KimyReizeger

Had a little recording session the other day which you can listen to here if you like: Gilwern on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads Five little improvisation-y type things and one more thought-out thing. Intend have tighter stuff up in the future. Probably most influenced by the guitarists Dave Evans, John Fahey and Leo Kottke; so if anyone likes those guys (or even John Martyn and Nick Drake) they may enjoy this.

Alkaline Neither the clothes I wear, or my decision to wear clothes at all, have any relevance to a discussion of the morality of meat-eating. And yes, it is a necessity in Scotland to wear clothes. Just because millions of people believe in something doesn't make it correct; far from it. Most people read the sun and talk endlessly about football. Most people think very minimally about their lives, and judge seldom their actions. God save us from the hell that would ensue if you gave most people in this country - the lager-swilling, drug-addicted, tv-numbed, easily-manipulated, emotionally insecure, overdrafted, over-fed majority - control over moral issues. The arguments for quitting meat produced by BletherinVegan are far more compelling than the ramshackle protest raised against them. It appears that the only argument for eating meat is the fact that it tastes good. On the contrary a vegetarian lifestyle negates the rearing of animals for food, and the pain and stress incurred along the way. Therefore it would appear that the most moral thing would be to stop eating meat. Thus we are left to decide whether or not we want to sacrifice small luxuries in order to lead a more moral life.

What are you on about?

Shaki said he would he eat dog if he lived in a society that did so. I'm therefore suggesting he justifies his actions on the basis of whether or not his peers and parents perform likewise. Hence, being a meat-eater is based on culture and not necessity, and certainly not reasoned, objective consideration. If you're referring to the question 'am I nudist', then the answer is no. I'm looking forward to seeing how you'll skewer this into some frame of relevance.

The situation leading to you being a carnivore is simply your existence within a meat-eating society. Thankfully we live prosperous, well-fed times where living can progress beyond an animalistic survival-of-the-fittest system. Meat-eating is not necessity, as expressed earlier. Employing the 'survival of the fittest' term therefore doesn't cut it in the 21st century, and indeed, the 19th century either. Snippets from wiki: Survival of the fittest - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I've no idea regarding 'the veggie argument', nor have I personally suggested at any point that animals should treated on some kind of equal footing as humans, whatever that means. Would you eat a mentally disabled person due to their inability to comprehend the world or understand it to the same level as you? Of course not. We do what we can to help the needy and the poor, providing education, healthcare and creating institutions to ensure the fair and equal treatment of all people. The animal world works on a completely different scale, involving a struggle for life, a brutal heirarchy that weeds out and destroys the weak. An apt analogy for us meat-eaters could perhaps be the 19th century trader; the arch-capitalist taking advantage of the weakness of others. Ideologies have been created to dispel such inequality, and perhapswe should use our mental superiority as a force for good rather than perpetuate the subordination and enslavement of other creatures, despite their inability to comprehend the situation. What do you think?

So we can say eating habits are culturally specific and differ greatly across the world. We once had a culture of burning people over their religious beliefs; cannibalism probably goes on to this day. You'd clearly be happy to follow the conventions of whatever culture you're brought up in, which rather negates what you have to say on moral issues. 'I'd eat dogs if my parents did', is pretty much what you're saying. These staple, accepted ideas (such as meat eating) which still have a strong, popular and accepted position within society, are the ones which are most resistant to change -as pointed out earlier in the thread, many were stubborn to the abolishment of slavery, though we'd all now agree that was a positive and correct step. Try to step outside the conventions and inherited attitudes of your own culture whilst attempting to analysis them. An objective morality must exist. There must a 'right' way to live. Blindly following the practices of forebears does little to approach this goal.

Would you eat dog?

Don't you think that as thinking beings we should be able to elevate our actions above those of animals? I'm pretty sure that in no other realm of life you would justify yourself in this way. The likenening of a human with an animal is generally perceived as quite insulting, appearing in relation to the dirty, base or violent behaviour of said person.

The prospect of creatures suffering certainly distresses me, particularly those that suffer for my fork. You however seem happy so long as the world bends to you. You also may be at ease with your thoughts; I only hope you don't present them so loudly in public, where I think you'd invariably look the ass. As soon as your actions affect others you have a responsibility to judge them. If you walk down the street violently waving your arms around you have to take responsiblity for those you hit. When you eat meat, you must take accept that an animal has been bred and slaughtered, perhaps with much pain, for you. That said, if you have no interest in learning anything new on the subject I can't see why you're participating on here other than to play the tough-guy. And Alkaline, whether or not I smoke being irrelevant, I certainly don't force animals to do it; if that's what you meant to ask?

I like meat therefore I eat it is not an argument in any way relevant to a discussion of ethics and it's rather sad that so many have jumped on the defensive here. We really should all pay attention to what we eat, where it comes from and at least spare a thought for the process by which it arrives on our plates, rather than sticking heads into the sand and refusing to accept that our actions might be unethical. I'm sure we can all argee upon that and stop the infantile sabotage of a perfectly good point by Zapatista (who appears to have been chased away by the philistines, unfortunately). I would advise people unwilling to confront real issues to keep out of such a thread; aren't there some wacky youtube videos of people getting hurt for you to watch? Besides, economic conditions currently allow us to import all sorts of weird and wonderful foods, so we aren't necessarily confined to a turnip diet should we decide to cease eating meat.

To many Scots, the same applies. Hence nationalism and the drive for independence. The quintessential Brit probably does live in London, let's be honest.

Dylan covers I could do without. Never feels like a very inspired choice. I'd go to Cellar for bashing out tunes and Musa to get listened to. Anyone been to the Globe on sundays? Nev, if I'm right you'll too be acquainted with concepts like 'the green', 'the chipper' and 'carol fae the icer'?

Musa is really good.

Id love to meet him. Heres my number 3333k333. So long as you promise he doesnt spend three hours ranting about aberdeenshire councils lack of funding for grannies with defunct backs. Or why it is necessary to re-introduce penguins to Elgin. thx

Just wondering if anyone can offer up a gem as Ill be there the morn. Live music? Interesting night spots? Something out of the tourist trap? Ta

Looks pretty interesting. Gonna be at this one I reckon.

Gosh, all sounds a bit hard.

I just sat for five minutes trying to spell 'emperor'. The other day I was in fits over 'occasion'.

What many of you describe is, I believe, the Nigeria scam, whereby people purposefully give you far too much cash for your product with the instruction to forward the excess money onto someone else for 'shipping'. Of course, cashing the oversized cheque is futile and you end up simply giving your own cash away. Friend of mine offered music lessons, to which someone in London wanted to send their kid up here to receive. The excess 'shipping' fee became merely 'hotel fee' to be posted onto 'the nanny'. Ludicrous.

I know someone who has the biggest chip on his working shoulders. As a consequence he disdains almost everything in existence which doesn't re-affirm what he already believes about the world. As Shamikazee said above, I think it's a lazy way to justify not improving his situation. Quite tragic, I've never met someone so static, tedious and unengaging. And when, after some laughs and a few drinks he quipped 'you think cos you speak well it means you're better,' I knew it was only semi-joking. He clings onto the fact he spent a couple of years at RGU and tries to insert it into conversation with newcomers. Of course hierarchies exist, though I'm not sure to what extent terms like 'working' or 'upper' class have the same relevance in modern society that they had in the 19th century.

Heat Magazine have an interesting if slightly blasphemous take on the issue. Oh. Dear. God. You NEED this person in your life! Saint Aquinas would've gone fucking mental.

...superb

Hehe: I share a back door with the hairdressers who did him up for the show. He used to work there, and I recall them saying how ridiculous he looked when the cameras came in filming.

I know several people who live around uni in two-bed flats at 500. I also know a couple living in a one-bed near Morrison's on king street (2 mins from town; 10 mins from uni if you march like a rabid goose) for 420. Certainly not wishful thinking but you may have to be patient. If not, I hear Tillydrone's lovely in summer.