Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Second day surprises

The BBC breakfast news leads with the death of the PM's father. After that there's a slightly confusing story about mail in ballots , the mid-term elections and the Supreme Court. I wonder how many listeners will follow the ins and outs of Americas constitutional intricacies.  Further advances by Houthi forces and the news the American  Presidents son had his wedding  'after party' paid for by a Russian oligarch end the bulletin. We wonder what a wedding 'after party' is and how much one could possibly cost. From the way it's reported I'd guess we're talking big money and minimal good taste. The days of the bride and groom slipping quietly away from the festivities seem to be a thing of the past.

The farmers youngest son is out ploughing the potato field. Local seagulls feast in the freshly turned soil. Two weeks today and he's off to Cambridge. The farmers wife seems (much) more excited about this than he is. The insouciance of an eighteen year old is a marvelous thing.

Driving into town we pass the garage. The price of petrol has risen sharply with diesel now at £2:02 a litre. A few days ago it was £1:89.


At first light a trailer was towed along  the dirt track that leads down to the heron pond. It's been parked in a corner of the cabbage field.  I'm assuming this means that the spare part for the hugely expensive cabbage cutter has arrived from the Netherlands and that harvesting is about to begin. If so we can expect to see the cheerful crew of Tajik and Somali seasonal crews starting work sometime later in the day.


Day two of the new semester and classes. The freshers still mill around in groups. Some of them are discovering that the lecture theatre they went to at nine yesterday morning isn't the one they're supposed to be in at nine today. A frisson of nervousness can be sensed in the air. By the end of the week they'll be on top of things and day two timetable surprises will be forgotten.


The enthusiasm of a new semester means that youngsters are out trying things they've never tried before. There is the unusual sight of a group of paddle boarders testing their balancing skills in the shallow waters by the Aquarium. On the other beach the rowing teams are out enjoying the sunshine.

The last of the poppies are wind burnt and long past their best. A hardy few survive.  In this mornings sunrise they look rather grand.


European find this whole measles thing hard to comprehend. Who is telling the truth ? :https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/03/zero-that-is-the-official-american-measles-death-toll-for-2026-here-is-what-rfk-jr-s-cdc-leaves-out/

Human or machine ? :https://physics.aps.org/articles/v19/126

Marriage as a minority pastime:https://theconversation.com/why-do-people-get-married-these-days-290978

English education is getting better - Scottish is going in the other direction :https://alexanderhthompson.substack.com/p/its-the-screens-stupid

8 comments:

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
... I would suggest a visit to Dunoon where, as I look at it just now, the diesel is at £1.55... but of course, the distance to drive would use up all the cost benefit. That could also change by tomorrow... Meanwhile, my van can still be charged at the same cost I was paying at the start of the year.

Thanks for some good in-depth reading again this morning, Angus. Here's hoping the harvest can now be polished off! YAM xx

Travel said...

Voting in the USA, go in for early voting that allowed in nearly every state, or go in person to vote. Why get married, tax, health care, inheritance, and retirement benefits. And being in love helps.

Lisa in France said...

Yesterday's news was even wilder than usual, but the Supreme Court's decision to stop Trump's attempt to prevent mail-in voting was a victory. I'm not actually sure that preventing mail-in voting would have harmed Democrats more than Republicans, but as a matter of principle, it would have been horrifying if the Court had gone along with the idea. If successful, it would also have made it more difficult for expat Americans and servicemen to vote as well. In California, I can vote by fax, but every state has its own rules and many are more restrictive. As to measles, the government is not telling the truth, they are trying to argue that in every case, there was some other underlying condition that can be blamed.

It seems to me a very healthy thing that one can be ploughing the potato field today and starting at Cambridge in two weeks.

Anonymous said...

I imagine it is difficult to comprehend today's American politics from outside the USA. It's nearly impossible for us to get it from the inside. I cannot understand Trump/Kennedy's rationale to promote allowing the measles to flourish across the country, especially because their most loyal voters may not survive the ravages of the disease. But they are surely doing just that, even though we don't know why.

JoAnn in Maryland said...

Very interesting reading links today. I love the remaining poppies. I’m also glad that the Farmer will be able to harvest his cabbages soon. I’m disappointed that this blog has devolved into a frequent criticism of American politics. I admit our current President leaves one scratching my head on a daily basis, however, surely there is also much to ponder in the UK and other parts of the EU.

Pam in NH said...

As so much American news is filtered through the current regime media machine including the war/not a war, I am thankful to hear what the rest of the world has to say. I think the rising price of fuel in the UK is likely more interesting than Harry's and Megan's move to England. Why be surprised that the world is talking US politics? Energy costs are skyrocketing all over the globe. The truth plus voting will hopefully set us free. I love the poppies as well, but am glad for unbiased news.

Allison said...

Washington and Oregon do not have polling places. It's all mail.

Tigger's Mum said...

Thank you for interesting reading today (even if I was reading it on a post-literate phone screen) - a thesis with cause/effect links to promote thinking and debate.