Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 27-9-2026 — Here In My Car.

27th September, 2026: Here In My Car.

Feet … 

Feet … !

My tumble dryer has feet: as many machines do.

Adjustable feet, I should add.

One of these days?

I’ll get around to adjusting the things.

The dryer don’t half wobble!

~≈🧺≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 26th September 2026

26th September, 2026.

Right … I’ve finally managed to track something down.

Yes: I’ve finally managed to track down toilet blocks.

Which is what I meant to get on Thursday: but totally forgot about.

Heigh … … … HO!

~≈🚽≈~

As an added extra, there … ?

I managed to find a couple of shops near the station that took PayPal payments: where, in theory, I could pay my rent.

One, the local Post Office branch, wasn’t somewhere I could explore, as I went during at a busy patch.

Another?

Would take the rent payment … but only as cash.

Which is inconvenient: I’d have to take the cash out at my bank — in the High Street — then walk to the Brentwood Station area with a lot of cash, pay at the shop … then walk back to the High Street to pay the rest of the bills, and get my shopping!

I think exploring other options my be an idea.

Including — finally — learning how to pay the rent online!

~≈🏚️≈~

Just as an extra thought … ?

The Tories have plans to prevent benefit seekers spending money on cigarettes and alcohol: by issuing benefits on pre-paid debit cards.

Similar to the cards offered by some charity schemes: that offer supplemental spending money to those in need.

The idea is that you spend the money on stuff you need: rather than on stuff you’re addicted to.

I’m sceptical about the plans.

From personal experience, I know you need to activate the things online: and only so many people I know are comfortable using a computer, a smart phone or online services.

I’m also wondering how you’re supposed to use the card to pay rent with the things.

Again, many would feel uncomfortable using it to pay online.

Or setting up the online scheme that tells the Department of Work and Pensions you want the Housing portion of your Universal Credit to go directly to your landlord.

And, frankly?

I know a few people with substances issues: who, I believe, would sell their cards to their nearest dealer … in return for Gods know what!

Assuming the dealers would take them in preference to cash.

Even on the alcohol and tobacco front, a user would need help to get off their substance of choice: so that the wouldn’t be tempted to use the cards.

As a supplement to paying in cash, these cards are fine.

They let you spend extra money: and use cash for other things.

But as a main source of spending money?

Like I say: I’m sceptical.

~≈£≈~

Oh, just in case you’re interested … ?

Jude’s done another video … !

Feel free to hit the ‘Like’ button … !

~≈👍≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 25th September 2026

25th September, 2026.

Argh!

I hate shopping!

There’s always two things.

One?

There’s always something you forget.

Two?

There’s always something you realise you’ve forgotten … once you’ve got home!

Argh … !!!!

~≈🧠≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 24th September 2026

24th September, 2026.

OK … 

I’ve officially got to go back to the High Street, today: unless I can get something at the shops near Brentwood Station.

Yes: I forgot something, yesterday.

Toilet blocks!

Wouldn’t you know it?

~≈🚽≈~

In other news … ?

I was in Brentwood’s Post Office, yesterday: paying my rent, and paying off my BT bill.

And … ?

Managing to ask if they heard what was to happen, once their branch had closed … 

They had no idea … but were able to confirm that no-one — to the best of their knowledge — had put in to open a new Brentwood branch.

That’s a screaming shame.

Even in a time dominated by online payments, people are still going to need those branches.

~≈📮≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 23rd September 2026.

23rd September, 2026.

Wouldn’t you know it?

It’s payday!

Which means I’m going to be going bill paying and shopping, later!

Gosh … the excitement … !

~≈¥≈~

On a more serious note?

There’s a certain amount of worry involved with the shopping and bill paying.

Or, at least, the bill paying aspect of the trip.

I pay my rent, and my internet bill, in the main, High Street, branch of Brentwood Post office: and have done for many years.

It’s convenient: as it means I can make one visit to the High Street, and get most of the stuff I need to do in one trip.

That branch is in the local TG Jones: the former WH Smiths.

A branch of TG Jones that — as it turns out — is to close in early January of 2027.

As, consequently, is the post office.

I’m … 

I think the best way of describing how I feel is to say “I’m not happy about that”.

I’m not happy about that.

For one thing?

The nearest alternative post office is the same sort of distance away: but in the opposite direction.

Given I can’t pay my gas and electricity bills in the High Street?

The closure means I have to walk double the distance to get things done.

Right now?

I can only hope the Post Office finds an alternative, High Street-based, cheap, venue.

That would be helpful to me: and many others in town … 

~≈📮≈~

As a final thought … ?

I first knew about the closure when Brentwood’s Conservative MP, Alex Burghart, announced it through Facebook, a few days ago.

This was rapidly followed by a announcement from Brentwood’s Liberal Democrat controlled council: saying they’re heard nothing.

I grant you: members of different political parties not talking to each other is understandable.

But?

The fact Brentwood’s MP, and Brentwood’s Council, haven’t talked to each other about this?

Is something that has made me angry!

~≈🗳️≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 22nd September 2026.

22nd September, 2026.

I think we can safely say it’s thumb-twiddling day.

Yes: and in other words?

It’s the day before payday: so I have no actual cash to do anything, beyond going of a nice healthy walk.

Which, given my weight was up 100 grams — about a third of a pound, Mum! — yesterday, is no bad thing!

Heigh ho!

~≈🚶🏻≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 21-9-2026 — Yom Kippur

21st September, 2026: Yom Kippur.

Right … 

The inevitable Monday has swung around, again.

So, yes: that means I’m off to my weight management class, again.

Hopefully, I’ve lost weight down the back of the sofa!

~≈⚖️≈~

Inevitably, I’ve caught more TV, overnight.

Yep: I’ve caught two more episodes of Widow’s Bay.

The show’s Twin Peaks meets The Fog vibe, after hanging around in New England bars with King and Lovecraft, does make for something rather watchable.

The fact it’s winning gongs … ?

Is either incidental … or tells you something … 

~≈🏆≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 20th September 2026.

20th September, 2026.

OK … it’s going to be a quiet Sunday!

At least I think it’s going to be quiet.

Hopefully, World War Three won’t start this morning: unless the 47th President does something incredibly stupid.

Although, now I see that written down … … 

~≈Ω≈~

I tried watching the first episode of Star City, the other night.

It … 

It’s well done.

But I found it very slow paced: and the colour palette contributed to a case of eyestrain that made me turn off after half an hour.

By contrast?

I caught the first episode of Widow’s Bay, last night.

With an atmosphere that mixed hints of Lovecraft, King, Jaws and The Fog, matched with a brighter overall colour palette?

I found it far more watchable.

~≈🧟‍♂️≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 19-9-2026 — International Talk Like a Pirate Day

19th September, 2026: Talk Like A Pirate Day.

Right: it’s Saturday!

And?

It’s Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Which means, of course, I’m going to encourage you to talk like a pirate.

Which could be fun … !

~≈🏴‍☠️≈~

I’m also going to discourage you from something.

I’m going to discourage you from downloading and installing TorBrowser.

And discourage you from downloading and installing Transmission, or something like it.

If — if — you install the pair, I’m going to discourage you from visit sites like Pirate Bay, then using the files you find there with Transmission, to illegally download movies and TV shows.

Doing so can get you in trouble*.

~≈🏴‍☠️≈~

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

18th September, 2026.

Can someone do me a huge favour?

Play this list to my nephew, Jude?

Just skip past “Plaistow Patricia”!

~≈♬≈~

Just as a thought … ?

I watched “The Eyes”, last night: the first episode of For All Mankind spin-off, Star City.

Or, at least, tried to.

I managed to watch the first half hour, at any rate.

I’ll be honest: I may have to try again.

But this first episode struck me as very slow … 

We’ll see.

~≈🚀≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 17th September 2026.

17th September, 2026.

Ye gods: adverts are something else!

I suspect I’m like a lot of people I know: and have a habit of playing some of the sillier games on Facebook, to pass the time.

Or, at least, pass the time … while I’m waiting for a page to load.

I get ads thrown at me.

Who doesn’t?

There’s the usual: dodgy hard drives, second hand retails who’ll pay you cash for your unwanted stuff … 

And the inevitable ‘male enhancement products’!

Most of which are … um … well … inoffensive.

A few, a thankfully small few, aren’t.

They’re definitely not ones I want my nephew seeing: I’d never hear the last of it!

~≈💊≈~

Oh, I caught “Circle of Life”, the first episode of Slow Horse season 6, last night.

No, I’ll not be reviewing it.

But … ?

I think it’s worth watching it, if you can find it.

No: I’m not going to tell you to use Pirate Bay or other torrent tracking sites to get hold of it.

You can go straight to AppleTV, like everyone else!

~≈🍎≈~

Just as a last thought?

An old friend has pointed this post out to me: from former Dr Who girl, Anneke Wills.

Anneke Wills on recovering more Doctor Who episodes in Doctor Who Magazine: "I've heard a 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 hot whisper."

[image or embed]

— Doctor Who Production News (@doctorwhopn.bsky.social) 17 September 2026 at 02:41

She’s heard what she calls a ‘hot whisper’: about potentially recovered Dr Who material.

I hope there’s something to that: it would be nice to see something!

~≈🧑🏼‍⚕️≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 16-9-2026 — A Night at the Opera

16th September, 2026: A Night at the Opera.

OK: that’s macOS 27 Golden Gate installed.

Yes: I know I was planning to leave it for a couple of days: to get past the inevitable slow download speeds you get  when a major update’s released.

But … ?

I had an afternoon, free!

There’s pros and cons to the OS, I think.

Visually, it’s gorgeous: window corners are far more consistant, the Liquid Glass language is nice, and the traffic light buttons have a nice, Aqua-style sheen.

On the downside?

On the downside, the system voice settings seem inconsistent, compared to earlier versions of the OS.

I’ve got one voice doing most of them: and one or two others doing the rest.

And can’t figure out how to change them.

There’s also space.

I had some seven hundred and sixty gigabytes of space left on my machine’s main hard drive: under Tahoe.

But now have some six hundred and eighty (~680) gigabytes left.

I’m assuming that space is chewed up by the large language model used by SiriAI.

I’m aware of a couple of things.

First?

I’m not sure what’s going on with the voices: but yes, I have filled out another entry on Apple’s feedback page!

Second?

The Golden Gate update is very big.

It’s going to give those of us with smaller internal drives a headache.

~≈🍎≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 15th September 2026

15th September, 2026.

Right … it’s official.

Apple have issued updates to both macOS Tahoe — my machine’s been updated to macOS Tahoe 26.7 — and released macOS Sequoia 15.8.

Which would be a step backwards for me.

It’s also released macOS Golden Gate 27.0.

Which I’ll take my time updating too, I think: it’s going to be a long process.

I’m told the visual updates to the operating system are quite impressive.

We’ll have to wait and see.

Either way … ?

The updates give me an excuse to by cynical.

And reiterate what I’ve said in today’s introduction video.

OS updates are like buses.

You wait ages for one … then three turn up at once … 

~≈🌉≈~

Did I mention I was due a gas safety check, the other day … ?

I was due a gas safety check, the other day.

I was quite happily sitting right here, could see the van — and the engineer — from here … when I got the text message from the team that said the engineer had missed me, and would had rebooked the appointment for the 6th October … 

It turned out there was a problem with the intercom connected to the button board at the building’s front door.

At least, that’s what the doorbell engineer my landlord sent, last night, told me.

I think I’m going to be on the phone all day: phoning the engineers, my landlord, the gas check people … … 

~≈🔔≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 14th September 2026.

14th September, 2026.

Right … it’s Monday.

So, of course, I’m up early, again.

Yes: it’s weigh-in time.

As ever, I’m hoping I’ve lost weight: as opposed to lost my mind, wits, sense or, you know … stuff!

~≈⚖️≈~

I have a firm belief.

That, if you have an earworm floating around your head, passing it on is a good way to get rid of it.

So, with deep apologies … ?

Have a tweeny-bopper song … 

~≈🥾≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 13-9-2026 — The Famine

13th September, 2026: The Famine/An Gorta Mór.

You know, the 47th US president is an [Insert Insult, Here].

And one I think is an insufferable, interfering twit, who’s only in it for the votes.

The Irish American ones, specifically.

Yesterday, and today, he’s been visited the Irish Republic: and gone on the record to say he thinks a united Ireland would be a good thing.

In an attempt, I believe, to grab the Irish-American vote in the up-coming mid-term elections.

I’m no Unionist: but would prefer to die in the country I was born in.

So see it as blatant interference with decisions that are none of his business: nor the business of the USA.

It’s for the people of Northern Ireland, if not everyone on the island of Ireland, to decide that.

~≈🤡≈~

In slightly cheerier news … ?

I’ve finally finished season five of For All Mankind: and post my reviews of the last episode.

Feel free to head for Youtube and hit the like button … !

~≈▶️≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12-9-2026 — Sir Ian Holm. (Seven Questions.)

12th September, 2026: Sir Ian Holm.

OK, it’s now officially Saturday.

Which means I’m going to have buy a bag of spuds.

From Nisa, now I think of it.

The last batch of white potatoes I got from Sainsbury’s seemed to have a few brown spots, inside.

I don’t know if that was good or bad … but it wasn’t encouraging!

~≈🥔≈~

On a potato related theme … ?

I’ve a few red-skinned potatoes to last me until I can buy more.

And … ?

Well, they do very well in an air fryer.

From what I’d seen, roasting them in an air fryer gives them a nice dark colour!

Feel free to experiment!

~≈🥔≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 9-11-2026 — Nine-Eleven (Ten Questions)

11th September, 2026: Nine Eleven.

Hmmm … 

The picture’s uploaded.

Given yesterday’s mess*?

I’m pleasantly surprised!

~≈📷≈~

I can remember where I was, when the Nine-Eleven attacks took place.

And no: it’s still not somewhere I’m going to be telling you about.

But I can remember seeing the shocking footage on TV: of planes being flown, deliberately flown, into buildings.

And remember my first thought.

“I hope that’s local!”

The Oklahoma bombings, carried out by right wing, American, extremists, had only taken place a few years earlier.

So my first thought, again?

“I hope that’s local!”

“I hope”, I said to myself, “that’s local!”

“Because if that’s a bunch of keffiyeh-wearing nutters in the Middle-East, there’s going to be hell to pay.”

Lo, and behold … 

~≈✈️≈~

The reason I mention this … ?

Is simple: that today marks the 25th Anniversary of the attacks.

Something I’m marking with a ten-question quiz set that’s — hopefully — respectful of the lives lost.

Much as I didn’t like George W. Bush, and didn’t like British involvement with the subsequent US military action?

I think President Bush’s initial responses were … Presidential.

Were considered, appropriate, and very responsive to the gravity of the situation.

The current president, the 47th President?

I note a few things about the 47th President.

He’s going to be marking the Anniversary at the Pentagon: unlike the other surviving presidents, who will be in New York.

The man should be ashamed of himself: he’s a New Yorker, and should be there, today of all days.

That’s one thing.

The other … ?

Is a simple hope.

That the 47th President won’t be near a microphone, today.

My impression of the man tells me he’s going to open his mouth and say something … 

~≈🎙️≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 10th September 2026.

10th September, 2026.

That’s odd … 

Blogger’s not uploading photos!

Neither on Safari, nor Firefox.

Nor on Google Chrome.

What’s happening, there, I wonder?

I have no idea: But if you do, please tell me!

~≈📸≈~

In other news?

The 47th President of the USA is going to break a promise.

He’s told the voters of America that — should the upcoming mid-terms elect Republican majorities in both houses — he’ ll make sure US voters get $5000.

I don’t know about the legality of that: nor the wisdom.

But … ?

I think three things.

1. The President is talking crap.
2. The President is talking bollocks.
3. Or the President is talking out of his arse.

It’s going to be one of the three … 

~≈$≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 9th September 2026.

9th September, 2026.

Yes: it’s officially Wednesday.

And, beyond finishing a review?

I’m expecting to have a quiet day.

Apart from when my nephew turns up!

~≈👦🏼≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 8-9-2026 — Star Trek. (Twelve Questions)

8th September, 2026: Star Trek.

OK: I have to head to town, later, to pick up some more medication.

Although I don’t know if blood test strips or lancets count as medications, per-se.

They’re … well … something I use to manage my diabetes.

‘Medication’ is possibly the nearest description.

At any rate, the SMS alert came through, overnight.

Which means I’ll be heading to town, later, to pick the items up.

But wouldn’t you know it?

The one time I have to go to town, it is, for the first time in a couple of months, raining like billy-oh.

Wouldn’t you know it?

~≈🌧️≈~