Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12-3-2026 — 71

12th March, 2026: Number 71.

It’s officially official: it’s Thursday.

So … ?

It’s officially the day after I was supposed to have a hygienist’s appointment.

Which fell through.

The hygienist was ill, it seems.

I found this out, as my dentist phoned me, yesterday morning: just as I was going for a stroll around the block.

I’m thankful it didn’t long to walk back to the flat, switch on the Mac, and re-arrange the diary.

That’s all sorted … but lord, the dentists know how to time things!

~≈🦷≈~

It’s that time of year when prices — rent, utilities, what have you — go up.

But also when, for those of us who get benefits, get whatever increases we’re due.

There’s possibly a sarcastic comment, there.

At any rate … I, like so many others, are due an increase in April.

So, of course, I’ve looked up the potential increases: and dound I’m due a ~£3 a week increase in Personal Independence Payments, and a £24 a month increase in Universal Credit.

Which will be useful.

A little lower down, there was an entry that said people like me, on Universal Credit with Limited Capability for Work, could expect a payment of £158·76p.

My morning started looking interesting: potential extra money is always promising.

But is always worth double checking.

So I did: leaving a message for my case officer on the Universal Credit website.

Only to be told that the £158·76p payment was for those who’d been transferred from Employment Support Allowance, to Universal Credit with Limited Capability for Work.

I wasn’t surprised, as I wasn’t expecting to get any extra money: it’s nice to get it confirmed.

But equally?

It would’ve been nice to get an extra payment.

Heigh … ho!

~≈£≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12th March 2025.

12th March, 2025.

Right … I’m up early … again!

Yep: I’m back to the hygienist, today.

And have a video conference with my Job Centre case worker: an hour and a half, later.

Which means I only have to go up and down Warley Hill, once …

Ho hum!

~≈🪥≈~

Just as a thought … ?

#GNUTerryPratchett.

If you know, you know …

~≈💀≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12th March 2024.

12th March, 2024.

Yay!

It’s Tuesday!

Which means I’ll be baby-sitting — teen-sitting? — my nephew.

So you may want to keep an eye on his channel, just in case of uploads!

You may want to keep an eye on mine, too, as I’ve to a review due: you’ll see that go past, later!

~≈Ω≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12th March 2023.

12th March, 2023.

Yes!

I’ve officially finished my video review of ‘No Win Scenario,’ the most recent episode of Star Trek Picard.

It’s got to be said: it’s proving to be quite an entertaining series!

~≈🖖≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12-3-2022: Mauritius

12th January, 2022.

Right … 

It’s now officially Saturday.

Which means I’ll possibly doing a lot of things: including a little light shopping.

Nothing exciting, in other words.

I will be finishing up my review of the third episode of Galaxy Four, tonight.

I hope you’re enjoying them!

~≈🐙≈~

Just in case you’re following the war … ?   And I’m willing to bet you know perfectly well which war I’m talking about … but … 

Just in case you’re following the war, you’re possibly — like me — following the technology news around it.

Instagram’s been blocked in Russia, for example.

The BBC’s launched dark web versions of its news pages: in Russia, Ukrainian and English*.

And … ?   A Norwegian IT chap’s set up a website that lets you send emails about the war to up to one hundred and fifty Russian emails addresses.

I wish the BBC had given the web address: that sounds like a simple way of making a contribution.

~≈📧≈~

Just as a final thought for Terry Pratchett fans reading this … ?

I’ve just tweeted this, on the anniversary of his death:

#GNUTerryPratchett.

To All Towers:

‘He’d never have wanted to go home. He was a real linesman. His name is in the code, in the wind in the rigging and the shutters. Haven’t you ever heard the saying “A man’s not dead while his name is still spoken”?’

Going Postal.

*Retweet*

— Paul Downie (@Cuddy2977) March 12, 2022

Feel free to retweet it.

~≈🐥≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12th March, 2021.

12th March, 2021.

I know, I know … !

We have birdsong!

It’s got to be said, that’s still a lovely thing to hear.

One of these days?

I’ll have to ask my landlords if I can put a bird box up.

I used to live in what was Brentwood’s maternity hospital: now a set of council run bedsits near Shenfield Common.

And there was a gap in the roof, above my main window, that birds would nest in.

I’m blowed if I could tell you what kind of birds: beyond saying ‘small ones!’

But I miss the singing, in the mornings.

~≈Á≈~

Diabetes: Day 1

Glucose molecule.

20th March, 2020.

Right ...

Those of you who read Nik Nak's Old Peculiar on a regular basis?

Will probably realise I usually put in an introductory video in at the start of a post.

At least, I have done for a couple of years, now.

The result of being gifted a desktop with a webcam.

It's made something of a difference to my YouTube channel, I know that.

Viewers get to see more of me ...

At any rate ... ?

I'm out of work.

Recently been given a laptop ... without a webcam.

So I'm in Brentwood Library ... blogging old style ...

~≈¥≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12th March, 2020.

12th March, 2020

Remember, a few days ago, now, that I’d been provisionally diagnosed with diabetes?

And need to arrange a second, confirmatory, blood test: for tomorrow?

I had the official call from my GP, last night: I don’t need the blood tests.

She’s confirmed I’ve got diabetes: and has arranged for a course of Metformin for me.

Apparently?   It’s not recommend for those who drink a lot.

Not an issue for me.

Oh, and it can cause diarrhoea.

That’s got an upside: I needed to lose weight … 

~≈†≈~

Oh, something that cropped up in the news, today?

Apparently, in a recent case against a former local politician — for possession of indecent images of children — the police made a bit of a cockup … if you’ll excuse the phrase.

Seemingly?

West Yorkshire Police had a hard drive of the offender’s — complete with tons of indecent images — locked up in a safe for some fourteen years.

And didn’t hand it in until after the offender — a former Mayor of Leeds — was gaoled in 2017.

I’m very aware I’m not infallible: as are you, him, her, the police, and everyone else.

But that … ?

Seems a bit of a big one … 

~≈†≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12th March, 2019.

12th March, 2019.

Yep: it’s true.

I’ve just looked out of my front room window.

Frankly?   The weather’s looking revolting … !

It’s … 

Not exactly what you call nice … !

~≈§≈~

Weather aside?

I have to admit to feeling mildly thoughtful, right now.

It is, after all, the second anniversary of the death of Sir Terry Pratchett.

And … ?

Well, I can’t help but wonder what he’d make of the whole Brexit situation.

Especially since Going Postal and Making Money were inspired by misbehaving big business, and the banking system … 

And especially as today sees Parliament make — Ha! — a meaningful vote on the subject.

We’ll never know.

We can only quietly wonder.

~≈§≈~

Something I’m also aware of?

Is that Sir Terry was interested in computers: how they worked, interacted, and what they let us do.

He’d possibly have been interested in the news Sir Tim Berners-Lee has issued a statement about the state of the World Wide Web … and where he thinks it’s going badly.

And … ?

Well, he’s made several suggestions, including a Contract for the Web: a set of ideals that would guide the Web’s use.

Frankly?

I’ve no idea if that would ever be accepted.

But … ?

In signing it, I think we can tell people it’s a set of ideals worth aiming for.

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12-3-2017

You know … 

It’s a yawning Sunday … 

In other words?

It’s going to be one of those days where I’ll be yawning … 

Quite a bit.

Remember, yesterday, I told you I’d got my ageing carcass out of bed at six?   To get to work at eleven?

Well, my usual Sunday hours … ?

Mean getting up at six, again: to start at eleven.

I’m not complaining too much: I like money, after all.

But, boy … 

It’ means Chelmsford is going to be yawn city … 

~≈Ê≈~