Skip to main content
"Herein starts the much-promised blog by Mr Stephen J Watt MA, of origins from the Parish of Fraserburgh in the old County of Aberdeen. Universally loved for his humble wisdom and reserved persona, he has kindly deigned to come out of obscurity by allowing the publication of his thoughts on this here blog. The editors of the blog would, therefore, wish to publicly thank him for his dedication to this task, and the willingness he has shown to sacrifice his time and effort into this endeavour. Furthermore, they can only hope that this blog shall be a testament to the character of the Scottish nation and a source of inspiration for all future generations."
              -Stephen Watt (Chair of The Watt Blog Committee), 2019

...

...

...

Right presumably I've lost most potential readers with that pretentious introduction and so I can now address you, the sole remaining reader, directly. I assume you have some questions?

Actually, I do. First of all, haven't you been promising a blog for years but never ever gone through with it?

Yes, it's true that I have been less than faithful to my word, but as you may not yet have noticed gentle reader, you are now reading the promised blog!


Oh... OK, so I'm willing to accept this blog exists, but what is it about?

Good Question! I guess I imagine it will be a  bit about politics, a lot about socialism,some nerdy references and religious jargon here and there, an abundance of historical anecdotes and an unhealthy obsession with Keir Hardie sprinkled on top. Already in the pipeline is a post on "The Lord of the Rings and Deindustrialised Scotland" which is proving to be a lot of fun to write, and beyond that I have ideas that will be shared in due course. It's going to be a mixed bag, some serious, some flippant, and knowing me there will probably be the occasional creative piece as well. It may prove to be quite the wild ride.

Hmm... So you've told me what the blog is about, but can you tell me what it isn't about?

Wait? What! Why would you... OK since you've asked I can promise you that this blog:

  • Will not give you 12 step to improve your life. It will not tell you to clean your room or discuss the hierarchies of lobsters.
  • Nor will it help you in your quest to find the Holy Grail or unleash the power of the healing crystals. 
  • Finally, it will not advise you on your sad excuse for a romantic life. For all our sakes, just ask them out, the worst they can do is say No.
Well that wasn't helpful!

Ask a silly question, get a silly answer in triplicate.

Fair enough. So let's get things straight, this will be a blog filled with random stuff with a left-wing slant and a mostly jokey tone but with serious stuff thrown into the mix?

Pretty much.

And what if I don't like what's on it?

I don't know. I guess you could comment under the offending post, discuss it with friends or just cry into your pillow at night?

Harsh.

But fair.

One last question, will you have a regular schedule?

At the moment this will just be me writing when I feel like it. I guess if it blows up (unlikely since blogging is a dying medium) then it will become a more regular thing, but at the moment it's going to be whenever I sense the muse urging me to put pen onto paper.

You know what? I think I shall read this blog of yours!

Great, I would have been worried if my fictional reader wasn't going to read this blog.

I'm fictional?

Yup, sorry but you had to be told. And now question time is over so you can disappear until I next need you as a narrative device.

But I have so much more to say!

Actually, you don't. It was, of course, a pleasure writing you.

...
...
...

Anyway, if you are still reading this Welcome to the Blog. 




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Where The Referendums Never Stop - A Review of "Why Switzerland?" by Jonathan Steinberg

Why Switzerland? by Jonathan Steinberg is a 1996 non-fiction text that aims to answer the question of why Switzerland culture and political structures are so unique compared to its European neighbours. Why did I read Why Switzerland? thatโ€™s simple โ€“ Iโ€™d always heard that Switzerland was famously decentralised and used referendums all the time, but barely knew anything about the country other than chocolate, clocks and banks so I wanted to find out more. But why Why Switzerland? in particular? Thatโ€™s even easier, it was the only English language book I could find that covered the topic without being either a travelogue or a very dry political science treatise. It seems that Switzerland, if Glasgow libraries are to be believed, is a rather obscure country. But anyway, onto the review! Why Switzerland? is in many ways a very old-fashioned attempt at summarising the essence of a country in a book. Its aim is to summarise why Switzerland exists and what makes it uniquely Swiss. It does t...

Fairies and Shamans in My Scotland? โ€“ The Secret Commonwealth by Robert Kirk

The Secret Commonwealth or A Treatise Displaying the Chief Curousities among the People of Scotland as they are in Use to This Day by the Reverand Robert Kirk is a famous study on 17 th century folk beliefs where Kirk sums up many of the beliefs around faeries and the second sight prevalent amongst his parishioners in 1690s Aberfoyle. Itโ€™s a book I remember hearing about during my undergraduate at Aberdeen, but at the time the only copy was in the Heavy Demand section, and so it was only this year that I finally managed to get a hold of a copy of the Folklore Society edition edited by Stewart Sanderson from my local university library in Glasgow. Or at least, I thought that I had taken out the Folklore Society version โ€“ what I had actually taken out was the edition by ceremonial magician and occultist R J Stewart . Realising I had made a mistake I did eventually take out the Folklore Society version as well, so in a rare treat the Alt Clud Review of Books is reviewing two books for...