Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 20-3-2026 — Red Nose Day.

20th March, 2026: Red Nose Day.

OK, it’s officially official: it’s pay day … !

Which, frankly, means I can put some money on the meter, get some shopping … and possibly buy an ice cream.

Yes, I know I’m diabetic, and really shouldn’t.

But the occasional treat doesn’t hurt!

~≈🍦≈~

Talking of the diabetes situation … ?

I have a blood glucose monitor: a monitor whose battery died, on Wednesday,

So, of course, I requested new ones, on Wednesday: and was told they’d be here within one to two working days.

The things got here, yesterday: within one day.

Dave the Postman can move, when he needs to.

~≈🔋≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 20-3-2025 — World Frog Day

20th March, 2025: World Frog Day.

Right … 

It’s now Thursday, the Spring equinox and World Frog Day.

The world’s excitement is either off the scale …

Or non-existant.

Either way?

I’ve posted a video, yesterday: of a bit of unboxing.

I’ve also done an experimental version of that video: with the free copy of DaVinci Resolve.

Why DaVinci?

Especially as I’m more familiar with iMovie, and can work quickly with it.

Well … 

Mostly because I fancied a change.

And both the free and paid for version of the app have reputations for being powerful for their size.

My only issues, so far?

Finding out how to use green screen compositing was tricky: some of the buttons were hard to find.

The transitions are good: but need figuring out.

There doesn’t seem to be audio fade-in/fade out options: at least, that I could see.

We’ll have to see what happens.

~≈🧑‍🎨≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 20-3-2024 — Snatched!

20th March, 2024: Snatched.

It’s Wednesday!

Yay!

And, frankly?

Right here and now, I’m not expecting much to happen: beyond, maybe, some washing, tumble-drying and putting t-shirts away!

Gosh, the excitement!

~≈Í≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 20th March 2023.

20th March, 2023.

Yes: I think I’m officially getting old.

I’ve got a painkilling gel for me knees: one that’s not as powerful as the co-codamol I’ve got, but equally, not one that makes me sleepy.

So … ?

I went to smear some on my knee, this morning.

I’m glad I was a little slow.

I realised I’d picked up the toothpaste … before I put it on my joints.

That could’ve been entertaining … 

~≈Œ≈~

It’s strange how time flies, sometimes.

Radio 4’s Today programme is reminding me it’s been twenty years since the start of the US Invasion of Iraq.

To the day.

That’s possibly going to be argued about for years: and something I felt was possibly — very possibly — unneeded … and possibly illegal.

It’s also, possibly something that’s given Vladimir Putin ideas.

Although I don’t see the US encouraging its allies to invade Russia: after the latter invaded a smaller neighbour.

At any rate?

It’s something I didn’t like then … and don’t like now.

But … ?

That still reminds me of a joke that was doing the rounds at the time.

Uday Hussein goes out to buy his father, Saddam, a gift.

And gave it to his father in a carrier.

When he handed it over to his father?

He said “The shop had run out of boxes, so they put it in a bag, Dad.”

I didn’t say it was a good joke, now did I … ?

~≈Œ≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 20-3-2022: Spike Lee

20th March, 2022.

It has to be said: it’s officially Sunday.

And, me being me … ?

I’ve got Radio Four’s Sunday Service on.

Or off, to be honest.

As much as I love having the radio on at this time of day … ?

Sometimes, the silence is golden.

~≈Ÿ≈~

At any rate … ?

At any rate, I managed to catch the last episode of classic Doctor Who series, Galaxy Four, on Friday: and finished my review, last night.

Feel free to hit Like, Share and subscribe … !

~≈Ÿ≈~

The Mandalorian — Series 2 Episode 7 — Chapter 15 The Believer — A Review

20th March, 2021.

Yes … 

This is getting to be something of a habit, by now.

Sitting in from of a screen, I should say.

Right now?   I’m sitting in front of a computer screen: having had a dinner that’s either too big, too small, or just too damn unhealthy for my own good.

An — arguably — home made cheese burger.

Or home cooked, at least.

Eaten whilst watching Star Trek Lower Decks: which I’m not going to write about.

There’s only so much time in the day, after all!

At any rate … ?

I have seen episode 7 of The Mandalorian.

And, with some Dave Brubeck in the background?

Wanted to set up my review of the episode, tonight: and finish it, tomorrow.

It gives me the chance to tell you to take … five … 

~≈V≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 20th March, 2021.

20th March, 2021.

It’s official: I’ve done a thing … !

A thing of great significance and joy: that will have implications for ALL HUMANITY!

OK: I’m possibly overcooking the significance, there.

All I’ve done — last night, with my main hard drive started running out of space — was shift my Photos library from my main drive, to my main external drive.

Granted?   It’s a change that I always feel nervous about making.

And granted, that means they won’t be backed up to my Time Machine back up drive*.

But?   Copies of the photos are still stored on iCloud.

And I have more space for photos.

~≈🖱≈~

That’s a thought: Facebook’s just thrown this advert at me.

‘Did you know why that … ?’

‘We have sat down with the person of a popular website …’

You’d think Facebook would provide a proofreader as part of its service!

Whoever wrote the text of that advert, needed one!

~≈🧑🏻‍💻≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 20th March, 2020.

20th March, 2020.

Do you ever get that … ?

Today’s Friday.   I know it’s Friday.   I’m very aware of it being Friday.   I can see — on my Mac’s MenuBar — the calendar item that tells me that it’s Friday.

Quite distinctly, Friday.

You know the day: the one at the end of the working week and that’s the holiest day of the week to our Muslim friends and neighbours.

Why the hell does it feel like Saturday … ?

God alone knows.

~≈Ü≈~

You, like me, have possibly realised that things are getting cancelled, left, right and centre, because of the Coronavirus.

Including this year’s Eurovision contest.

Which is a shame.

The Russian entry — sort of a Begbie/vory z meets Aqua doing the Ketchup song’s dance routine* — is truly nuts.

They’re even going for an attempt at Spanglish …

~≈Ü≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 20th March, 2019: Dame Vera.

20th March, 2019.

Yep: I’m mildly annoyed at Theresa May.

She’s ruined my plans for the 29th March … !

OK … 

Let me explain that, maybe … 

I’ve a Teaser planned and written for the 29th March: themed around the fact we were due to leave the EU.

Then, today … ?

Theresa May announced she will be asking the EU for a short delay.

OK, I’ve only needed to do a little rewriting … 

But, even so … 

~≈§≈~

Actually, about that Referendum?

I can remember that there were plenty of media coverage of why people wanted to vote leave.

Immigration seemed to form the biggest part.

But the idea the the UK was controlled by the European Union.

By, effectively, a foreign power.

However?   Donald Trump Jr — son of President Donald Trump — has written a column for the Daily Telegraph in which he criticises the Brexit process.

OK … the man’s entitled to his opinion.

But those sort of views coming from Trump Jr could indicate his father’s view.

Could indicate the general view of the Administration.

And, to me?

Smacks of an foreign power who wants control of another nation … 

And NOT the foreign power people were complaining about.

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 20th March, 2018

20th March, 2018.

I have to admit, I had an … issue … last night: believe it or not, whilst writing up the post about another episode of The Man in the High Castle.

Some of my media files?

Wouldn’t open with the version of QuickTime Player that cam with High Sierra – given me a rather long error code, ‘1718449215.’

I had to admit, I got a relatively late night: tinkering around, trying to see what I could do to solve the issue.

And realised that the files causing issues had extra audio tracks — commentary, remixed audio tracks, what-have-you — as opposed to the ones that weren’t causing problems.

Which had just the one.

The simplest fix I found for this?

Is simply to re-rip the file with HandBrake.

~≈§≈~

In other (ish) news?

I’ve now managed to connect the new blu-ray drive I bough to my new iMac.

It works: and happily shows up.

Unfortunately?

I can’t use the current version of HandBrake without using a hack: which, in theory lets me install libdvdcss, the library that lets me get around DVD’s copy protection.

Not, at least, without being asked to a root password in Terminal.

However, there’s a work around, there.

I can still MakeMKV* to turn the contents of a DVD or bluray into .mkv files: which can then be ripped by HandBrake, as usual.

There’s always a way … 

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 20-3-2017

There’s a worrying thought … 

I’ve noticed — on the BBC’s website — that’s someone’s done something.

Basically?

A chap in the States has bee prosecuted for sending a gif — an animated picture, in other words — designed to work in such a way that induces epilepsy.

Then sent it to a chap with epilepsy.

I know there’s talk of cyber warfare.

But that’s … 

Interesting … 

~≈Â≈~

In other news?

You’ll’ve read that my second monitor seems to have given up the ghost yesterday: at least, notionally.

One thing I know worked with a previous monitor?   Was tweaking the resolution.

Something I tried, last night, with that particular monitor.

With this one, however?   Beyond a few seconds, it didn’t take.

I suspect I’ll have to try something else … 

~≈Â≈~

The Daily Teaser — 20-3-2016

Oh, that’s the OTHER reason … 

I mentioned, yesterday, that I was doing a night shift: or an evening one, if you want picky.

6:30 to half past midnight.

I had to admit to being a touch nervous: it’s been a while since I’ve done one of those late shifts.

I’ve also realised something ELSE … 

And that’s the reason I’m grateful for not — usually — doing those late nights.

The time I get to bed is usually ridiculous.

And the morning after … ?

My head usually feels as if I’m going to yawn it off … 

~≈Â≈~