In “War of the
Worlds” there comes a point where the narrator is playing cards with the
artilleryman whilst the Martians ravage the outside world. As Wells put it “…with our species upon the edge of extermination or appalling
degradation, with no clear prospect before us but the chance of a horrible
death, we could sit […] playing the “joker” with vivid delight”. It’s a surreal reaction to the horrors of the
outside world. There was a strange
parallel this week, when it was revealed that, in
the midst of the shambles which Brexit has become, the Prime Minister discussed
with the Cabinet the edibility of jam with mould on top.
Apparently, she simply
scrapes the mould off and eats the jam underneath, which is, she claims,
perfectly edible. There is some division
of opinion
amongst the experts as to
whether this is or is not advisable; it seems to depend on the type and colour
of the mould and whether you also scrape out the underlying few centimetres
where the spores can be lingering, but I wonder if the PM hasn’t inadvertently let
us know why the government is in such a mess.
Some moulds produce psychoactive
toxins which can cause all manner of problems in the brain, including
attentional problems. Someone who has
consumed such toxins might well forget what was said to her yesterday and see
nothing wrong with repeating the same words and activities day after day,
Groundhog-style.
It’s a better
explanation than many that I’ve seen.
1 comment:
Pardon my language, but fuckin'hell John you've cracked it. I always knew the woman was a few biscuits short of a pack, but gone bonkers on account of psychedelic mould. Hard to believe but that is the most plausible explanation yet !
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