Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18th July 2026.

18th July, 2026.

It’s officially Saturday: and looking both hot, sunny … and quiet.

Unless we get invaded by Martians: there’s possibly be a lot of screaming, if there was … !

Ho hum … !

~≈👽≈~

Just as a final thought, before we move on?

I notice a few people have been stuck in traffic on the M25.

I can only hope that jam has cleared: whilst playing you the one song I know that’s about the London Orbital … 

~≈🛣️≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18-7-2025 — The Bob Newhart Show.

18th July, 2025: Bob Newhart.

Right … 

It’s now Friday.

And … ?

Last night saw me watch the first episode of the new, third, series of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

I’ll have my review of the first episode up, by tomorrow, at the latest.

But have to admit, the episode — “Hegemony, Pt 2” — looks good.

Keep your eyes peeled … !

~≈🖖≈~

Did you know that the UK’s current voting age — at least for UK general elections — is eighteen?

The UK’s current voting age for general elections is eighteen.

There’s exceptions for regional elections in Scotland and Wales, for the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Senedd and Scottish and Welsh local councils: but as a general rule, it’s eighteen for general elections.

Yesterday … ?

The Government announced that it was planning to introduce legislation to lower the voting age to sixteen.

And allow people to use bank cards as a form of voter ID.

The ID requirements being changed, is a very good idea.

When those requirements were originally introduced, the plan was to make them a paid for service: which, if you’re in my shoes, was and is unaffordable.

So changing those requirements, to include a commonly-held item?

Is a good move.

The age requirements?

Are very welcome.

I feel this will increase turn out, encourage youngsters to vote and let teens have a direct influence on political decisions that affect them.

Especially things like the Brexit Referendum, so many years ago.

I feel the right option — Remain — would have won, if the age for that specific vote had been lowered.

I can only hope this reform passes when it comes before Parliament.

~≈🗳️≈~

Did I mention an old role-playing game called Traveller?

I had — and still have — copies of the rules on my bookshelves.

Well, most of the rules.

I didn’t have a copy of Book Four: Mercenary.

Something I managed to remedy: buy the simple expedient of buying a second hand copy on Ebay.

It got here, on Wednesday.

I was pleased by the speed … 

And by the thing’s condition.

For a book first published in the early 1980s, it’s in very good condition.

~≈📔≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18th July, 2024

18th July, 2024.

Yay!

It’s Thursday!

Which means — obviously — that’s it’s the day after Wednesday: and after my nephew has released his latest masterpiece.

Feel free to hit the like button!

~≈®≈~

Oh … I had the radio on, earlier: and heard current, Labour, Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, tell that he’s “ … initiated a process.”

Rather than “… started something.”

There’s possibly other examples in that interview.

And, although I can’t find any right now?

There’s possibly plenty of Conservative equivalents: point them out to me, when you find them!

The Who had a point, in “Won’t Get Fooled, Again”:

“… the parting on the left

Is now parting on the right.”

~≈®≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18th July, 2023.

18th July, 2023.

It’s officially Tuesday.

And, frankly?

I’m feeling both rushed, and tired.

After all, I was up early, yesterday: to attend my weight management group, and wait for an engineer.

Today … ?

I’m up early to attend a (phone) PIP assessment.

Hopefully, that will go well.

But I won’t know for a while.

~≈∏≈~

You noticed I mentioned an ‘engineer’?

Yes: I was supposed to have one visit: to fit two smart, pay-as-you-go, utility meters.

One for gas, one for electricity.

He phoned me, before he got here.

Guess what?

He only had the electricity meter.

The appointment’s been rearranged for next week.

~≈∏≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18-7-2022: Uruguay.

18th July, 2022.

Right … it’s Monday.

A Monday that sees many of us, here in England, issued with Red Heat Warnings.

My part of the world?

Is facing predicted highs of 38°C.

Frankly?

I might just have to dig up my fan … 

~≈Ç≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18-7-2021: Nelson Mandela

18th July, 2021.

Yep: it’s officially a Sunday.

And — as you could possibly tell from the intro video — it’s nice out.

Frankly … ?   That’ll make going for a stroll, later, rather pleasant.

~≈Á≈~

The Old Guard — A Review.

18th July, 2020.

Right now … ?

It has to be said, right now, I seriously need some cash.

I’m right when — in the video intro for this post — I say I need to see a film.

And need a haircut.

No … I really need a haircut … !

It’s getting frustratingly lank … !

~≈†≈~

It’s not, unfortunately, something I can do anything about … yet.

At least, until I get paid.

That’s the point I’ll be joining the queue for the nearest barbers.

Just me, there’s a a few of them: queues and barbers.

But it’s not something I can do anything about, right here and now.

Saying that, I can — and have — gone for the other option in I mention in the introduction.

Yes.

I’ve seen a film.

The Gina Prince-Bythewood directed, The Old Guard.

Hmmm … 

~≈†≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18th July, 2020.

18th July, 2020.

It looks like it’s a definite.

I have an interview, on Monday.

Not for a job … but for Phoenix FM, Brentwood’s local radio station.

It should go live on their website, the day after, and on air on Thursday.

Frankly?

I’m hoping it goes well.

~≈¥≈~

Did you hear about recent Twitter hack?   One-hundred and thirty celebrity accounts were hacked as a result of social engineering — a con, in other words — and promoted a bitcoin scam.

You sent whoever it was $1000 dollars worth of bitcoin: they’d send you $2000’s worth back*.

One noticeably absent hackee?

Was Donald Trump.

I’d love to have see the bloody idiot caught up in it.

But … ?

I suspect his account’s heavily protected.

Equally?

I suspect eighty-three million people handing over one thousand dollars to a scammer … ?

Well … 

There’d be hell to pay.

~≈¥≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18-1-2020: Danny Kaye.

18th January, 2020.

I’ve had news … 

Or, at least, a visit … 

As you possibly know — if you’ve been reading the past days’ worth of Teaser posts — that I’ve had. problems with my boiler.

I’ve no hot water, in other words.

I had the initial engineer’s visit on Wednesday.

With the supervisor’s visit — what’s called a DCR survey — on Friday.

The good news?

Is that the supervisor told me he’s going to be recommending I get a replacement boiler: and should hear by Monday.

Here’s hoping.

~≈†≈~

You’re possibly aware I’m a Terry Pratchett fan: one’s who’s not too pleased by BBC America’s upcoming series The Watch series: based on — or inspired by — his work.

Firstly?   I’m not the only one who’s concerned.

At least, going by this article.

From what I can see?   It’s loosely — very loosely — on Nightwatch: possibly Sir Terry’s best Discworld novel.

Let me share a quote from the last page of the book, if I may?

‘There’s a trial, tomorrow,’ said Vimes sharply.
‘Ah, yes. Of course. And it will be a fair one,’ said the Patrician.
‘It better be,’ said Vimes. ‘I want this bastard to hang, after all.’
p.364, Night Watch, Terry Pratchett.

The bastard in question is a character called Carcer, so you know: he’s the villain of the piece.

Now, I always assumed both Sam Vimes and Carcer were/are white: as Sir Terry doesn’t specify their ethnicities.

Given that?

We have a funny, and cynical, line: that shows us the state Sam Vimes mind after a rough story: and makes a funny comment about the state of the police mind.

The series?

Casts a white actor — Richard Dormer — as Sam Vimes.

And a black actor — Sam Adewunmi — as Carcer.

Suddenly?   That ‘I want this bastard to hang’ line looks distinctly nasty.

It makes my favourite writer look racist, it makes BBC America — the BBC division producing the show — look racist … 

And makes BBC America look like they’re selling a racist product to a country which has stopped its white citizens lynching its black citizens … but still has a problem with white police officer shooting black civilians.

I have enough doubts about the show to not want to watch it.

This … ?

Tells the BBC America has made a serious cock-up.

~≈†≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18th July, 2019.

18th July, 2019.

Yes: my floor’s a state.

Yes: the steam cleaner can only help so far.

But, yes: I managed to get as much of it cleaned up … when my new oven got both delivered.

It amazes the amount of crap that builds up in the gaps you can’t normally get at.

~≈§≈~

Did you know Facebook were planning to introduce their own cryptocurrency?

Something called Libra.

I get the impression that’s not necessarily going to go well: although the company claims it will make sending money internationally a lot easier, regulators are uneasy.

I also note that the blockchain part — the chain of servers underpinning a cryptocurrency — is going to be limited to a few servers.

Unlike Bitcoin: where the likes of you and I can run a bitcoin mine, regardless of how well we understand the maths.

Personally?

We’ll have to see how that one goes.

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18th July, 2018

18th July, 2018.

Yes: it’s Wednesday, and it’s decidedly a morning … of a day back at work!

Oy veh … !

It’s ALSO a morning where — as ever — I’ve got the radio on.

And something that’s cropped up … ?

Is that streaming services provided by Amazon and Netflix — and others like them — are now increasing popular: mores than many pay TV services from the likes of Sky, Virgin or BT.

That’s possibly a good thing.

Although it would be nice if I could afford them on a regular basis.

Not on my money!

Saying that?

I’m sure the finances will improve.

Either way?

It’s interesting to see how the technology has changed, and developed, over the years.

I’d love keep watching it …

~≈§≈~

Talking of watching?

You know I caught The Endless, on Sunday?

It opened with a quote — “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” — from H. P. Lovecraft.

Which got me thinking I should try and catch a film based on his work.

I caught The Color Out Of Space.

Interesting watch, that … 

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18-7-2017

You know … 

I’ve got a day off!

That that I’m planning much.

Bar visiting the opticians, of course.

I don’t think I mentioned it: but I had an eye test, last week.

Today?

Sees me getting my new reading glasses fitted.

Something to look forward to!

Well … 

That … and possibly more episodes of American Horror Story.

Although, frankly?

I’m looking forward to series four of The Strain!

I’m just hoping it hits iTunes, soon!

~≈Ÿ≈~

The Witch — Crikey!

18th July, 2016.

Can I make a confession, here?

Can I … ?

I’m NOT a video gamer.

You can possibly tell, can’t you … ?

Oh, I play video games.

And happen to have concluded that Pac the Man X, by McSebi Software, is a better implementation of the game, than the official Mac version of Pac-man that Namco released on the App Store while back.

And now seem to have mysteriously withdrawn.

At ANY rate?

At ANY rate, I tend to chose not to spend my spare time playing computer games.

No, I TEND to prefer movies, TV shows, music — I’m listening to an internet radio station as we speak — to games.

Tonight?

Tonight, I’ve had some spare time.

And enough credit on my iTunes store account to rent a film.

The film in question?

Was the 2015 release from Robert Eggers, The Witch.

‘Crikey’ … ?

‘Crikey’ doesn’t even start!

~≈Ê≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18-7-2016

You know, I’ve just had a lot at my phone’s Weather app.

Frankly?

It looks like we’re actually due some sunshine, for once.

Which would be nice.

Personally, though … ?

I’m planning on opening a window.

Getting a bit of airflow could be good.

~≈Ü≈~

Just as a quick thought … ?

I’ve woken up this morning to good weather.

And to the news that ARM Holdings — the company that makes so many processors in mobile devices*, and Britain’s biggest technology firm — is to be sold to Japanese company, Softbank.

I’m not convinced it’s a completely good idea.

Part of the reasons I’ve always tried to encourage the use of open source operating system, Ubuntu†?   Is that — in part — the thing is British made.

I feel that encouraging British made technology is a good thing.

Yes, I know the UK needs to encourage foreign investment: and the Japanese company doing the buying intends to keep ARM based in the UK.

But I’m not totally convinced.

~≈Ü≈~