Showing posts with label languages. Show all posts
Showing posts with label languages. Show all posts

Friday, 3 October 2025

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 3-10-2025 — Speaking in Tongues

3rd October, 2025: Speaking in Tongues.


Yesterday was Yom Kippur: the Jewish Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the Jewish year.

The day when Britain’s Jewish community would be praying, fasting and seeking forgiveness for the sins of the past year.

And the day when an attacker killed two people at a Manchester synagogue: something police are calling a terrorist attack.

It’s … 

I’m having to think about wording, here.

You and I may not like the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza.

I know I don’t: I think the actions of Netanyahu’s government border on religiously-motivated genocide.

I disagree with that government’s actions.

That does not give me the right to kill, injure, or maim, people for being Jewish, nor does it give me the right to kill people at prayer.

It gives no-one the right to kill!

I’ve long felt killing in the name of a cause is a bad way of promoting it, is tantamount to invalidating it.

That’s what the killer did, yesterday.

In taking the lives of at least two people, he has not promoted cause of the people of Gaza.

He’s killed it: as certainly as he’s killed Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz, his victims.

~≈✡️≈~

A few days ago … ?

I told you of the government’s proposed digital ID: and of how there was a petition against it.

I object: largely on the grounds of cost.

But also as I feel that making it mandatory — as Sir Keir Starmer was proposing — is a bad move.

And a waste of effort: as most of us who are hunting, already have valid ID.

At any rate, if you’re in the UK, I’d appreciate you signing that petition.

Every little helps, and all that!

But I should add a few things.

The web site tells us enough signatures have been gathered: and that the petition must be debated in Parliament.

And tells us that the government has responded.

By telling us:
“We will introduce a digital ID within this Parliament to help tackle illegal migration, make accessing government services easier, and enable wider efficiencies.   We will consult on details soon.”
They also tell us:
“… there are too many people who are excluded, like the 1 in 10 UK adults who don’t have a physical photo ID, so can struggle to prove who they are and access the products and services they are entitled to.”
And that: 
“It will not be compulsory to obtain a digital ID but it will be mandatory for some applications.”
There’s possibly a ton of things, there.

The one in ten adults the response tells us “don’t have a physical photo ID”?

Do they have smart phones?

That’s the point that my objections hinged on: if you don’t have/can’t afford a smart phone, you can’t have this ID.

An ID that the response tells us isn’t compulsory to have … but whose use is mandatory.

Either the government has no idea what it’s saying.

Or its use of double speak is improving.

Or … ?

It’s all mouth and trousers.

~≈⏫≈~

In the midst of all that … ?

I’m actually up, early: and was hoping to get out early.

I’ve an optician’s appointment, today!

Heigh ho!

~≈🤓≈~

Wednesday, 21 February 2024

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 21-2-2024 — International Mother Language Day

21st February, 2024: International Mother Language Day.


It’s officially official: I’ve had to turn the tumble dryer off.

No, before you ask, there’s nothing wrong with it!

What actually happened … ?

Was that I had to fish out the tape measure that got in there.

Can someone remind me to put things like that in a drawer?

Cheers!

~≈Ç≈~

Did I tell you my street’s had a new broadband cabinet put in?

My street’s just had a new broadband cabinet put in: in case you didn’t know.

With the net result that:
  • Most buildings in the area have workmen putting additional connections in.
  • We’ve had at least one wandering salesman knock on our doors.
I had one banging on my door, the other day.

Apparently, his company’s basic package costs twenty-five pounds a month.

Five pounds more than I’m paying.

He didn’t get a sale … … 

~≈Ç≈~

Thursday, 26 September 2013

The Daily Teaser — 26-9-2013

Blimey, that was something to watch … !

I have to admit, Channel 4 had a documentary on, the other night, that I’ve only just managed to catch up with.

Believe it or not, about the definitive 1980s music show, The Tube.

And, trust me, definitive doesn’t even start: this was, quite literally, must-see-tv, in a way that nothing else was.

It was something that literally hadn’t been done, before or since.

That’s literally a shame.   It was both refreshing, and much a needed alternative.


~≈$≈~

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi* putting in her answers: along with taking a very ‘here goes’ view, she also bagged five out of six.

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

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

Q1) 26th September is — according to the EU — the European Day Of Languages.   Roughly how many languages are native to Europe: 225, 235 or 245 … ?
Q2) How many of them are official EU languages … ?
Q3) Greek is an officially recognised language in how many countries?
Q4) Bulgarian, one dialect of Romanian and East European forms of Romani, use which alphabet … ?
Q5) Basque, Catalan and Galician, are all spoken in which Iberian country … ?
Q6) What’s the most widely spoken mother tongue in the EU … ?
Q7) Finally … what’s the most widely spoken second language in the EU … ?
Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …
Q1) 25th September, 1956, saw the formal inauguration of TAT-1: the world’s first submarine, transatlantic what: telegraph cable, internet cable or telephone cable … ?
A1) Telephone cable.
Q2) More to the point, it connected Scotland … and a town in which country … ?
A2) Canada: Newfoundland, to be exact.
Q3) 25th September, 2013, is — obviously — a Wednesday: according to the Old Testament, what did God create on Wednesday?
A3) The sun and moon.
Q4) 25th September, 1951, saw the birth of actor, Mark Hamill.   Which character did he play in the Star Wars movies … ?
A4) Luke Skywalker.
Q5) 25th September, 1513 — five hundred years ago, today — saw Vasco Núñez de Balboa become the first European to sight what … ?
A5) The Pacific Ocean.
Q6) Finally … 25th September, 1950, saw UN forces capture the capital city of South Korea.   What’s that city’s name … ?
A6) Seoul.
I’ll leave you with this thought from actor, Richard Burton …
“The only thing in life is language. Not love. Not anything else.”
Richard Burton  10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984.
And with the Tom Tom Club’s Wordy Rappinghood: altogether, now …
“Ram samsam a ram samsam
Houdi qouri houdi qouri ram samsamHaykayay yipi yaykayeAhou ahou a hikichi”













*        It’s keeping track of the Old Testament, isn’t Debbi … ?  It’s a bother …