early, listening to the news, whilst waiting to go to my weight management meeting.

And hearing that hostages and prisoners are being released, and that a ceasefire seems to be holding.

I’m very aware the US president has said eternal peace is happening.

Eternal peace.

I can’t help but thing that’s going to last five minutes … 

~≈🪦≈~

If you’re using Windows 10 as your default operating system, you’re possibly aware Microsoft will stop supporting it in October of this year.

Tomorrow, in fact: Tuesday, 14th October, 2025.

So, if your computer doesn’t support the new version of the OS, you’re looking at having to keep using a soon-to-be-vulnerable machine, or buying a new machine.

Or possibly replacing Windows 10 with a Linux distro.

There’s possibly going to be problems, either way.

And complaints, as well.

After all, if you’ve recently bought a Windows 10 machine, that doesn’t support Windows 11,  and have to junk the machine as a result?

That’s both a problem with e-waste: and with wasted money!

Hey ho!

~≈🪟≈~

I’m also aware of other things.

Back ups.

I’m on Quora, the site that let’s you ask — and answer — questions: in the hope that your knowledge can be useful, and your questions, worth asking.

So … ?

I wasn’t surprised to see the odd questions about backing up a Windows machine, prior to making the transfer to a new machine.

I’ve used Macs for years.

And am very used to the idea of backing things up from my old Mac to an external drive, then using Migration Assistant to transfer from the drive, to the new Mac.

A local hard drive: one sitting on my desk.

On an initial look at the relevant webpage, Microsoft’s Backup app doesn’t seem to work like that.

You can’t use an external drive: by default, you have to use Microsoft’s OneDrive service.

Which, if you need lots of storage, costs.

Per month!

In Microsoft’s defence, a deeper reading of the article about the app, says you can use an external drive with their Backup app.

But that’s my issue: that’s not highlighted.

The default is to backup Microsoft’s subscription storage service: a subscription you pay for, repeatedly.

A subscription fee you pay repeatedly, for an essential service like backups?

Sounds a lot like a racket …

~≈🫆≈~

Let’s move on.


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

The day also saw Debbi§ leaving us a message.



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

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

Q1)        13th October is the feast day of the Blessed Alexandrina of Balazar.   Balazar is a small parish: in which Iberian country?

Q2)        13th October is the first day of Doi taikomatsuri.   Doi taikomatsuri is a festival held in which country: China, Thailand or Japan?

Q3)        13th October, 1988, saw the British lose a court battle.   A court battle to prevent the publication of what: Spycatcher, Lady Chatterly’s Lover or The Satanic Verses?

Q4)        Thomas Fitzalan was born on 13th October, 1381.   And died on 13th October, 1415. He was the 12th Earl of where: Arundel, Banbury or Cambridge?

Q5)        Finally … ?   The Boston Red Sox won the first World Series, against the Pittsburgh Pirates: on 13th October, 1903.   The World Series is played in which American sport: American Football, Baseball or Log Rolling?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1)        12th October, 1892, saw the first recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.   By US whom: soldiers, sailors or students?

A1)        Students.

Q2)        People taking the pledge, pledge allegiance to the US what?

A2)        Flag.

Q3)        The original version of the Pledge was written by Captain George T. Balch.   During the Civil War, he’d been a soldier in what: the Confederate Army or the Union Army?

A3)        The Union Army.

Q4)        The phrase ‘under God’ was added to the Pledge in the 1950s.   In which year of the 1950s?

A4)        1954.

Q5)        Finally … ?   2004 saw a US Appeals Court ruling that the people taking the Pledge, didn’t have to what: sit, stand or kneel?

A5)        Stand.

Here’s a thought …

“If I get busted in New York, the freest city in the world, that will be the end of my career.”

Lenny Bruce, October 13, 1925 – August 3, 1966.

A song …

And an earworm …

The next ten question set is on 24th October: it’s about Zambia.

Your comments will be published, tomorrow morning.

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

Where possible, we avoid writing these questions with AI.

Decisions about scores are final.

Thank you for coming: have a good day.

*        I know what you mean, Olga.   An old boss of mine was Jewish: if I remember what he told me, correctly, his family emigrated to London in around the 1880s, to escape the Russian pogroms.   Russia’s got a reputation for trouble, sadly.

        Yeah: I tend to update, quickly, too.   Especially when there’s a security update!   All I can hope for at the moment, though?   Is Apple’s next iMovie update drops, soon: it has been a while … !

†        Hello, Mum!   (It’s students who take the Pledge of Allegiance, Mum!)

‡        Morning, Irene: how is the day … ?

§        The gong, Debbi, or the parody pledge?   (The Pledge of Allegiance has always struck me as odd, Debbi: sort of slightly cult-like … )