Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 19th August 2026

19th August, 2026.

It’s officially official: it’s Wednesday morning,

And … ?

And it’s rained overnight!

Hopefully?

We’ll get a bit more of that.

After two months of heatwaves, we need it.

~≈☔️≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 19-8-2025 — World Humanitarian Day.

19th September, 2025: World Humanitarian Day.

Did I mention I’ve got type two diabetes?   Amongst other things!

I’ve got type two diabetes, amongst other things!

Severe enough that I’ve been given a blood sugar monitor: complete with lancets and test strips, ones I’m still getting the hang of.

As a result?

My sharps bin’s been picked up for disposal, this morning.

After I’ve filled it far more rapidly than I’ve been used to.

I think I’m going to need a bigger bin!

My Usual Bin (1 litre.)

A Bigger Bin! (2.5 litre.)

~≈🗑️≈~

Something I’ve felt for a long time is this.

That local, and national, governments should use more open source software: as I feel it could be more economical, be far cheaper, for them.

Even if — in the short term — transferring from Microsoft-supplied software to its open-source equivalent, would cost a fortune*.

There’s also the simple fact that many of the technology companies are US based†: rather than — say — UK based.

Which could cause issues if a tariff-mad US president decided to impose tariffs on US companies selling to Europe and the UK.

I’ve just, quickly, read this piece on the BBC’s news website.

Which tells us there’s similar issues around cloud services.

Most of the infrastructure is controlled by three US companies: Amazon, Google and Microsoft.

And many government bodies in the European Union feel that cloud storage provided by European companies would be preferable.

After all, that could allow for less foreign control of EU and UK services.

I can only hope both the EU, and the UK, can support EU and UK cloud service companies.

Becoming less reliant on foreign powers can only be a good thing.

~≈👩🏽‍💻≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 19-8-2024 — World Humanitarian Day

19th August, 2024: World Humanitarian Day.

Right … it’s Monday … !

And … ?

I’ve got to be in Brentwood, today: for my usual weight management meeting.

I was up a few grams, last week.

Which surprised me, a week after the colonoscopy I had.

Here’s hoping.

~≈Ω≈~

I keep an eye on the technology news.

So was very aware of this piece from the BBC’s news site: that tells us how motion-capture performers are having to do explicit scenes … 

Without being informed in advance.

Hmmm … 

I can understand games companies wanting to keep their plotlines undercover.

They don’t want spoilers getting loose: nor have rivals pinching their ideas.

But … ?

Something I’ve noticed?

Is that a workforce will be far happier: if they know, in advance, what they’re going to be doing!

If someone could mention that to the offending games companies, those companies will have an easier time of things!

~≈Ω≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 19th August, 2022.

19th August, 2022.

You know the BBC’s struggling to keep up … 

When it’s news bulletins on Radio Four … are ahead of their website.

Yes: Apple has announced urgent security updates for iPhone, iPad, and Macs running Monterey.

As have a lot of news services.

The BBC has mentioned it in their news bulletins … but not on their website.

I think they’re slacking!

~≈Í≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 19-8-2021: Gene Roddenberry

19th August, 2021.

Well … 

We knew it was coming.

The £20 uplift to Universal Credit — the main unemployment benefit I’m on, as an unemployed person — comes to an end on 31st September.

I had a message about it from the DWP, last night.

For me, personally, and for my friends and neighbours who are in the same boat?

That’s one hell of a loss.

It is, after all, some £86 extra a month: £86 that makes life on the dole a lot more survivable.

For a single bloke like me, that’s money towards council tax, bills, food.

There’s families who will also be hit.

They’ll suffer a bit more, I think.

I’m upset about it: understandably.

It means Christmas is even more unaffordable than it was in 2020.

It means living is more unaffordable.

I’ll cope: there is help available.

I’ve also never voted Conservative: never.

I might: or at least, spoilt my vote, and not voted for others.

Had Boris Johnson’s government made the uplift permanent.

With Afghanistan occupying the news?

I see no sign of that change.

~≈£≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 19-8-2020: Watch Out, Google’s About

19th August, 2020.

Yes … I’ve finally managed to get restarted on something new for PhoenixFM.

Hopefully?   I’s something I’ll be able to get finished quickly: and keep it relevant.

Basically?

It’s going to be themed around Brentwood Council’s planning committee.

They’ve managed to make a pig’s dinner of the parking on my street.

And were — in part — responsible for the phone mast going down in the area.

That should grab someone’s attention.

~≈Æ≈~

That meeting I had, yesterday?   Went mildly askew!

The chap conducting it?   Got himself double booked: we ended up doing the meeting at three in the afternoon, rather than at ten.

Hmmm … 

At any rate?   I can now look for call centre work that wants me to work from home: safe in the knowledge I have provisional approval for the funding to get a Windows — yuck — laptop should I need it for work.

However?   We’ve still not found a place, locally that does the European Compute Driving License course.

We’ll have to check on that … 

~≈Æ≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 19-8-2019: Augustus Again

19th August, 2019.

Ok, OK … 

My voice isn’t stunning at this time of the morning.

But, if you suddenly get hit by an earworm, what are you supposed to do … apart from passing it on?

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 19-8-2018: Caesar Augustus

19th August, 2018.

Yes, I’ve got another early start!

I hate early starts.

But then … ?

I also hate not having money: or a job.

Frankly, though?

I still want to go back to bed!

Mostly to sleep.

But also because I’m reading Moorcock’s Behold the Man.

I love being a mass of contradictions.

~≈§≈~

At any rate?

And in the awareness I’m not going to see anything about it, this early of a Sunday morning … ?

But it’s still frustrating to not have a formal airdate for the first episode of Dr Who’s eleventh series.

Aaarrrghghghgh … 

Is putting it mildly … 

Especially when the BBC’s made another big announcement about Strictly … 

Oy veh … 

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 19-8-2017

Hmmm … 

That’s … 

Entertaining … 

Possibly … 

It seems Australia’s high court has ordered Internet Services Providers in the country to block fifty-nine websites.

Ones that allow users to access pirated content.

Personally?

I think that’s a good thing.

Very good: content creators will get the appropriate payment.

But … ?

Frankly, that’s not going to stop good ol’ fashioned piracy.

Especially when you consider how easy some forms are*.

~≈Â≈~