The Post Office is busy. We've bought half a dozen Views of Scotland 2026 calendars and are shipping them off to the Arizonans we met on our Norwegian voyage. The woman at the counter tells me the calendars are 2 centimeters too big to be classed as 'large letters'. They fall in the more expensive 'small parcels' category. Instead of costing £3.40 they'll each cost £11.40 to send. This, she goes on to explain, includes a new and mandatory £0.50 US customs service surcharge on all packages entering America. A redesigned US customs form of great complexity and detail is also required. When did things start to get so expensive ? When did posting a calendar become so complicated ?
The end of term exodus now underway. The streets that are usually busy are now strangely quiet in that way streets in zombie movies are strangely quiet. Dystopian calm. For the local taxi drivers this is peak season. They shuttle back and forwards to the station or the airport. The 9:34 and 11:34 through trains to London are sure to be packed solid . Those in the know take the 8:34 and then connect in Edinburgh to the 10:00 am Flying Scotsman.
Remnants of a farewell party greet us down on the beach. Local dogs are intrigued by this new addition to the landscape and make sure it is well watered in..JPG)
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Christmas song #14 with a local flavour:https://youtu.be/FvjclYC2w5U?t=6
Wednesday links:
English has become easier to read :https://www.worksinprogress.news/p/english-prose-has-become-much-easier
The UK to have its first robot lab :https://deepmind.google/blog/strengthening-our-partnership-with-the-uk-government-to-support-prosperity-and-security-in-the-ai-era/
Welcome to ID for domestic flights :https://lifehacker.com/travel/flying-without-a-real-id-payment-required
Which leads me onto this. Thought this was another example of TDS* but turns out it's true. Can you remember all your old e-mail addresses and phone numbers ? :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi7UGZYY9g4
Disappearing in South Koreans :https://www.worksinprogress.news/p/why-is-south-korean-fertility-so
* Trump Derangement Syndrome
11 comments:
I have had the same email address since 1986. Very not hard to remember
Hari Om
The Uni vid was enjoyable, the essay on syntax, absorbing, and the discussion re the travel documentation, worthy. Mind you, like Anon above me, just the one email addy for the last 20 years, and if they're looking for chat platforms on phones, they'd be very disappointed in this anti-social media queen! YAM xx
I've given up trying to send anything to or from the US. My son is thinking about studying in Tennessee next year. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but it would be easier to get some things. The new ESTA requirements (proposal?) are our biggest worry, as we're not sure my husband would make it through the process. I'm hoping they'll give up once they realize what it would mean for the World Cup and the Olympics. I've been recreating my old Amazon Christmas playlist on Spotify, and it's a great list now - Frank Sinatra to pipes to Bruce Springsteen to pipes - your influence shows clearly. My favorite is still the Wexford Carol you linked a few years ago.
TDS? The one who is deranged is the man himself. No one believes it until it hits their own wallet or life. All this unnecessary and costly stupidity starts and ends with him. Welcome aboard.
Despite the hassle and expense with the post office, the Arizonans will so enjoy receiving your gift from Scotland, reflecting on the cruise and friendship that was made.
I agree that the calendar will be a welcome surprise for the Arizonians. Well worth the extra charge. Getting a Real ID was a simple matter of showing up at the DMV with drivers license and a few other pieces of ID. We were done in minutes. I cringe every time I look at those student surfers!
JoAnn in Maryland
The St. Andrews video is delightful.
The shipping may have cost more than the calendars, still the thought is worth much more. I certainly hope that Britain and the EU don't respond in-kind. Three years and a month and we will recover from TDS.
I also enjoyed the St. Andrews video - I think I'll watch it again!
Writers such as Dickens and Austen would take 50 to 60 words to describe a gentleman's ascot; which in my opinion, makes them absorbing and delightful to read. Modern writers who utilize short sentences bore me to tears.
I greatly concur with Pam's comment. That was a very short sentence, so I suppose they sometimes work quite well.
The St. Andrew's video was a real pleasure to watch this morning. Thank you.
I thoroughly enjoyed the St Andrews video. The cruise ship one had me seeing red. I'm already upset about Trump decided foreigner visitors have to pay a $100 surcharge to visit National Parks. I had the privilege of being an NPS Ranger for 10 years and that is antithetical to everything the Parks' mission is about. The whole idea literally makes me sick; the parks are the best of America, and I loved showing it to foreigners. To be honest, they were generally better behaved than the American natives.
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