Fat Buddha Store Blog // All the News

What does it mean to be British? A friend of the shop and Sneaker Things King Mr Al (we love you big man, this is all in good spirit) was in the store the other day and this was the question I asked and that could not be answered. By someone who defines themselves as 'British'. It's a deceptively simple question. What makes you British? I know what makes me Scottish. My cultural appreciation and paradigm are all centered around Scottish culture-good (music, literature, humour, language and so on) and bad (going to the pub and drinking till my legs turn into two cans of McEwan's Export.) But the above video struck me as 99% of the things people thought constituted Britishness were all symbols of England, they were all Anglicised and I can't support or relate to them. Also as a matter of interest, the number of American symbols and foodstuffs. So that's it? We're all British together because we all like fish and chips? People in Edinburgh prefer salt and sa...

Was sent this brilliant video on the tactics of advocates of the Union of the UK to demoralise, demonise and dismantle the movement for Scottish (and English) independence. 

There's a by-election on today in Glenrothes and if you live here and haven't voted already, I'd recommend you pop down the now. A little X next to the SNP box should save your country from total destruction at the hands of the Labour party. It will also likely save the countries of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. On the note of the end of the British Empire, I see Jacqui Smith is eagerly plotting another excuse to keep everyone tied together. "People can't wait for ID Cards" she said.  From BBC News: In a speech to the Social Market Foundation Ms Smith said cards would be issued on a voluntary basis to young people from 2010 and for everyone else from 2012. [C'mon kids, it's a really cool card. Look- it has your picture and everything!] She added: "But I believe there is a demand, now, for cards - and as I go round the country I regularly have people coming up to me and saying they don't want to wait that long . [We demand some KGB-esq...

I've tried to avoid politics on this blog but I'm afraid it can go on no longer. I have to vent a little about this issue. Recently, Gordon Brown, a PM so beloved by all his people was very down in the dumps.  Poor Gordon. Gordon felt that people were not being proud enough of being "British" and so to cheer himself up, Gordon thought it might be good if the British Library held an exhibition on " Britishness ". Which, in case you haven't noticed, is Gordon's favourite word, ever. In the whole, wide world.  Perhaps Gordon didn't expect the British Library would take him up on the offer and throw two fingers up to him with their exhibition, "Taking Liberties." Now, this exhibition, in a very satirical and downright cheeky way, displays that " Britishness ", to them, is the appreciation of freedom and strong support for the values and powers that entails. By Gordon's lot practically tearing the Magna Carta to pieces, thro...