The Great Dictator

Microphones plugged in, earphones on, green room liberally stocked with complementary Midori, on Sunday we finally got around to recording episode 44 of the For A' That podcast, casting a perfidious cybernat's eye over the latest developments in the independence campaign. Michael has been a busy little bee with his Scottish Independence podcasts in the meanwhile, producing recent crackers with the Yes-inclined author Karen Campbell and with folk singer, Karine Polwart.  

But this weekend, we were joined by Christopher Silver, half of the industrious duo behind the Scotland Yet film project, which trailed last April.  I'm happy to say that Jack and Christopher exceeded their crowdfunding target, so the #indyref film should be coming - free, no less - to a theatre near you before the polls close next September. 

Christopher gave us a wee insight into the thinking and aspirations behind the project, and the undiscovered Scotland it hopes to snapshot. We also had a blether about the latest headlines in the campaign. What are we to make of the President of the United States' belief that Britain is better "united"? Will his less-than-full-throated endorsement of the status quo really convince many Scots to change their votes, one way or the other? 

Speaking of international parallels, is that Alex Salmond really a dead ringer for a long-dead North Korean tyrant, as Alistair Darling maintains? If we want a vision of the future, should we imagine a Tunnocks tecake smashing against a human face - forever? And what's behind the former chancellor's [inaudible mumble], nudge-and-wink, "blood and soil" patter anyway? Michael also poses one of the burning global questions of our time - what mysteries do aliens hope to find in the eightieth Texan colon that their probes failed to detect in the first? Answers on an encrypted datastick, please.

As usual, you can take in the show here, via iTunes, or download it to your device of choice for later listening. There are also plenty of other tracks which you can lend your lugs to, over at the show's homepage.  Happy listening.