Category: Uncategorized

This is phenomenal.

Sea surface temperatures are >5C above average to the west of the UK and around Iceland. It’s the strongest area of anomalous warmth on the planet at the moment.

It’s the warmest in recorded history for northwest Europe. More details from the BBC follow on next page. Warmer seas cause expansion and thus coastal flooding. Todays Guardian also has a report on octopus catches booming from 200kg this time last year to 36.000kg last Thursday. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/may/26/the-seabed-is-full-of-them-english-fishers-enjoy-surprise-octopus-boom.

This is a rewrite from yesterdays Guardian ‘Pass Notes’. Written as Tesco executives.

Down the pub with some mates talking about what to get Dave and Lindsay for their wedding. “I bet he is shitting himself, and she is in a right sweat organising everything – ‘he is useless unless it involves kicking a round ball about’. Light bulb moment! “We know they have a massive mortgage and her being pregnant means a lack of the readies”. “Why not get them a practical box – we could start with a five pack of toilet paper and shower gel”. The others add their ideas. 2 tubes of toothpaste (one each; bin bags for his kit; conditioner (come on guys, girls have long hair and care about it!); kitchen rolls for the mess he makes and some hand wash for her after retrieving his undies from under the bed! Cool – I will price it up and add an extra £10 as it is for a wedding – maybe add a bow or something, and gift wrap! £63 sounds reasonable for such a useful wedding gift! Oh and “A toast to love package’ we could do a series from champers, to prosciutto and a bargain one for the pregnant or nutters – £39 for 6 packets of biscuits and some tea!

I am not kidding – these things are on offer at Tesco, although a search of their website was fruitless! But then I found this! https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-14727001/Tesco-launches-wedding-gift-registry-couples-ditch-fine-china-toilet-roll-bin-bags.html

Only the finest strawberries and organic Spanish lemon juice with jam sugar. Perfect.

So tomorrow many places will vote – the polls predict loses for Labour and Conservatives whilst Reform are winners. Presumably Labour polls have sussed this out already. What will their responce be? Please God do not let the Labour right wing shift it further to the right. There is more at stake here with the UK under economic attack from Trump, misleading naratives regarding migrants and the EU. Positive statements are needed, not appeasement.

Also of great interest will be the demographics of those who vote. Are the younger ones turned off completely by politics? Will the grey parade triumph with facist tendencies? Will the non-white section vote at all? Will there be a geographical split? It seems that the Conservatives may take a bigger hammering than Labour with Reform leaching their gammons!

Up early today, greenhouse opened to the warm weather and watered, hanging baskets watered – rosemary transplanted out although whether they survive is doubtful as I could not get into the soil so topped up with grow bag stuff! Strawberries hulled for the next round of jamjam making, washing done and out. Tried to go to Post Office again – but fucking shut again! it has a 4 day week yet serves approx 10 thousand people!

Should I celebrate Carney’s win in Canada – I suppose it is better than the Conservative, but …. Interesting geography again! Prairie states with oil were conservative whilst urban areas mainly Liberal (centre right). Quebec Indepence low, as were the socialists and Greens.

In the interest of getting my arguments correct

In England and Wales, the 2021 Census revealed that 46.2% of the population identified as Christian, while 37.2% identified as having no religion. Muslims make up 6.5% of the population, and Hindus represent 1.7%.  In 2021, 271,327 people in England and Wales identified as Jewish, representing 0.46% of the total population. The majority of “Christians” that actually go to church and follow is about 8%. What is interesting is the weight exerted by Jews. My religious history is weak but I think it was Jews who were behind the death of JC. Whatever, but why the influence on the media – pro-Palestinian protests are castigated by the RW Press, why?

I cannot be a Christian as I do not believe in the bollox in the bible, however I do adhere to the rule of law that has developed, in no little part to the influence of the church. Despite the fact that greedy fuckers claim to be Christians whilst ripping the rest of the population off. I quite like the serenity of ancient churches, whilst still questioning if the money and time uwed to build them would have been better expended on the people! A visit to Pembroke made me ponder whether the church towers were actually rocket launchers! I was told the towers used to be white washed to make them stand out.

I am also a little jealous of those who believe – “something fucks you right off” – have a prayer and god will sort it! I am not so bothered by life after death – if god requires subservience he can fuck right off – misogynist twat!

Well I had better stop – greenhouse watered and at least 50 pots of tomatoes ready for a scorching summer and a bumper crop. I will plant a dozen in the greenhouse, but also another dozen in pots in the garden – this year will be hot!I think the labels are a bit muddled – cherry, plum and normal – whatever, those who get them free can have an interesting time watching them. Nasturtiums are also growing – I actual really do like the flowers! Lillies are doing ok, but not sure about last years “Flame lily’s”.

just made a lemon drizzle cake and took some down for the workers in the shop. Yesterdays herb, parmesan and chilli bread sticks were good.

On a hot summer – I have my fan. I am getting a new battery for the car tomorrow and will then get petrol and go to Draycott for jam strawberries – it is time to make jam for the family and friends again. maybe a double lot and visit Sainsbury’s in Cheddar for jam sugar.

So no rainfall for the UK until at least Saturday!. A couple of heathland fires in Scotland does not bode well for the summer. How long before our dreadful water companies impose hosepipe bans. With all the house building that has happened and will continue I have not seen plans for any new reservoirs. And with lower river flows the impact of sewage dumping will increase. I reckon I can go about a month with the watering butts for the garden and do the hanging baskets from shower water if necessary.

Tomato plants are looking good, chillies have not appeared so I moved them to the greenhouse. Planted sweet chilli and lemon coriander and Californian Poppy seeds. Plug plants also looking good. Lemon tree on patio seems to have survived but one in front not looking good. Vine also seems to be dead! Apple blossom is coming out at the same time as the bluebells, new apricot tree is later than I expected. I have still got room for more seeds so greek basil and sweet basil. i will wait and see what comes up – I am hoping that the chicory, evening primrose and will reappear and that the 10 roses will flourish. I still have the bee hotel to put up.

OK – trying to find the silver lining in the black clouds created by Trump. Less trade equals less transport pollution – ships are a major contributor to global warming. I am trying to think of another but can’t.

I bet the penguins on Heard and Mcdonald Islands must be well pissed off – to come to the attention of the world? As for the British government, we seem to be caving at every opportunity. Tax breaks for the richest companies in the world, to enable our foreign owned car and pharmaceutical companies to trade with the USA. Basically F.Off!

Stock markets crumble – are they a better barometer than politicians and the press? I would guess so – they have jobs and money on the line that cannot be covered by clever rhetoric. e.g. The government and the press thought Truss and Kwartang’s budget was brilliant but the stock market tanked it. Time will tell. The UK and Europe and others will find new markets, will China start dumping products on Europe? Will the USA policy result in a manufacturing boom in America or high inflation? Supply chains have become complicated so new factories in the US will find the cost of tariffs high. This will take months to play out, but there are unlikely to be many winners.

Well i am being a bit optimistic! I have decided to plant chillies in conservatory to start with later next week – temperatures up to double figures. So Chilli Prairie Fire; Padron; Aji Habanero and Sweet Pepper Corno di toro Rosso will be started. I will move to greenhouse when it is guaranteed abve 10 at night (I have a heater just in case).

i also have lots of herbs that I might plant at random in long pots just for fun? Most will need to wait until April though – 2 months away! I might sneak the tomato seeds in, in a couple of weeks if it warms up. Will we have a long hot summer? We are due one!

WORSE

So Trump is worse than expected – fuck, how is that possible?  Last time around he had some moderating advice.  This time he has surrounded himself with psychophants / sickofants (not sure how to spell!), Cutting US Aid is a cruel and heartless thing to do, and is counter productive to the international influence.  Then he imposes sanctions of the ICJ – because he disagrees with their verdicts.  The fucker seems to be out of control!  Gaza as a real estate project may appeal to abself obsessed lunatic on paper – but the ethnic cleansing of 1.5 million people is horrendous.  McKinley was assassinated – Trump is heading the same way as he upsets ever larger groups of people.  How long before he demands that Ameri-Indians are deported to Canada?  

I am not conversant with the American constitution in detail.  At present he has control of Congress but in 2 years there will be elections.  Rather than expanding it is possible that states like NY and California will vote overwhelmingly for an alternative.  I am vague here because there does not seem to be a strong Democrat opposition at present.  Bernie Sanders is too old, and Harris has disappeared.  

Where is the opposition in the states?  The media is sewn up, like here, What is needed is a massive economic downturn – a possibility?!  The trade wars will impact prices but America is large enough to take up gaps caused in the market.  Any trade war inevitably causes a reduction in movement and thus increased prices.  Will the EU open up to Chinese imports?  Where is India diplomatically?  I suspect aligned with the USA!  Modri is a “strongman leader” with fascist tendencies.

Back to ethnic cleansing – was India/Pakistan the last big one?  That has not panned out well!  I guess Trump is relying on every Palestinian home to have been destroyed, therefore they have to leave?  See you next Tuesday!

SMALL MODULAR REACTORS

The same questions exist whatever the size – waste, location, security and cost.  Starmer listens to big business when it asks for a subsidised electricity provision – why not the individuals?  I know people who would put up the cost of solar panels and heat pumps if made profitably.  A 5 year return on investment would enable millions of solar panels to be installed – however the energy giants would lose out!  Imagine Sandford with solar panels on most houses, heat pumps and a couple of wind turbines on the hill.  Add in a large scale battery and low cost energy is provided for all.  Yes there might need to be a need for the National Grid, but not on a large scale.  Hinkley C will eventually come on stream and will provide power for 50 years or more – that should be enough back up for the South West!  

So SMR’s are only going to be needed in the South-east! – And then where do you place them?  Not near houses!  Well that fucks that idea.  So put them in the north and west, or maybe Clacton (They are already rabid there).

SPRING

I hope the weather warms up soon – we have had a rather long cold sequence?  I am surprised the RW Press has not been filled with stories of death and hardship due to the cold weather.  Lovely to see Goldfinch on the Evening Primrose seeds again.  But garden looks dead at the moment, but 4 weeks from now it will be full of growth.  I hope that a myriad of insects have survived the winter and can procreate this spring!  The decline of insects is mega worrying!