there  could  be  snakes  in  here

" a live cow makes a lion salivate, whereas a human just wants to say 'moo' and see if the cow responds .” – Scott Adams I've been building up sacrificing dairy in my head: I've been being meanminded. The main thing to say against it is "It takes some getting used to" - and what a contemptible wisp of an argument. (Could also say that the substitutes a re twice as expensive, and hard to find, but this is Today and Here.) All the supermarkets are stocking some bloody odd alternatives these days, even outlets that aren't indecently big. So, what criteria? Not "closeness to cowjuice". Not "nutrition", though vegists do need to think about that more than most. "Alpro Sweetened" Base: Soya Costs: £1.09/L Tastes: Guchh. Is: High in protein. Apparently 5% of UK are allergic to soy. "Alpro Unsweetened" Base: Soya Costs: £1.09/L Tastes: Insipid but much better. Is: High in protein. (There...

" It appears, then, that one must either accept patriotism in spite of its undesirable features or place oneself in the role of an outsider, whose claims about the national welfare have an uncertain status. The result for many is a chronic form of discomfort and a hope that the subject of patriotism can be kept out of political discussions ". - Stephen Nathanson " [Post]modern national culture is the sum of all the interpretations of history by all the people living in the nation . " - Michael Gardiner " Work as if you live in the early days of a better nation. " - Alasdair Gray My attempt to process Scottish culture in its entirety continues, taking in the canon , old shitey forgotten canons , a giant chunk of political philosophy , and a poke of Heideggerian shite. I'm reading about 200 pages a day, working as if not in the early days of a belting migraine. Carving my head into funny shapes: First lesson: my sheer Scottish ignoranc...

If anyone ever gives me a lecturing job I am well structuring my course reader around these. 1. Supply and Demand - Hives 2. The Day the Dollar Die - Peter Tosh (Appeal to post-scarcity society, but I'll use it for exchange-rate theory) 3. Milkshake - Kelis ( erotic capital , I'm afraid) 4. How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live? - Albert Reed 5. Capitalism - Oingo Boingo (Talking Heads meets Milton Friedman. Well, somebody had to write it.) 6. Taxman - Beatles (Whinge about progressive taxation. Groovy) 7. Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had - Muddy Waters (Muddy misunderstands the virtual nature of money. Nevertheless, his very attitude drove the 2008 credit crunch: subprime defaults . 8. Career Opportunities - Clash (Unskilled labour's mass alienation) 9. I Want It All - Queen (maximising "rational" consumer - "move out of my way" - to me you have no way) 10. Government Cheese - Rainmakers (neoconservative anthem. Ironically it was Reaga...

I reviewed about a quarter of the shows I saw at the Edinburgh Festival. I would just link to the people I wrote them for , but their subediting crushes and banalises everything, so here we are. The deadlines were strict, so these were all pounded out in about ten mins. I'd recommend the exercise to anyone. ******************************************** Jumping Jesse Jones One very short route to my heart is cheer in the face of adversity. There's a bucket of adversity facing Mr Jones, as he plays here all month: he plays alone, outside, in a big booze-branded box; half the audience face away, chatting; he also quietly competes with Chapel Street's traffic noise. Playing original acoustic blues, he throws in some slap-bass moves and clattery thrash. His voice is a sweet baritone, but undistinguished. Most of his songs work because, if you master a cliché, it will not offend the ear anymore. A Davy Graham reference - in this town - does him credit, as does a...