I recorded a version of the guest lecture I gave to art students at Edinburgh last week. I hope you all enjoy it. Includes all sorts of fun stuff about rats, Baudelaire, Walter Benjamin, arte povera, Otto Rene Castillo, and more!

Lasagna al fomo.

The reason why most people in this country struggle financially is because of decades of house price inflation. And this policy will make it even worse, making housing more unaffordable for both buyers and renters. But of course it will give the impression of a growing economy.

The fact that some people got over 4 years in prison for getting drunk and cutting down a tree pretty much sums up how ludicrous this country is. I mean, I like trees as much person, but just plant a new one if you want.

John Lennon ruined Fluxus.

Has anyone trained AI to read their handwriting? Are things like Transcribus any good? I end up with like 100k words per notebook, and I just have no time to type them up. But it would be handy for me to search them.

Toenails are disgusting. Necks are weird. Scrotums look old. -- Northrop Frye's The Criticism of Anatomy.

20 years ago I - along with thousands of others - was protesting the G8 summit at Gleneagles. Amazing and chaotic time. Only time I ever got chased by police running out of a chinook helicopter.

When I see all those polls predicting a Reform landslide at the next general election, I think about how for decades the centrists have argued we need to have First Past the Post to keep the far right out of parliament. How's that going?.

Finally managed to put up some new designs. Proud of these.

RT @zarahsultana: Today, after 14 years, I’m resigning from the Labour Party. Jeremy Corbyn and I will co-lead the founding of a new party….

RT @chasedownleads: I do 50 to 60 job interviews in here everyday. I never hire anyone . But about half the applicants buy a drink from the….

RT @Prolapsarian: I often think about the enormous number of people who think they have “imposter syndrome”, but who are in truth imposters….

I reckon “imposter syndrome” probably is sometimes a thing. But also sometimes it’s a cope.

I often think about the enormous number of people who think they have “imposter syndrome”, but who are in truth imposters: incompetent, bad at their professions, or actually just faking it.

Imagine stealing from the poor to give to Keir Starmer.

Not surprised that with enough pressure the Labour Party once again will penalise the sick and the needy. Scum.

Nor are his bellicose views shared by the vast majority of British Jews, who are broadly critical of the Israeli government and the genocide in Gaza (even if some still won't call it what it is, even after hundreds of thousands have been killed.).

Before you quote Rabbi Mirvis on Glastonbury, let's remember that his only statements on the ongoing genocide in Gaza have been to claim it's not a genocide and to criticise the British government for suggesting. limiting arms sales to Israel. He does not represent Jews like me!.

But what about Fisherman’s Enemies?.

To read music and analyse a little if you want to write about it? Why the constant retreat to the great authority of… Charles Rosen (who is mostly fine but also just totally pedestrian)?.