Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 21st February 2026.

21st February, 2026.

Right: for those of you who didn’t know … ?

My building’s communal TV aerial was fixed, yesterday: after yours truly — me, in other words — phoned in the repair.

Just so you know?

I got told the engineers would be hear between 8·00 and 13·00.

And … ?

Got a little panicky, by about 9·30/10·00: when no-one had contacted me about the repair.

I was just talking to the contact-centre person, when there was a knock at the door.

From the engineers, telling me that the fault was a loose connection, that the repair had been done … and that I could turn my TV back on.

Remind me to keep it together, would you … ?

~≈📺≈~

I’m on Facebook.

Which you probably knew.

And, like anyone else who uses the service?

I play some of the sillier games: and, inevitably, have tons of adverts thrown at me.

Recently?

I’ve had quite a few thrown at me: for various forms of tai-chi exercise.

From the little I can see?

The exercises are aimed at men my age, promote health, strength, inner calmness, energy, muscle building, weight loss, unlimited bowls of rice pudding and will, apparently, ‘surprise my wife’.

I’ll let you work that one out for yourself.

At any rate … the things are usually presented by someone who looks like a professional body builder.

Or, at least, works out at the gym for eight hours a day, seven days a week.

So … ?

Given the presenters seem just a touch inappropriate?

I’m going to pass on the offers.

I’d need major surgery to get a stomach likes those: not a dubious scheme … 

~≈🏋️‍♂️≈~

Just as a last thought … ?

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — the artist formerly known as Prince Andrew — is in trouble.

To the point where he’s been stripped of his titles, there’s talk of taking him out of the Line of Succession … and his former Royal Protection officers are being asked serious questions.

In all this … ?

I noted the mentions he’s had in the Epstein Files … and remember the tabloids called him Randy Andy, back in the day.

I’m showing my age, there.

But not as much as he is …

~≈😵‍💫≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 21-2-2025 — The New Yorker.

21st February, 2025: The New Yorker.

It’s officially official: I’ve got an earworm!

“Horses”: the title track from Patti Smith’s album of the same name.

Why?

Well, I don’t know: I’d probably need to be a neuroscientist to tell you that!

~≈🦉≈~

Oh … 

That’s news.

Apparently?   Barbara Broccoli and Micheal G. Wilson — the creative team behind the James Bond franchise — have sold the creative rights to Amazon.

I’m not quite sure how I feel about that.

But?

Can appreciate it’s going to provoke strong feelings.

Just like Disney’s acquisition of Star Wars.

Heigh-ho!

~≈🕵🏻‍♂️≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 21-2-2024 — International Mother Language Day

21st February, 2024: International Mother Language Day.

It’s officially official: I’ve had to turn the tumble dryer off.

No, before you ask, there’s nothing wrong with it!

What actually happened … ?

Was that I had to fish out the tape measure that got in there.

Can someone remind me to put things like that in a drawer?

Cheers!

~≈Ç≈~

Did I tell you my street’s had a new broadband cabinet put in?

My street’s just had a new broadband cabinet put in: in case you didn’t know.

With the net result that:

• Most buildings in the area have workmen putting additional connections in.
• We’ve had at least one wandering salesman knock on our doors.

I had one banging on my door, the other day.

Apparently, his company’s basic package costs twenty-five pounds a month.

Five pounds more than I’m paying.

He didn’t get a sale … … 

~≈Ç≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 21-2-2023 — The Communist Manifesto.

21st February, 2023: The Communist Manifesto.

YAY!

It’s officially official!

I had me nephew, Jude, over, yesterday.

And?   We got the video we’d been working, last week, finished.

Feel free to hit Like and Share, please!

Jude ALSO fancies doing a live stream: something I’ve never done, so I’m going to have to read up on.

Hey HO!

~≈¥≈~

At ANY rate?

That wasn’t the only video posted, yesterday.

Nope: I managed to catch ‘All In,’ the third episode of For All Mankind’s third series.

You know … I think footnotes can be handy … … 

~≈¥≈~

The Mandalorian — Series 2 Episode 3 — Chapter 11 The Heiress — A Review

20th February, 2021.

Yes: it’s another post about The Mandalorian.

Why?

Because I happen to like the series!

As ever, though?

It’s a post I’m starting tonight, on Saturday, 20th February: so I can, at least, get an early night.

Frankly, I’ve just started re-reading Killing for Company: and want to get another chapter finished!

I’ll catch you tomorrow.

~≈¥≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 21st February, 2021

21st February, 2021.

Right … it’s Sunday, again … it only seems a week since the last one … 

Yes, quite!

At any rate?   I caught another episode of The Mandalorian, last night.

Once I’ve got the written and video reviews done?

I’ll be hitting the share button.

~≈‡≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 21-2-2020: The Phone Book.

21st February, 2020.

You know BT — my internet service and phone provider — are wonderful.

Really.

They’re kind, warm and wonderfully fluffy, and you can pet them for hours.

He says, with his tongue very firmly stuck in his cheek.

On a more honest front?

They’ve decided to stop supporting desktop email clients.

Which means I can’t use Thunderbird or Mail to access my email: just the website.

Not something I’m happy with … 

~≈¥≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 21st February, 2019.

21st February, 2019.

Right … 

You’ve possibly watch the introductory video, there … 

And wondered what on EARTH I’m talking about … 

Well … 

I had an interview, yesterday: for a call centre job with BT.

One I was quite pleased to get.

Especially as I’d applied for a couple of similar roles for BT: and had failed on the online assessments.

This one went differently: I didn’t have to do the online assessment, but went straight to the office in London Road.

To do an interview … and a group assessment.

Personally?

Personally, I think I did well enough: I certainly feel good about how I performed.

But won’t know for sure, until next Friday.

It’d be nice to get the job … 

But we’ll have to see … 

~≈§≈~

NikNak’s Daily Teaser — 21st February, 2018.

21st February, 2018.

Yep … 

I — quite definitely — need to get a smaller chair.

Or, at least, a shorter one.

One that — basically — lets me … you know … 

Get my rear a little bit nearer the floor!

It’s not uncomfortable.

On the other hand?

It is uncomfortable.

Hmmm … 

I’m a mass of contradictions …

~≈§≈~

One thing I’ve found ?

Lurking about on screen, this morning, I’ve found I can go into a split screen mode in High Sierra.

Personally?

I want a third monitor, so I can write for the blog a lot more easily: one set of webpages on my left, another on the right, with what’s being written on the main display.

Right now, though?

I think that’s going to be a useful feature in time to come.

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 21-2-2017

What on Earth is going on in my head … ?

I suffer from earworms, songs that play through my head for no apparent reason.

At least, for no more apparent reason than — say — I’ve seen the title used as a newspaper headline.

Or seen a word that used in the title, what have you.

Then there’s the song that’s been floating around my head, since last night: Sue Wilkinson’s You‘ve Got to Be A Hustler, If You Want To Get On.

Quite what’s going on there, I don’t know.

But the dratted thing’s been floating around my head for hours.

TWANG … !

~≈®≈~

The Daily Teaser — 21-2-2016

It’s official.

We now have a referendum lined up.

Just in case you didn’t know?   Yesterday say the Prime Minister announce that — after protracted negotiations about reforms that define the UK’s position in the EU — the UK would be holding a referendum on whether to leave the organisation.

Or to stay in.

On the 23rd of June, this year.

Had a referendum happened twenty years ago?

I would have voted to leave.

Now … ?

I’ll happily admit, I’ve no idea how I’ll be voting: and will probably only finally decide in the voting booth.

I do know this much.

I’d heard arguments — most from those of a pro-Europe stance — that EU membership is a good thing: and that a referendum is unneeded.

I’d disagree.

I think a referendum — whatever it’s outcome — is needed.

This is such an important decision, that we — you and me — must have our say.

~≈Á≈~

Hellraiser: Demons to some, angels, to others …

21st February, 2009.

Yep, I know it’s another old movie.

But one that’s interesting to watch, I always think …

And you’ve probably worked out that a Saturday night movie is getting to be something of a habit, by now, with Hellraiser being a bit of a special request from an old friend.

Honestly, Adrian, I’d’ve baked a cake, if I’d known …

Either way, myself, Adrian, and Allison were all in for this one.

I’ve tied the IMDb page into the title, as usual, but to summarise, it’s the story of what happens when Larry Cotton (Andrew Robinson – Garak, from Star Trek: Deep Space 9) and his wife, Julia (Clare Higgins – recently on stage as Jocasta, in the National’s production of Oedipus) move into the unused family home in England. With unexpected results, as Larry brother, Frank, is … around …

Well, I’ll try not to say too much, except to say that an entirely theoretically H.P Lovecraft title, The Horrible Thing In The Attic got a mention.

Now, I’ll admit to liking this one.

And, although it’s showing its age*, it’s worth watching as I personally think its got things to offer.

First off?   Is a simple question: what exactly do we call Hell?

Pinhead – one of the more striking characters in the film and an iconic figure to horror fans – the apparent leader of the Cenobites pursuing Larry’s brother, Frank, says of them that they are “ … demons to some, angels to others.”

Ambiguous?

Certainly.

But the Cenobites are summoned by Frank at the start of the film and offer him experiences “… beyond limits.”

The way the film seems to set up the back-story implies that one has to call the Cenobites; the opening scenes show Frank buying the puzzle box used for this purpose.

Which, to me, begs a simple question.

Can hell be hell if you have gone there willingly?

Indeed, are looking forward to the trip?

There’s probably a lot to be said there, on that; probably Googling for it would be an idea, it occurs to me that many philosophers, theologians and psychologists – certainly a lot of people more educated or eloquent than me – have written a lot, about punishment and the extent of personal responsibility.

But it does show, I think, that there are times that we must accept responsibility for things we have done.

Trying to get away from the choices we make, in the way that Frank tries escaping the Cenobites is something that could back-fire.

Julia, incidentally, seems much more accepting of what happens and of the consequences of her actions.

However, it’s where we have innocence on our side, or ignorance – I have Larry’s daughter, Kirsty, in mind, here – that we find a different situation.

The scene I’m thinking of, here, is where Kirsty opens the box. She knows only that it’s got something to do with her situation, but not what, and wishes to find out.

And is introduced to the Cenobites chasing Frank.

Now her position is different, it seems to me: she is, effectively, an innocent in events.

And as such, it seems to me that she is granted some degree of leeway by Pinhead, and the other Cenobites: they seem to realise they are dealing with someone who’s called them accidentally, and are prepared to negotiate for something they want.

Which is the crux of the movie, it seems. Not just personal choice, but knowledge of what the choice means, for oneself and others.

Someone I knew once explained three words of importance to those on the fetish/BDSM scene: Safe, Sane, Consensual.

They also emphasised that, while these were important, so was knowledge of the lifestyle: knowledge of what was going on was and is important for truly informed consent.

Otherwise things could go bad, rather than be enjoyable.

I’ll leave it there, for now; it is getting late.

* Reminds me, you can read about the remake, here.