Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12th February 2026.

12th February, 2026.

OK … did I mention I have a stick?

A USB stick … ?

I’ve got a USB stick.

Several, in fact.

The things are handy forms of portable storage: especially if you have large files you need to transport, files that are too big to send via the usual internet services.

At any rate: I have plenty.

But now have one less.

Some of the ones I have, are double ended: and have both USB-A, and USB-C, connection: that lets me plug them into a variety of different machines.

I had one plugged into my phone, the other day: so I could transfer some video footage from the phone to my Mac.

And … ?

Didn’t eject the thing correctly: you’re supposed to tap an icon on the phone’s screen, to remove the things, safely.

That was a mistake.

As, when I plugged the stick into my desktop, the icon that usually shows up, that tells you the thing was connected … didn’t.

I didn’t get the usual “This Disk is Unrecognisable” message I’d usually expect in these circumstances.

Opening up Disk Utility, and Terminal, to see if they recognised it.

They hung: but worked perfectly when the stick was removed.

But removing the thing gave me the “Disk Not Ejected Properly” message when I did that.

So it was sort of recognised: but not mounting properly.

I tried checking it in my aging Mac Pro tower and back in my phone, and even went to Brentwood Library: to see if their Windows machines would recognise it, and let me format the thing.

Nope: that didn’t help!

So … ?

I asked on Apple’s support community pages.

The communal opinion … ?

Was that the thing was dead, had un up the curtains, joined the Choir Invisible … and should be given a decent burial.

I hate to agree with that: I’d rather be able to do something.

But under the circumstances, it’s been binned.

Anyone who finds it at the landfill it ends up in, is welcome to it.

~≈📸≈~

Just as a final thought … ?

I’ve been having issues with over heating on my Mac: under some circumstances.

That seem to specifically involve Spotlight.

Hopefully … ?

Those issues will be resolved by the update to macOS Tahoe 26.3 that my machine’s alerted me, to.

Here’s hoping: being able to boil my tea on a Mac mini, isn’t a good thing.

~≈☕️≈~

Let’s move on.


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

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

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

Q1)        Christina Ricci was born on 12th February, 1980.   Who did she play in 1991’s The Addams Family?

Q2)        More to the point?   She played Marilyn Thornhill: in which Netflix series?

Q3)        12th February is the feast day of Saint Julian the Hospitaller.   He’s the patron saint of whom: jugglers, magicians or trapeze artists?

Q4)        Which US state was established as a British colony: on 12th February, 1733?

Q5)        Finally … ?   Josh Brolin was born on 12th February, 1968.   Who did he play in the Marvel franchise: Spiderman, Thanos or Thor?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1)        Actor, Leslie Nielsen was born on 11th February.   Of which year of the 1920s?

A1)        1926.

Q2)        He was born, where: Canada, the USA or Mexico?

A2)        Canada.

Q3)        He played Commander John J. Adams in which film: Forbidden Planet, Earth vs the Flying Saucers or Godzilla, King of the Monsters!?

A3)        Forbidden Planet.

Q4)        He played Lieutenant Frank Drebin.   In which TV series: The Lieutenant, CSI: Miami or Police Squad!?

A4)        Police Squad!.

Q5)        Finally … ?   He played Lieutenant Frank Drebin.   In which film: Forbidden Planet, Airplane! or The Naked Gun?

A5)        The Naked Gun.

Here’s a thought …

“If I hadn’t gone into acting, I would have been one of those weird runaways on Hollywood Boulevard.   No, it’d be uglier.   I’d probably be dead.”

Christina Ricci, born February 12, 1980.

And a Dominguinhos song …

The next ten question set is on Saturday: it’s about YouTube.

Your comments, and today’s answers, will be published in tomorrow’s Teaser.

AI is avoided when writing these questions.

Answers are as accurate as possible: at the time of writing.

Decisions about scores are final.

Thank you for coming: have a good day.

*        Hello, Mum!   (He played Frank Drebin in The Naked Gun movies, Mum, not Forbidden Planet!)

†        Wow: those dioramas were good, Olga!   I wouldn’t have the patience, myself.   And I didn’t realise they made large scale figures!

        I think you’re right about Amazon’s warehouse: this is one of the third party items that’s not in the UK warehouses.   I’ll be honest: I think the thing’s going to be like my current Mac mini.   They’re going to build the thing, first: then ship it to me.   From China.   (Well, I say like the Mac: I could keep track of the Mac, from the factory in Shenzhen, all the way to my front door.   The £10 toaster, by contrast …)

‡        I’m saying nothing, there, Debbi.   Except “There’s a blu-ray version on Amazon”.   The less said, the better, right?

        Oh, Olga’s gave me a link to a recent event at her radio station: I think you and Rick would appreciate a couple of the images …