If you’re a fan of lazy, superficial political analysis from the mentally unwell, you might have read this week about John Swinney’s great strategic triumph of having “coaxed” an “endorsement” out of the Daily Record for Thursday’s by-election in Hamilton.
And if so, you might be forgiven for thinking that that analysis looks pretty stupid now.
(Holiday Boy is still jetting his way around the globe, and indeed will be for the next few weeks, so in the absence of cartoons what else can we do but look at comics?)
But what, if anything, do those front pages tell us?
(Kelly’s article is here. Link to Grok’s answer here. The ChatGPT analysis that triggered the article can be read in this tweet thread. A verifiable analysis by Grok of the debate, based on a neutral question, can be read here.)
While we get on with some tinkering behind the scenes in the absence of any Scottish political news – we have an exciting new comment system and the Contact form finally works again! – readers may wish to enjoy the full marathon three-and-a-quarter hours of last month’s fun indyref anniversary event at the Glasgow Science Centre.
Having solved cat hunger in Greece, the tireless Holiday Boy has now turned his hand to addressing Scotland’s crippling golfing shortage, so we’ve got a different sort of cartoon again for you this weekend.
The clip below is from a 1981 arcade videogame called Venture, by Exidy, in which you play a cheerful character called Winky on a mission to loot treasure from a series of monster-infested dungeons.
For the purposes of this article the treasure in the room above, which takes the form of a castle tower, represents Scottish politics. The room itself is the Union.
Slacky The Holiday Boy is once again on his monthly two-week break, so it falls to us to try to amuse you on a Saturday morning with an image of some sort. Unfortunately very little funny is happening in Scottish politics, so all we’ve got is this.
Chas on Too Tight To Mention: “I forgot about the TWAT in my previous post. Apologies.” Jul 7, 18:32
James on Too Tight To Mention: “Aye, this pointing out the truth is spooking them big time. lol” Jul 7, 18:26
TURABDIN on Too Tight To Mention: “THE SCOTS DID MUCH TO PROMOTE ENGLISH starting with John Knox (opposed in his anglicizing endeavours by Ninian Winzet), James…” Jul 7, 18:22
Northcode on Too Tight To Mention: ““My half crown is a sum of money equivalent to 30 pence.” For clarification that’s 30 pre-decimal pence, of course.…” Jul 7, 18:22
James on Too Tight To Mention: “Oh look. Another new ‘name’. That you, SP?” Jul 7, 18:21
agent x on Too Tight To Mention: “A half a crown is equal to 12.5 pence.” Jul 7, 18:21
Chas on Too Tight To Mention: “Creeping closer to the big 1000 Alfie Boy. Do you really think that any sane individual pays any attention to…” Jul 7, 18:20
twathater on Too Tight To Mention: “Yes Alf you and Northy are really annoying the yoonies, so much so that they feel they need to try…” Jul 7, 18:15
Northcode on Too Tight To Mention: “For those interested I only got a half crown for that poem. My half crown is a sum of money…” Jul 7, 18:09
agent x on Too Tight To Mention: “He fled to England for safety 20 years after Kenya achieved Independence.” Jul 7, 18:02
agent x on Too Tight To Mention: ““There are elements of colonialism at work in the past and now in the UK. Coercion, erosion and appropriation of…” Jul 7, 17:57
sam on Too Tight To Mention: “The historian, tom Devine says England sought the Union with Scotland for security reasons, not economic reasons. Colonialism begins with…” Jul 7, 17:41
agent x on Too Tight To Mention: “Did you get 10 shillings (50 pence) for that one too?” Jul 7, 17:33
AndrewR on Too Tight To Mention: “To reply again, yes, it was the post-independence Kenyan government that put him in prison. That it was a big…” Jul 7, 17:32
Stuart on Too Tight To Mention: “There’s a very interesting set of posts over at the “People’s Assembly” over on Facebook about Salvo/Liberate Scotland, and why…” Jul 7, 17:27
agent x on Too Tight To Mention: “Building a nation: Papua New Guinea’s 50 years of independence https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/07/png-independence-1975-50-years-anniversary-papua-new-guinea Interesting read.” Jul 7, 17:27
Northcode on Too Tight To Mention: “Since everyone here is now talking about the imminent resurgence of the Scots leid – initially in the Scottish literature,…” Jul 7, 17:22
AndrewR on Too Tight To Mention: “Yes, he had several languages that he could use for different functions. He also taught in English, but wrote novels…” Jul 7, 17:15
Mark Beggan on Too Tight To Mention: “Your like a death at a birthday party.” Jul 7, 17:14
agent x on Too Tight To Mention: “His book was written and released in English to achieve a wider audience.” Jul 7, 16:51
agent x on Too Tight To Mention: ““Northcode says: 7 July, 2025 at 1:20 pm I’m reading ‘Decolonising the Mind – the politics of language in African…” Jul 7, 16:47
AndrewR on Too Tight To Mention: “I just looked him up. Ngugi started writing his novels in his mother tongue during a year of imprisonment for…” Jul 7, 16:42
sarah on Too Tight To Mention: “On the topic of helping Scotland to cease being subservient, to restore its constitutional and international status. Surely no Scot,…” Jul 7, 16:26
Alf Baird on Too Tight To Mention: ““Given how you are attempting to bore everyone to death with post colonial theory Professor Baird, isn’t it time you…” Jul 7, 16:00
Alf Baird on Too Tight To Mention: ““People all over the world want to speak it to get ahead and be successful in life !” Aye, it…” Jul 7, 15:52
AndrewR on Too Tight To Mention: “I’d say that Young Lochinvar’s counter-argument is better, the Treaty of Ardtonish, as being nearer in history – but it…” Jul 7, 15:50
Northcode on Too Tight To Mention: ““Given the earlier role of Dalriada Scots in the takeover of the Pictish Kingdom…this perspective perhaps needs revised” It definitely…” Jul 7, 15:50
Insider on Too Tight To Mention: “Meanwhile Alf, in the real world, there are approximately 1.5 BILLION people currently learning english (often at great personal expense).…” Jul 7, 15:26
Mark Beggan on Too Tight To Mention: “Psychology terms; Rumination, Repetition compulsion, historical nostalgia. Stuck on the past.” Jul 7, 15:16
Northcode on Too Tight To Mention: ““As Thiong’o wrote of colonial education in Kenyan schools: ‘the language of my education is not the language of my…” Jul 7, 15:13