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I got the actual scan of my brain sent through to me today. Which I found ridiculously fascinating. Look at the brain on that ladies. Some people managed to spot cartoon cats or aliens in amongst the folds and brain webs, but I just enjoyed the unusual perspective of being able to see what’s going on inside my head. My brain is my second favourite organ, after my skin, without which none of the other organs would stay in place and it’s nice to see it. It’s where I get my crazy ideas, though science is still trying to work out which bit does that job (this experiment should actually help to pin it down).
You can also see the clear divide down the middle which differentiates Me 1 and Me 2 (though where the other Mes live is a mystery that science can never solve).
Later I cooked a cabbage for the first time in my life (we’re doing that thing where an organic farmer delivers a box of random fruit and veg to our house every week - it forces you to try stuff that you wouldn’t usually pick up - I had to cook celeriac last week, after first having to work out what the fuck this massive Ood-like turnip was). I stir-fried it with cumin seeds, garlic and a green chilli and it was somewhat phenomenal.
But after staring at my own brain it felt bizarre to be slicing into a cabbage. It’s not the most brain-like vegetable (the cauliflower surely wins that one) but sliced down the middle it did resemble my own brain a little bit. Or at least the brain of some garden-based super villain (whose cabbage brain would certainly be in its pumpkin head, with arms made of courgettes and fingers made of carrots).
Later I picked up one of my Christmas books, which my wife had got me because of our obsession with “The Walking Dead” which was a semi-serious scientific study of the neurology of zombies. It seems that the Universe is guiding me towards looking inside my own head (more literally than usual, as my whole career has been me doing that in many ways). I am trying to work out what the subject of my as yet TBA final show in the 12 Shows of Herring in August and September. [More people than I thought have already bought the ticket for all 12 shows - I may be spending most of the year drawing T shirts and the enterprise will probably cost me more in fabric paints and Fruit of the Loom produce than I can hope to make (so at least that will make it like a real Edinburgh Fringe)] I had been thinking along the lines of something about trying to find or define happiness, maybe called “Happy Now?"
But maybe a fantastic voyage into my own brain would be interesting too. We’ll see. Luckily as I am not at the Fringe I don’t have to make the decision quite as imminently. I was also considering making the Leicester Square Theatre gig the only ever full performance of that 12th show, but that might just be insane. I probably need to tour in order to make a living, but it would be interesting to see how much I got done on the internet stuff and writing if I had a break.
So if you want to be sure of seeing that show
then it might be worth booking ahead. Given there’s eight to nine months to go and the tickets have only been on sale for a day tickets are moving pretty quickly and I suspect that last date will sell out
After yesterday’s UKIP rant, regular Warming Up reader Stewart Lee (I think him and my mum might be the only readers, but I am cool with that - it means I can keep them up to date with what I am doing without having to talk to them), has asked me to share the following about UKIP’s Paul Nuttalls (who he seems to have a problem with - I think Nuttalls might have romantically knocked Lee back at some point). Personally I would love to see Lee standing against Nuttalls in the general election as part of my Parliament of Fools idea. Comedians are so much cleverer than politicians, knowing laughs are better vote winners than sound-bites (as witnessed by the genuine danger of an actually slightly amusing politician - Boris Johnson is going to be Prime Minister based solely on being marginally more funny than a regular Tory) and it would be great to see Lee and Nuttalls in debate. But anyway, here’s some UKIP hypocrisy for you from S G Lee - which he presumably wants me to pass on to my mum:
PAUL NUTTALLS OF UKIP, MIDWEEK SPORT COLUMN, JAN 2015
“Freedom of speech should be one of the cornerstones of our society and practiced by all, but this unfortunately is not the case. Islamic fundamentalists are a prime example of those who do not sign up for the freedoms we have fought for centuries to protect.”
CHORTLE NEWS STORY, JUNE 2014
UKIP tries to shut down comedy tour
Aggressive campaign against Jonny & The Baptists
UKIP is trying to stop musical comedy duo Jonny And The Baptists from touring. Their current show is called The Stop UKIP Tour, prompting party supporters to target venues with a sustained written and phone call campaign. They have also put pressure on venues' sponsors and benefactors.
The campaign was sparked by UKIP's deputy leader Paul Nuttalls, who said: 'Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and UKIP is very much the party of free speech but I think it is wrong that taxpayers money is being used to back this production.
The UKIP MEP for the North West Of England complained on the party website that: 'This blatantly party political rubbish is being staged to coincide with the run-up to the Euro elections in May and I am appalled that one of the venues in [sic] the much lauded Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. I would have hoped they had higher standards than giving this show house room.
'I have written to the Arts Council about this matter and also the Royal Exchange expressing my views about this distasteful satire.'
