Ready, Steady, Go
Yesterday was another remarkably stable day on Terra Nova. High function, good mood, and zero somatic symptoms. The headache appears to have finally packed its bags, and while the internal frequencies remain, they are noticeably quieter than they’ve been. Dare I say it, things might finally be stabilising on a more permanent basis. Let’s hope that is indeed the case.
As the days progress, I’m finally beginning to see a clear pattern emerge. In the early stages of this project, the baseline was flat, punctuated by the occasional good day. Somewhere along the line, that dynamic balanced out and reversed. Now, the baseline is overwhelmingly positive, with only the occasional flat day.
When you are deep in the trenches, these patterns are almost impossible to detect. But looking back from Day 130, the trajectory is obvious.
The Upside-Down Revisited: Algorithmic Math
Yesterday, I mentioned the Scottish Parliament elections. While it isn’t my intention to turn this dispatch into a political column, I feel compelled to expand on it - primarily for the benefit of our international readers and listeners.
I wrote about how the mainstream media is desperate to spin a landslide victory for the Scottish National Party (SNP) as a crushing defeat. Today, I want to present the cold, hard evidence of just how poorly served the Scottish public is by the British press.
Take the headlines from the morning after the vote:
* The Daily Mail: “Swinney’s Hollow Victory: Independence remains off the table and he’s lumbered with a crackpot manifesto - and a team of duds to enact it.”
* The Sun: “Nats Fail: Down and Rout.”
For context, the “crackpot” manifesto policies the Daily Mail is warning its readers about include: capping prices for essential foods, financial support for renters and first-time buyers, a £2 bus fare cap across Scotland, a ScotWind Wealth Fund, and a Mansion Tax. The b******s.
The Double Standard
To understand the sheer scale of the media’s gymnastics, you only have to look at the actual seat distribution in Holyrood:
* SNP: 58 seats
* Labour: 17 seats
* Reform: 17 seats
* Green: 15 seats
* Conservative: 12 seats
* Lib Dem: 10 seats
To put this into perspective: In the 2024 General Election, the UK Labour Government won a massive, historic “landslide” at Westminster with just 34% of the popular vote. Yet, in 2026, the SNP secures 38% of the popular vote, and the headlines scream “Nats Fail.”
The Cows Coming Home
This is the daily reality of living in Scotland - a media landscape where black is white, up is down, and basic maths is treated as a matter of opinion.
It is also highly significant that, for the first time in history, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are all currently governed by nationalist administrations seeking independence from Westminster. That is where the panic in the press is coming from. The London establishment is suddenly realising their cash cows are preparing to leave the pasture.
But that is quite enough politics for now. It annoys the hell out of me, and I simply wanted to get it off my chest.
If you want to read a more realistic view of what has happened, not just in Scotland but also the English and Welsh elections this article is well worth a read.
We return to the quiet progress of the repair tomorrow, I promise.
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