Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 5-5-2026 — In Xanadu Did Kublai Khan …

5th May, 2026: Kublai Khan.

I have a confession to make.

I caught some of Snooker’s world championship, last night.

After catching the last couple of episodes of Maul — Shadow Lord, I watched a couple of frames of the final session between Wu Yize, and Shaun Murphy.

But got an early night: after two frames.

It turns out I missed all the drama of Wu’s eventual 17-18 win!

Heigh … … HO!

~≈🎱≈~

Oh, there’s local elections, this coming Thursday.

I know this … because the date’s been advertised for sometime.

And I’ve had election pamphlets from both the Tories*, and Reform*.

Both of which have been torn up and binned, to be honest: neither party is one I intend to vote for.

At any rate: the elections are on Thursday.

And, if it wasn’t for the fact the Greens are standing in my ward?

I’d be doing what I usually do, when not shown someone I want to elect.

Spoiling my vote.

I can hear the howls of outrage from here.

Look, I know the arguments.

That we have a responsibility to vote for someone, that doing so holds government to account.

I can agree to that.

But I’m also aware that you, me, and every other voter on the planet, have no right to abstain: should none of the candidates be ones we want to vote for, we can’t tick the relevant box on the ballot.

Only spoil our vote, or not vote at all.

There’s been arguments for years: about using proportional representation instead of first-past-the-post, about lowering the voting age, fining people who refuse to vote.

The really radical alteration to Britain’s elections?

Would be having an “Abstain” box on the ballot.

“I Abstain” must be a reality: not a discussion.

~≈🗳️≈~

The Daily Teaser — 27-8-2015: The Rainbow Bridge

For me, payday is tomorrow.   And there’s a few things I want to buy.

I have my eyes on a little set-top box that I can ad to my TV: to let me watch high definition TV channels.

There’s a ton of other things, too.

There’s something else, as well: as you can possibly guess.

I’m a long term fan of the late Sir Terry Pratchett: having read his work since the mid-1980s, when I first came across The Colour of Magic.

As you can imagine, his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s Disease was something I found upsetting: especially as it a condition my grandmother suffered with.

His death was equally upsetting.

I’m also VERY aware of something else.

Last night saw the UK release of his last book: The Shepard’s Crown.

Something I’m both looking forward to — it’s a Discworld novel, after all — and dreading ordering.

And reading.

Sir Terry, himself, said — in Going Postal — that someone only died when his name stopped being spoken.

I’m very aware there are moves afoot to make sure of that.

But there’s a reason I’m dreading buying The Shepard’s Crown.

It means I know for certain that an old friend has died … … … 

~≈®≈~