Polite and commiseratory.

The woman who mistakenly threw her dog her phone waves at us. We can report that despite a brief immersion in the North Sea the phone still seems to be working well. Her dog trots along happily behind.

They're already queuing up at the first tee on the Old Course. This mornings lucky foursomes shake hands with their caddies and concentrate as the niceties of Royal and Ancient protocol are explained to them. They furrow their brows as suggestions are made on the best ways to avoid the bunkers.

On the first tee there are whispered conversations between caddie and client about wind direction and what club to use. Photos are taken. Some players limber up and swing their golf clubs too and fro in much the same way a medieval knight might have practised swinging his sword. 

Such is the excitement of playing the sacred turf that many players have shown up an hour early to watch.  One man slices his shot. The ball rises vertically, pauses in mid-air as if unsure what to do, then falls at right angles back onto the fairway. I half expect someone to shout out something indecorous along the lines of ' You should try opening your eyes ' but the comments are muted and polite and commiseratory - a sure indication the onlookers are scions of Andover and Choate pausing here on their way to Portrush for The Open. Next week they'll probably be meeting up again at Bedminster or Cypress Point. Tonight many of them will be having a glass of Macallan in the bar here :https://theharbourviewhotel.com/

MIT on meat :https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-we-evolved-to-eat-meat-argument-doesnt-hold-up/

Coke :https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/07/trumps-claims-of-a-coca-cola-agreement-quickly-go-flat-as-nutritionists-groan/

The elusive ninth planet :https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-rare-object-found-deep-in-the-kuiper-belt

Pink grapefruit sorbet. Something we miss about France :https://berthillon.fr/