Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12th March 2023.

12th March, 2023.

Yes!

I’ve officially finished my video review of ‘No Win Scenario,’ the most recent episode of Star Trek Picard.

It’s got to be said: it’s proving to be quite an entertaining series!

~≈🖖≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12th March, 2021.

12th March, 2021.

I know, I know … !

We have birdsong!

It’s got to be said, that’s still a lovely thing to hear.

One of these days?

I’ll have to ask my landlords if I can put a bird box up.

I used to live in what was Brentwood’s maternity hospital: now a set of council run bedsits near Shenfield Common.

And there was a gap in the roof, above my main window, that birds would nest in.

I’m blowed if I could tell you what kind of birds: beyond saying ‘small ones!’

But I miss the singing, in the mornings.

~≈Á≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12th March, 2020.

12th March, 2020

Remember, a few days ago, now, that I’d been provisionally diagnosed with diabetes?

And need to arrange a second, confirmatory, blood test: for tomorrow?

I had the official call from my GP, last night: I don’t need the blood tests.

She’s confirmed I’ve got diabetes: and has arranged for a course of Metformin for me.

Apparently?   It’s not recommend for those who drink a lot.

Not an issue for me.

Oh, and it can cause diarrhoea.

That’s got an upside: I needed to lose weight … 

~≈†≈~

Oh, something that cropped up in the news, today?

Apparently, in a recent case against a former local politician — for possession of indecent images of children — the police made a bit of a cockup … if you’ll excuse the phrase.

Seemingly?

West Yorkshire Police had a hard drive of the offender’s — complete with tons of indecent images — locked up in a safe for some fourteen years.

And didn’t hand it in until after the offender — a former Mayor of Leeds — was gaoled in 2017.

I’m very aware I’m not infallible: as are you, him, her, the police, and everyone else.

But that … ?

Seems a bit of a big one … 

~≈†≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12th March, 2019.

12th March, 2019.

Yep: it’s true.

I’ve just looked out of my front room window.

Frankly?   The weather’s looking revolting … !

It’s … 

Not exactly what you call nice … !

~≈§≈~

Weather aside?

I have to admit to feeling mildly thoughtful, right now.

It is, after all, the second anniversary of the death of Sir Terry Pratchett.

And … ?

Well, I can’t help but wonder what he’d make of the whole Brexit situation.

Especially since Going Postal and Making Money were inspired by misbehaving big business, and the banking system … 

And especially as today sees Parliament make — Ha! — a meaningful vote on the subject.

We’ll never know.

We can only quietly wonder.

~≈§≈~

Something I’m also aware of?

Is that Sir Terry was interested in computers: how they worked, interacted, and what they let us do.

He’d possibly have been interested in the news Sir Tim Berners-Lee has issued a statement about the state of the World Wide Web … and where he thinks it’s going badly.

And … ?

Well, he’s made several suggestions, including a Contract for the Web: a set of ideals that would guide the Web’s use.

Frankly?

I’ve no idea if that would ever be accepted.

But … ?

In signing it, I think we can tell people it’s a set of ideals worth aiming for.

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12th March, 2018.

12th March, 2018.

I have to admit, I was never that much of a fan of Ken Dodd.

But?   It’s sad to hear that Britain’s last variety star has gone.

Frankly?

I was never much of a fan of either the man, or the form.

It, and he, never appealed.

I think that’s my lose.

With Dodd’s death?

I’ll no longer have the chance to see what made him special … 

~≈§≈~

Something occurred to me, yesterday.

Money.

I’ve used all sorts of software, over the years.

And, where appropriate?   I’ve used free, open source, software as a mainstay.

Firefox gets updated well past other browsers, from what I’ve seen.

Media player, vlc?   Can handle everything that’s thrown at it.

Then there’s things like OpenOffice.org, and its various spin-offs: LibreOffice and NeoOffice are the two I’ve used.

They can handle most Microsoft Office files.

I’ve also heard the argument many give me: that they need Word, Excel or PowerPoint for work.

But have pick up the impression that actually, we don’t.

We just need something that can open and save as, Word, Excel or PowerPoint files.

With that in mind, I actually went and had at Microsoft’s website for MS Office: just to check up their prices.

It’s £59·99 to £79·99 for a years worth of Office 365 subscription: compared to something like GoogleDocs, for free!   (Which, strictly, isn’t an app: nor, necessarily, open source.)

Microsoft also charge £119·99 for the downloadable Office app: compared to LibreOffice or OpenOffice: capable of doing the same jobs … for free.

Just as an extra question, today, especially for those readers who’ve never come across the idea of legitimate, free of charge, software?

How much do you want to pay?

~≈§≈~

Virgin and Cabaret: A warning and a film.

You know, I’ve got to admit, there’s time’s I’m glad I use BT as my ISP, I really am.

OK, granted they’re not perfect.

But at least they’ve not had to issue the warning that Virgin has, today: that some of their customer’s machine’s have been infected with the SpyEye trojan: about 1500 of them.

Hmmm …

Nasty: I’ve got to admit, while I’m very aware there’s not that many bits of malicious software for the OS X platform, most of the ones that ARE out there … ? Are trojans: you can bet I’ll be keeping my eye’s peeled …

JUST on the off-chance … !

»»·««

At ANY rate … ?

At any rate, I’m going to give a BIG Thank You to an old friend and work colleague, James.

Bless him, I’d posted to my Facebook wall that I’d never actually seen the film, Cabaret, some time ago.

And, bless him, James let me have his old, spare copy.

Like I say, I think a BIG Thank You’s in order.

BIG Thank You, there, James!

And I think I can now officially say I’ve seen what had to be Liza Minelli’s break-out role.

And admit, she weren’t half distracting, back then … !

Well, she was … !

OK … I’m perving, JUST a touch, there, let me grab a cold shower …

AHEM.

Actually, she still is …

But, at any rate, I’m burbling, aren’t I … ?

Cabaret is very loosely based on the novel, Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood: and tells us of the time that Brian — Michæl York, possibly one of the few actors in the film to not have a song! — and his stay in Berlin, as a English teacher, during the 1930s.

Back when Berlin had a reputation for being the most hedonistic city in Europe.

Brian’s life is immediately complicated by getting to know Sally Bowles, one of the acts at the nearby Kit Kat Klub: the cabaret of the title, and the singer with whom he shares both lodgings …

And a complicated lovelife.

All of this … ?

All of this is set against the back of a Berlin that is both extremely hedonistic … and seeing the raise of Hitler’s Nazi party, that, by the end of the film, is getting everywhere.

»»·««

Now, I don’t know if you — like me — are fairly new to Cabaret.

But can I make a suggestion, here … ?

And this is in spite of the fact I know that my regular movie cohort, Kevin D isn’t grabbed by the thought of seeing it*.

I personally think you should REALLY go see Cabaret.

Because … ?

I think you’re going to be in for a treat … !

* Not enough wrestling, guns or explosions …