Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 4-10-2025 — The US Open.

4th October, 2025: the US Open.

Good god, there’s a woman in charge!

Slightly more respectfully?

Bishop Sarah Mullally has been named as the one hundred and sixth Archbishop of Canterbury: the first woman to be appointed to the role.

That’s welcome.

And somewhat unsurprising.

There’s been talk of a female being appointed for many years: but?

The bishop, herself, had some serious leadership roles when she was a nurse.

Much as her predecessor, Justin Welby, was a senior oil executive, and his predecessor, Rowan Williams, was the Archbishop of Wales.

The Church has, again, named someone with high level, organisational skills.

So, to me?

Her being named is no surprise: as she had the needed management skills.

What is also unsurprising?

There’s been complaints about her appointment≤ from more conservative Anglian groups, already.

She also does not support assisted dying: I disagree with her position.

I don’t like the idea, either: but feel it needs to be available, and enshrined in UK law.

She’s going to be installed in March: we’ll have to see happens …

~≈♗≈~

As a quick, other thought … ?

Would you mind hitting the like button on a video?

Or the share button?

Yep: that’s Jude’s newest video … !

~≈🚘≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 4-10-2024 — Mexico

4th October, 2024: Mexico.

It’s officially official: I’ve checked my bank again.

And … ?

There’s still nothing in it!

Frankly?

I get the impression it’s going to take awhile … !

~≈₿≈~

It’s equally official: my nephew, Jude, was over, last night.

Amidst all the fun, games, onion rings and jokes about Tescos vans?

He’s managed to post another video.

Feel free to head to YouTube and hit the ‘Like’ button.

~≈👍≈~

Just as a thought … ?

It’s been announced that Labour MP, Kim Leadbeater, is to introduce an assisted dying bill to the House of Commons on 16th October, this year.

I hope that law goes through: I think we need clarity on the matter.

Something Esther Rantzen emphasised, this morning, in an interview on the Today programme: as the law stands, anyone helping a loved one to die can be charged with murder.

Something else she emphasised?

Was that the decision to dies early was hers: rather than the government’s.

It was her choice: and no-one else’s.

I think she’d get support from Terry Pratchett, there: if no-on else.

“If I knew that I could die, I would live. My life, my death, my choice.”

Shaking Hands with Death, Sir Terry Pratchett.

~≈💀≈~

Just as a last thought … ?

Read this question and answer on Quora.

You couldn’t make it up, could you … ?

~≈¿≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 4th October 2023.

4th October, 2023.

Yes: it’s officially official.

I had my nephew, Jude, over, yesterday!

Yes, video has been posted!

One that’s made from very high quality recording from Jude’s new Playstation 5.

Boy, we had issues, there!

Just to try and summarise?

It turns out that — by default — Jude’s new console, a Playstation 5, does screen recordings in the relatively new .webm format: rather than the older .mp4 format.

Basically?

It meant having to do some very quick video conversion: to get the new files into a format we could use in iMovie.

Explaining the differences to a very frustrated 12 year old*†?

Took some doing!

~≈📼≈~

Venom: Let There Be Carnage — A Review

4th October, 2022

Yes: it’s a Tuesday night.

Tuesday, 4th October, 2022, if you hadn’t guessed.

I’ve the evening to myself: and fancy a movie.

I don’t know which movies: but HAVE whittled it down to a choice of three.

The Black Phone, Flux Gourmet and Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

Which one I’ll see?

I don’t know.

But I’ll tell you, tomorrow night.

Once I’ve seen the thing!

~≈☠️≈~

Right … 

Right at the moment, it’s still the 4th October: and I’m going to get myself off to bed.

I’ve a video interview at 12:30 on the 5th: that I’d rather get a good night’s sleep for.

But … ?

I’ve made up my mind about what to watch.

And settled on Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

I’ll let you know more, tomorrow night.

~≈☠️≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 4th October, 2022.

4th October, 2022.

Yes: it’s officially official.

I can play you this tune: with a certain amount of irony …

Yes, I now have new glasses … and can make a spectacle of myself … 

~≈😎≈~

You’re possibly aware — especially if you’ve seen me mentioning it — that those of us on UK benefits have received what the Government called a Cost Of Living Payment.

A payment totalling some one thousand pounds: £400 is due to come off our electricity bills over October 2022 to March, 2023.

And most of us received the first payment — of £326 — in July.

None of us knew when the next payment would be: beyond being told it would be ‘… in the Autumn.’

That changed, yesterday.

With the announcement that the second payment would arrive in bank accounts: between the 8th and 23rd of November of this year.

Frankly?

I’m glad to get the news of a potential date.

But will be happier when the money turns up.

Quite a lot of it will be going on my meters.

Especially given that the unelected, Truss-led Government is — effectively — planning real term benefits cuts.

Frankly?

Whenever the next general election is, I’m blowed if I’m voting for this prime minister’s party.

~≈😎≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 4-10-2021: Anne Rice

4th October, 2021.

Yep: I need a haircut.

I’m starting to get just a little bit shaggy.

Quite how I’m going to afford a haircut, I don’t know!

Which sort of raises the issue, doesn’t it … ?

The uplift to Universal Credit — introduced last year — is due to end on Wednesday.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is going to be making a speech at the Tory party conference today: where he’s expected to announce more help for job support schemes.

I suspect the schemes the Chancellor is going to be announcing are much like the ones I’ve already been on.

Useless.

~≈£≈~

The Chancellor’s also just confirmed the end of the Uplift: just now, on the Today Programme.

This is despite leaders of the devolved parliaments calling for it to stay: in a letter to the Prime Minister.

And despite former PM — and former Chancellor — Gordon Brown also calling for it to be retained.

Frankly?

The Tories are going to lose a lot of votes.

~≈Җ≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 4-10-2020: Four Square

4th October, 2020.

Right … it’s a definite: it’s raining … 

Seriously raining!

Rain that gets nursery rhymes written about it!

Raining so seriously, that going out for my usual stroll … ?

Means I’m going to get damp.

~≈᥊≈~

It means something else: I have a flight of stairs outside my door, that go up to the next floor.

At the top of the stairs?   There’s a window.

A window that’s above the main door of the building.

That bit of flooring at the top of the stairs … ?

Is getting wet … because someone’s forced the damn thing open.

I suspect it was my visitor from Tuesday: but couldn’t tell you for sure.

About all I can say?   Is that I believe whoever’s done this, didn’t know how to slip the latch on the main door.

So — in the pouring rain — climbed on the glass awning over the door and forced the window … 

I notified the police, and our landlords: as soon as I was told about it.

But … ?

Well … 

What DO you do … ?

~≈᥊≈~

Something that’s just been mentioned on Radio Four’s news bulletin — and very relevant to the piece I’m writing for PhoenixFM — is sad to hear.

Apparently?

Cineworld, one of the UK’s bigger Cinema chains, planning to close a number of its sites.

Citing No Time To Die’s second postponed release as an influencing factor in its decision.

I like seeing films at the cinema: it makes a movie into an event.

In addition, I’m very aware entertainment can contribute jobs and income to the UK’s economy.

So this … ?

This, as someone who likes seeing a film at a cinema, every-so-often?

This is not news I want to see.

~≈᥊≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 4-10-2019: Buster

4th October, 2019.

Yes: it looks like I need to do a little shopping!

You’ve possibly guessed I would, have’t you?

My only hope … ?

Is simply this.

I hope I can avoid the rain … !

~≈⇧≈~

I have to admit, I’ve got Radio Four’s Today programme, again.

There’s the inevitable fuss about Brexit.

And the inevitable fuss: about Facebook’s plans to introduce FaceTime-style, end to end encryption across its platform.

I can go for that: I’d prefer my messages to be coded in transit, even if I’m not saying anything especially sensitive.

The government — at least, Home Office Minister, Priti Patel — has signed an open letter to Facebook, and it’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg: asking them not to.

Child safety, and all that.

OK: I can understand the argument.

I would still rather not have my privacy violated: because of the actions of a few.

~≈⇧≈~

Nik nak’s Daily Teaser — 4th October, 2018.

4th October, 2018.

It’s true … 

I’ve had my boiler looked at … 

Again.

Basically, the thing’s not been giving me hot water: none from the kitchen sink and some from the bathroom.

I had an initial visit from a repair man on Monday.

Who promptly told me it needed parts, and that there would be a follow up, yesterday.

Which turned up … 

With the parts that had been ordered … 

Only for the repairmen to find that they were the wrong parts … 

I’m bound and determined to avoid the phrase, ‘Back to the Drawing Board.’

It says so in the Blogger’s Rulebook.

But sometimes … 

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 4th October, 2017

Arrgh!

I’m up late — ish — after making that most silly of mistakes.

Yep: I forgot to put my alarm on.

After a night involving watching the opening episodes of House of Cards series five.

Worth a watch, House of Cards: although I don’t know if it’s plausible.

I don’t know if Frank and the gang are as bad as a genuine politician.

~≈Ê≈~

Talking of the AppleTV — which is what I was watching the show on — I have to admit, it froze after I watched Star Trek: Discovery, the other night.

Seemingly?   It couldn’t access the contents of my iTunes library.

But would would let me stream a couple of albums.

I don’t know quite what happened.

But nothing — switching Home Sharing off and on, re-starting both my Mac, iTunes, the AppleTV, itself, restarting the router, signing out of my iTunes account — seemed to work.

Until I pulled the power cable out of the AppleTV, and putting it back again.

That helped.

~≈Ê≈~