Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 15th July, 2020.

15th July, 2020.

It’s happened, again!

I’ve got Bowie’s Girl Loves Me — possibly the only song I know, written partially in Nadsat — banging around my head.

Why, I don’t know.

~≈¥≈~

That’s one thing.

The other thing … ?

Is I’ve now been published on the Phoenix FM site.

You can read my piece on digital poverty, here.

I don’t know if I’ll be asked to a follow interview.

But DO know Paul — the DJ I was dealing with at the station — is planning to mention the thing on air.

Here’s hoping I get a response … !

~≈¥≈~

I’m assuming you’re in the UK, yes?   Unless you’re some of my regular readers, of course!

At any rate, it you’re in the UK, you’ll have noticed that the UK government’s banned the use of Huawei equipment in UK phone networks.

I’m in two minds.

I understand their stuff’s a security risk.

But, if I’ve understood what the news has told me over the years?

A big factor in Huawei kit being used, is simply that it’s cheap.

I think the ban is good … if the government introduced price controls, with it.

After all, the telecoms companies that now have to strip Huawei kit from their networks, are going to have to spend a fortune to do so^.

~≈¥≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 14-7-2020: Black Country Day

14th July, 2020.

Right … 

You’re possibly aware that the Job Centre’s put me on a Work and Health Programme: one that’s voluntary, at the moment.

Well … I’ve now got the start date: which is due to be a phone meeting with my Support Manager.

The reason it’s a phone meeting … ?

Well, from what I could gather, it’s partly concerns over COVID 19.

And partly the fact they’ve not managed to hire a venue in town … 

Hey-ho!

~≈¥≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 13-7-2020: Live Aid

13th July, 2020.

Just so you know … ?

I sent off the piece I’ve written for Phoenix FM: last night.

When it goes live?

I don’t know: but as soon as it is, I intend to post a link, here.

We’ll just have to wait and see.

~≈†≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 12-7-2020: Malala Yousafzai

12th July, 2020.

It’s officially the case.

I’ve sold the laptop.

As the original buyer backed out — which annoyed me no end! — I made use of Facebook’s Marketplace feature.

And eventually sold the thing to a nice couple from — of all places — Stevenage.   In Kent, in case you’re curious.

In the space of about three hours.

I think I and my sister owe Dee and Francis — the buyers — a big thank you.

Especially after coming all that way!

~≈®≈~

There’s something I know I’ve been doing, recently: I’ve been poking around.

My Work Coach — my Job Centre case officer, in other words — has put me on a new programme: a Work and Health Programme run by a group called the Shaw Trust.

It seems to be dedicated to helping those with long term health conditions into work.

I’m sceptical: as I always am.

The last time the Job Centre put me on something similar, the scheme wasn’t especially helpful.

I felt it could be beneficial … especially if they were happy to fund something like an ECDL* course for me.

Under the current Lock down regulations, though, most such schemes?   Are home based.

And may — may — need copies of Microsoft Office.

Depending!

With that in mind?   I went over to Microsoft’s site, to look at the price of the thing.

And was vaguely shocked.

I’ve got a solid state drive on my Mac: it’s smaller than a regular hard drive, means my machine boots — switches on — a lot more rapidly.

What with one thing and another?   I have some thirty to thirty-five gigabytes of free disc space.

The Windows version of Office?   Takes up about four gigabytes of disc space.

The Windows version of LibreOffice, one of the two better know open source office suites?

Takes up one and a half gigabytes.

Even so?   Four gigabytes — just shy of a blank DVD’s worth of date — doesn’t seem too bad.

The Mac version of MS Office?

Is ten gigabytes.

Ten gigabytes.

Ten whole gigabytes!

Two and a half times bigger than the Windows version.

And some fourteen times bigger than the Mac version of LibreOffice: which weighs in at some seven-hundred megabytes†.

With the space I have on my main drive?

Microsoft can either trim a few inches, or they can sod off!

~≈®≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 11th July, 2020

11th July, 2020.

Yes: it’s officially the case.

It’s not Saturday night, and I’m not — thankfully — Whigfield.

I don’t think I’d look that good with a towel wrapped around my head!

Either way … ?   

I’ve just seen the video for the Sparks most recent song, Existential Threat.

You have to give the Mael brothers credit.

They’ve knocked out an interesting tune: and made a good decision, hiring the incredibly strange Cyriak* to animate the video.

That’s a hell of a decision!

~≈§≈~

Oh, just in case you’ve been following the digital poverty stuff?

I’ve finished the piece on the subject: that I’m hoping to get published on PhoenixFM.

All I need to do know, is a little bit of tidying up, and I’m done.

~≈§≈~