Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 1-4-2025 — A Fool and His Money

1st April, 2025: A Fool and His Money …

It’s got to be said: I feel slightly silly!

As I was up at 3:15, this morning.

Literally, I was up — and awake-ish! — at 3:15.

Utterly convinced my alarm had gone off.

It was wasn’t until my computer — on over night, to do some transcoding — announced the time that I realised two things.

• I was up, way too early.
• I’d wasted a tea bag.

Ho-hum!

~≈🕒≈~

As an extra thought … ?

I was at my weight management meeting, yesterday.

You know that: you know I’ve been going to them, first thing on a Monday morning, for some time.

This week … ?

I’ve officially lost one and a half kilos: about three pounds.

That — considering I was up seven hundred grams, last week? — was good going.

~≈⚖️≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 1-4-2023 — April Fool’s Day!

1st April, 2023: April Fool’s Day.

Yep: it’s officially Saturday.

And … ?

Stuff will no doubt be occurring.

One thing I know I have to do?

Is try not to worry!

I was at a Tribunal, on Thursday: appealing a decision that had gone against me.

And told — at the time — I’d be notified by post, within a week, what would happen, what, if anything, I would be awarded.

Then I got the official email … telling I’d get the letter by Saturday, 7th April!

A couple of days, longer, in other words!

Frankly?

That isn’t exactly reassuring … 

~≈Ç≈~

Rent … 

That’s the other thing I have to do.

My rent, goes up from today.

And, frankly?

I’ve just let the benefits people know: online.

If things need doing, especially things like this … ?

It’s best to do them quickly.

~≈Ç≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 1-4-2020: April Fool’s Day.

1st April, 2020.

I’ve usually got the news on: day to day.

And, as you can imagine, it’s been day to day corona-coverage.

Then, yesterday?

This piece cropped up on many news site.

Telling us that thirteen year old Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab — a boy with no apparent underlying health conditions — had died as a result of complications.

Thirteen … that’s only a few years older than my nephew, Jude.

That’s … well … 

That’s a tragedy … 

~≈¥≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 1-4-2019: April Fool’s Day.

1st April, 2019.

Yes: it’s a Monday.

It’s another new week.

It’s feeling … chilly … at the moment.

AND I watched a film, last night: Bill Nighy in The Limehouse Golem.

Which … won’t win an Oscar.

But IS a very entertaining movie.

~≈§≈~

Oh, on another quick personal front?

I got told, a few days ago, that I was Vitamin D deficient.

And that there was a prescription waiting for me at the surgery.

I started to course — one pill, twice a week for the next seven weeks — yesterday.

It does seem to have helped.

But we’ll have to see.

~≈§≈~

Just as a final quicker point?

One thing I did manage in last night’s intro video — AND in today’s — was tinker with some of the audio: detaching the audio track, copying and pasting it back into the video, then adding effects to each copy.

If you can let me know what you think of the last two seconds, I’d appreciate it … 

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 1/4/2018 — April Fool’s Day!

1st April, 2018.

Yes, we do … just a bit … 

Feel silly, that is … 

Well … 

Especially when you consider that’s it’s ALSO Easter Sunday … and, as ever, I’ve done nothing especially special — Teaser wise — for it.

Still … it could’ve bee worse.

I could’ve worn a silly hat!

~≈§≈~

On other fronts … ?

On other fronts, you’ll remember I mentioned — yesterday — that I’d updated to macOS 10·13·4.

Apparently, one of the things built into that update?

Was the ability to plug in an external graphics card.

Hmmm … 

I know that’s something that’s aimed at high games designers: but it’s ALSO something I’d not mind.

I can possibly find a use for that: being able to plug a seriously BIG extra monitor could come in handy … 

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Foolish Teaser — 1-4-2017: April Fool’s Day

I know this will sound like a joke … but it’s serious.

And something I meant to mention a day or two ago.

I — like others — have occasion troubles sleeping.   And just as often, use the loo over night.

And like my food, rather salty.

What grabbed my attention, a couple of days ago?

Was news that Japanese research had shown there’s a link between lot’s of salt: and using the loo a lot at nights.

I think cutting down my salt intake might help!

~≈Ü≈~

In other news?

We’re all very well aware that there’s to be a new companion in the upcoming tenth series of Dr Who: Bill Potts, played by Pearl Mackie.

And it turns out Bill is to be the show’s first, openly gay, full time companion,

Great: that’ll help the show’s diversity, I think.

Although I’m very aware that some countries are going to complain.

Personally?

I welcome it.

And, given the new versions of the show’s occasionally had touches of romantic interest between the main characters?

Keep thinking Tilda Swinton should get a phone call from the BBC … 

~≈Ü≈~

The Daily Teaser — 1-4-2016: April Fool’s … !

Now that’s not funny … 

I don’t know if you know it, but here in the UK, we’ve a tax called the Council Tax.

It’s a tax on every property in the UK: and is due to your local council.

My first payment’s due, today.

And, as yet?

I’ve not received the payment card that means I can pay it at any given PayPoint outlet.

I can pay it a couple of ways: I can use direct debit.   Or I can pay at my bank.

You’d THINK I’d be able to walk into my local council offices — just as far away from me as my bank — and pay cash, wouldn’t you?

You’d think I’d be able to walk into my local council, pay them the tax I owe, in cash … and then walk off to do everything else.

Wrong.   They don’t have the facilities.

They can’t afford them!

Whilst there’s other options, I’d, personally, prefer to pay cash at the council’s offices.

There’s bound to be others who like that: or pensioners who can’t get the hang of online payments, or people with no way of paying by direct debit.

And other who don’t — yet — have a payment card.

None of us can pay the council, the council tax we owe it … at the council.

Somewhere out there, someone thinks that funny.

I’m not one of them!

~≈†≈~

The Brentwood Gazette’s Weekly Teaser — 1-4-2015: April Fool’s … !

Right, well, that’s THAT done.

“Wha … ?” I hear you say.

Well, I’ve taken a book back to the library.

I have to Admit to having started reading Robin Hobb’s Farseer.

Now I have to admit, all three books are well written.

But the third in the series, Assassin’s Quest … ?

Frankly, and at 742 pages, Assassin’s Quest was starting to be a bit of a drag … !

~≈Â≈~

The Daily Teaser — 1-4-2015: April Fool’s …

Right, that’s Gotham caught … !

I have to admit, it’s nice to know that Gotham’s back on Channel 5.

Although, it has to be said, that mid season Break is STILL a thing of major annoyance to me.

I’m still debating whether to keep on watching it.  The series is fantastic, I should add, and only looking to improve, in series 2: as this clip shows.

But … ?

Well, I have to admit, once Season 1’s over, I usually don’t watch THAT much Channel 5 to guarantee I’ll be catching any ‘Coming Soon’ type trailer.

I guess we’ll have to see.

The thing that does bother me?

Is the simple fact that — on Monday, the initial airing for episode 14 — the USB stick I was recording to … only caught about the first ten minutes or so.

Frustrating, that.

I’m just thankful Channel 5 have a +24 service … 

~≈Ê≈~

The Daily Teaser — 1-4-2014: April Fooools … !

Right, now … It’s a Tuesday … 

OK, you’ve worked that out: and the fact it’s April Fool’s Day.

As has Neville the Editor of the Brentwood Gazette.

He’s just announced that reality ‘star’, Joey Essex, is to get a great big bronze statue in his honour: in the middle of Brentwood High Street.

Very believable.

After all, Brentwood’s councillors would never agree on which way it’s supposed to be pointing … !

~≈Â≈~

The Daily Teaser — 1-4-2013: APRIL FOOLS … !!

Oh, heck … !

It’s April Fool’s Day … 

Outside of the traditional jollification, it’s also early spring in the UK.

The big joke … ?

The big joke, of course, is that it’s the start of April and it’s definitely nippy: zero degrees, going by my weather widget.

Right now … ?

I’m just hoping it get’s warmer … !

Let’s get moving on, shall we … ?   Yes, let’s … !

~~≈≈~~

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi putting in her answers: along with letting me know she’d* seen this week’s Dr Who, she also bagged five out of five.

Let’s see how she — and you — do with today’s foolish questions, shall we … ?

Here they are, along with the ‘How To’, License and Video … 

Q1) 2009 saw the Swiss Tourist Board announce they’d be needing volunteers cleaners for what … ?

Q2) 1st April, 1957, saw which BBC show claim the Swiss Spaghetti Harvesters were bringing in a bumper crop … ?

Q3) 1st April, 1972, saw the British magazine, The Veterinary Record, issue its definitive study of the diseases of the Brunus edwardii: how is the Brunus edwardii better known … ?

Q4) 31st March, 1998, saw Guinness issue an April Fools Day prank, claiming that Greenwich Mean Time was to be renamed Guinness Mean Time.   Which newspaper did this release famously fool … ?

Q5) And finally … 1st April, 1998, saw the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announce that it had apparently been sold to whom … ?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 31st March saw the inauguration of the Eiffel Tower: in which year of the 1880s … ?

A1) 1889.

Q2) In which Parisienne park is the Eiffel Tower … ?

A2) The Champs de Mars.

Q3) 1925 saw conman, Victor Lustig, sell the Eiffel Tower how may times … ?

A3) Twice.

Q4) 1957 saw what added to the top of the Tower … ?

A4) A radio antennae.

Q5) And finally … 1987 saw A. J Hackett make one of his first whats from the Eiffel Tower … ?

A5) Bungee Jumps.

I’ll leave you with this thought from Mark Twain …

“The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.”

Mark Twain.

And this song from Chalk Circle … 

I’ll ALSO leave you with this version of the Joker’s big Are You Serious monologue from The Dark Knight … 

And with this speech from V for Vendetta.   Crazyº isn’t quite the same as foolish: but … 

*        I have to admit, Debbi, I thoroughly enjoyed that one: I actually was thinking more of Partners in Crime, the first episode of Series Four, where Catherine Tate joins as a regular cast member.   (I know the bit you mean, though: where Clara hacks into the office web-cams … ?   Which is more worrying than the CCTV cameras you find in the street in the UK, I think.   After all, they’re on the street: your web-cams in your front room.   Talk about telescreens … !)

º        It also makes me laugh.   Which is as good a reason to include it on April Fools Day …