Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18th August 2026.

18th August, 2026.

OK: it’s Tuesday.

And, bar watching For All Mankind, tonight?

I’m fully expecting the day to be two things.

One?

Quiet.

Two … ?

Not rain: despite being as overcast as it’s possible to be, without being the planet, Venus!

The sooner it does?

The sooner I can complain about it!

~≈🌧️≈~

You possibly aware I’ve worked in the pub trade: so keep an interested eye on the industry.

I’m as aware as anyone, that pubs are closing at a worrying rate.

And that many of what had been pubs are being converted into flats or offices.

The Castle, on Ongar Road, is the most recent example in Brentwood that I know of: but there’s probably others.

So … ?

Seeing this piece, recently — a piece that tells me how the government are planning to modify planning permission regulations, to make it harder to turn unused pubs into homes or offices — caught my attention.

I like it: I think it’s a good idea, a good idea to aim for.

But … ?

I also think it’s a good idea: if the business is there to support the pub staying open.

It’s useless to keep a pub open: if no-one’s there to use it.

~≈🍺≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18th August, 2022

18th August, 2022.

Yes: I’m up early.

It’s Thursday,

Which means I’m off to Chelmsford for a Restart meeting: having sorted out tickets.

(Thanking you, Mum!)

The only thing I hadn’t bank on, having not used the train service regularly?

Is that today’s a strike day.

I’m going to  there, late, regardless.

I wish I’d known sooner.

I could’ve legitimately rearranged the date!

~≈🚆≈~

At any rate … ?   And before I move on … ?

I’ve more videos to share.

You can find Jude’s latest short, here:

https://youtube.com/shorts/ZuW8JaRhmiw?feature=share

He and his friends finally got the exploding cola bottle trick, right.

If you could hit ‘Like,’ he’d thank you.

There’s also my most recent Stranger Things review.

I hope you enjoy it!

~≈🚆≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser: 18th August, 2021.

18th August, 2021.

Yes: you’re right.

Me thinking, IS odd!

At any rate … ?

I’ve been thinking, recently: that Frank Herbert possibly had a point.

You’ll remember I’m a fan of his seminal novel, Dune: set some twenty-six thousand years into our future, in a galactic empire dependent on a hideously addictive drug to safely run the transport system.

The drug is from the fictional planet, of Arrakis.

The planet’s native peoples, the Fremen?

Are a tribal group of religious fanatics, funding their fight against foreign occupation/evil oppressors by bribing the right people with Spice … and on the income from smuggling it off planet.

Given its place in the Dune universe?

I believe Frank Herbert was using Spice as a metaphor for oil: and how our entire economy is reliant on it.

Good ol’ oil makes god knows how much fuel: and is the chemical source for so many things.

I think Herbert may have had other things in mind.

Or people, I should say.

You look at international events.

Afghanistan’s popular at the moment.

The Taliban have recently taken control of the country, after Western forces pulled out.

Famously, the group are extremely militant Islamic fundamentalists: having imposed an extremely conservative form of Sharia law, when they were in power in the 1990s.

And, although it’s something they tried banning?   The Taliban ending up controlling Afghanistan’s poppy fields: effectively controlling the country’s opium trade.

Religious fanatics, fighting for control of their land: and dealing in viciously addictive drugs in order to fund their fight … ?

I think Frank Herbert knew what he was writing about.

And that those who tell us science fiction had nothing to do with reality, should possibly read Dune … 

Before someone tells us we should ban the movie … 

~≈🪱≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18th August, 2018

18th August, 2018.

Yes: I’m up good and early, again.

And frankly?

I’m starting to to think working late nights — as I did, in the pub game, back in the day — looks good!

It meant I got late nights, rather than early mornings!

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 18-8-2016: Brian Aldiss

Well, FINALLY … 

I had time off, yesterday … 

Well, you’d guessed that, hadn’t you … ?

My point is … ?   Well, my point is quite simple.

I managed to catch a couple of movies, yesterday.

The afternoon saw me, my sister, Ruth, and nephew, Jude, catching The BFG.   Great fun, I think: especially the frobscottle.

I managed to catch something else, in the evening.

After all this time: I managed to catch the Stanley Kubrick directed, The Shining.

And I’m wondering what took me so long … !

~≈Ê≈~