Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 1-1-2026 — The Archers (Ten Questions)

1st January, 2026: The Archers.

Right, then: it’s a refreshing start for a whole new year.

At least … we can … if we’re wearing clothes.

Going by the BBC’s weather site?

And a quick check outside?

My home town’s looking, and feeling, cold.

I should be grateful, though.

And old friend lives in southern Finland.

Apparently, it was -17°C, last night.

I should be grateful for heating … 

~≈❄️≈~

Or payments … 

UK benefit claimants had a bit of news, a day or two, ago.

Seemingly?

We should get a cold weather payment of twenty-five pounds: if the overnight weather stays under 0° for seven days in a row.

Assuming the boiler holds out?

I have enough on my meter to survive.

But … ?

I hot the weather holds out: that cash could coming in handy.

~≈💰≈~

I’m a big one for the macOS platform: you’ve possibly worked that out, over the years.

And mostly had a ok time with the platform.

Since the installation of an updated version of the operating system — macOS Tahoe 26·1, to be precise — I’ve notice overheating issues: that seem to be linked to having one or more Pages documents, open.

Linked to processes that Activity Monitor lists as ‘kernel_task’ and ‘corespotlightd’.

Checking with Apple’s support wasn’t helpful: beyond identifying that Pages seemed to be causing the issue, neither was asking on Apple’s support community.

Neither was Macworld’s article on the problem: they’s seemingly simple fix didn’t work.

Quite what’s going on … ?

I don’t know.

But I think it’s something Apple need to sort out: the opinions of a few people I’ve talked to is that it’s an issue with Pages.

And that it’s something Apple needs to sort out.

~≈🍎≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 1-1-2025 — Frankenstein

1st January, 2025: Frankenstein.

Yay!

It’s 2025!

Which means we can now be officially happy and cheerful!

Or winging about the ABBA tunes earworming their way through our heads … !

Heigh … ho!

~≈🎉≈~

I’ve possibly mentioned that I rip — copy — blurays and DVDs: using a mix of MakeMKV and Handbrake.

Indeed, I mentioned it, in yesterday’s Teaser.

I just wanted to add an update: and tell you I’ve owned two new Macs over the past year.

And that I’ve used the new one — a 2024 Mac mini — to copy the discs in the Doctor Who Season 25 Collection, and transcoded some of the discs with it.

I’m halfway through transcoding the copies.

And … ?

I’ve not done any scientific measurements … but this model seems to transcode the discs in around three to four hours: compared to the previous model’s five to six.

I don’t know about you: but I’m mildly impressed.

~≈🍹≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 1st January 2024

1st January, 2024.

Yay!

It’s the first day of a whole new year!

And … ?

I’m feeling vaguely optimistic: as I always do.

I suspect that could well be the hopes one has for a new year.

But also the simple fact that Christmas — with all the attendant stress, expense and worry — is over for another year.

Heigh ho!

At any rate?

I can leave you with the album I’ve got playing in the background … 

~≈Ù≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 1-1-2023 — New Year’s Day.

1st January, 2023: New Year’s Day.

Right … it’s now the first day of 2023.

So … ?

I can officially say this: 

Happy New Year!

Frankly?

I can only hope the weather’s milder: the summer of 2022 — and the week before Christmas, 2022 — were comparatively extreme.

Forty degree heat, and -16, overnight?

Is not something I want to live through, too often!

~≈★≈~

At any rate … ?

I didn’t catch a film, last night: as I was looking after my nephew, Jude.

We ended up chatting, for the most part.

So there’s no video, today.

We’ll have to see what happens, next time.

~≈★≈~

Eve of the Daleks — A Review

1st January, 2021.

Right … ?

It’s just gone six on a Saturday night: and some silly quiz is on the TV, right now.

Frankly?

It’s noise: at least, as far as I’m concerned.

Its replacement … ?

Is a celebrity version of The Weakest Link: hosted by Romesh Ranganathan.

Which is a bit more watchable: even if I don’t recognise the celebrities.

At any rate … ?

I’ve got these on, as I’m waiting for the first of three Dr Who specials for 2022: Eve of the Daleks.

~≈📺≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 1-1-2021: The Month of January

1st January, 2022.

Right … it’s now officially 2022.

Frankly?

I’m wishing you — and my regular readers — a Happy New Year.

Here’s hoping it’s better than last year.

Or, at least, less diseased.

COVID’s been hanging around for a while.

Oh, one news item that DID stick in my mind?

You possibly will have seen singing the Robert Burns tune, Auld Lang Syne, on New Year’s Eve: and standing in a circle, with arms cross-linked with those of their neighbours.

It turns out the ritual is linked to the Freemasons: it’s an old tradition of theirs.

Something I wasn’t too surprised about.

Burns was a Mason, after all.

~≈⬆︎≈~

Dr Who — New Year’s Day Special 2021: Revolution of The Daleks.

1st January, 2021.

As a warning: this post contain’s mild spoilers.

Be aware of that, if you’ve not yet seen Revolution of The Daleks.

Right … 

It’s officially the case: it’s New Year’s Day.

I’ve had dinner at my family’s: in case you didn’t know.

Bœuf bourguignon, so you know.

And … ?

And, you say … ?

I’ll confess to being rushed … and possibly not believing my eyes!

And possibly getting myself in trouble … !

At any rate … ?   I’ve managed to see this years Dr Who NewYears’ Day special, Revolution of The Daleks.

And have come away impressed.

~≈⌘≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 1-1-2021: New Year’s Day.

1st January, 2021.

It’s officially the case: it’s now 2021.

Frankly?

I can only hope it’s an improvement on 2020.

I know this: I know the Coronavirus is still causing issues.

I think it’s going to be doing that for some months to come.

I’m also aware that the UK has now formally left the EU: something I believe to be the greatest single mistake the country’s ever made, in the process.

Especially given the ongoing talk that Scotland wants it’s independence from the UK, in the wake of the UK collective bad decision.

Good luck, Scotland.

~≈†≈~

Just as an extra thought on the Brexit front?

You’ll realise the UK’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is a notable Leaver: as his incredible jingoistic claims tell us.

What’s going to embarrass him?

Is the fact his father, Stanley Johnson, has decided to seek French citizenship.

Good for him!

I wish I could do the same.

The UK outside the EU is a disaster waiting to happen.

~≈†≈~

On a more positive — ish — note?

I’ve now got a new external optical drive: which is working well enough.

And … ?

I’ve managed to make some spaghetti sauce for dinner.

And successfully change the recipe: adding more stock, and adding flour as a thickening agent later than I originally did.

About the only flaw?   I forgot to add the garlic I’d bought!

That’s was silly: but at least it means I have a little more experience, for the next time I do chilli con carne

~≈†≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 1-1-2020: Twenty-twenty

1st January, 2020.

Yes: it’s officially official.

I — with a bit of help from my sisters, Anna and Ruth, and my nephew, Jude* — saw Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

You can read my (quick) review, here.

Needless to say, though?

I enjoyed it.

It’s not perfect, but I enjoyed it.

But I can’t help but wonder.

At one point, the number 42 get’s a prominent (ish) mention: along side C3-PO asking if he was in the afterlife.

Where did they get that from?

Oh … 

And at least ONE character’s floating around looking like a cross between Davros and Vladimir Harkonnen.

Which is sort of appropriate, as the revived Dune is due to air, this year.

Like I say: it’s not perfect: but is a very good way of rounding off the series.

~≈Ç≈~

Dr Who — New Year’s Day Special 2019: Resolution

1st January, 2019.

You know, I THINK … my nephew likes games.

At least … he’s been over, tonight, to see Doctor Who.

Which we ended up watching, I should add.

Although it has to said, Jude has decided he like the look of Armagetron Advanced, the light-bike style game that’s been on my Mac for … 

Well, ever since I got a Mac running a version of OS X.

The PPC version of Tiger (OS X 10•4•x) on an old G4 …



Since you’re asking.



About the only WORRYING thing … ?



Is that Armagetron Advanced hasn’t managed to upgrade to a 64 bit version.

I’m getting a worrying amount of “This App Is Not Optimised” warnings …

At any rate, the reason my nephew was over … ?

Was the TV … 

Was specifically a TV show … 

The TV show … 

Dr Who … 

Resolution … 

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 1-1-2019: Annus Novus

1st January, 2019.

You can just picture it, now, can’t you … ?

It’s now, officially, 2019: and I’m dancing around my front room, in an over-excitable way.

Actually, no, scrub that … 

It’s not an especially pretty site!

At any rate?

It’s now 2019: Happy New Year to you … !

~≈§≈~

In amongst all that … ?

I’ve got the BBC’s Tech Tent Quiz of the Year, at the moment: fascinating listen, I should add.

It’s nice to know they … um … beat me to a question with yesterday’s Review of The Year quiz.

The one about the Spectre and Meltdown security holes.

Hopefully?

That’s a flaw that will get fixed: soon.

Personally?

I think we’ll see more flaws like them.

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 1-1-2017: New Year’s Day

Hmmm … 

That’s THAT delivered … 

I know have a webcam* — whose microphone I haven’t worked out how to use — and an external floppy drive I’ll try out later.

Oh, and a large capacity internal hard drive.

Right now?

I’m transferring my TV series collection from the old two terabyte one, to the new four terabyte one.

It’s … going … … slowly … 

Once that’s done, though?

I can sell the thing to my local CeX.

Always appreciated … 

Even MORE appreciated?   The simple fact that Amazon actually got it right: and delivered to both the correct address … !

That’s even more appreciated … !

~≈Ÿ≈~