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Ruth Salter

@RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

mastodon 4.7.2

Knitting, cooking, socialism and folk music.

Independent researcher (recently PhD'd at the University of Edinburgh - Gramsci, Critical Folklore Studies & the Scottish Folk Revival).

Research interests: Gramsci, cultural hegemony, critical folklore, folklore and ideology, folklore and (anti)fascism, 'folk' culture, cultural revivalism, history of folklore, Scottish folk culture and music.

No pasarán

She/her

797 Followers

200 Following

50 Posts

Joined November 15, 2022

Cocktail Pie Recipes:

https://cellarcrumbs.wordpress.com/

Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 3w ago

'There is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics', claims Ed Sheeran. Ed Sheeran opposed Brexit and called for a second vote in 2016. Ed Sheeran endorsed Labour and Jeremy Corbyn in 2017. Ed Sheeran supported the Equality Act in the US in 2021. Ed Sheeran supported and played at a benefit concert for Ukraine in 2022. Ed Sheeran endorsed Labour and Keir Starmer in 2024. He uses his platform for politics just fine when he wants to. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3vgyn49y4l7o #EdSheeran

Ed Sheeran's support acts quit tour in support of Macklemore

Ed Sheeran's support acts quit tour in support of Macklemore

The star said he was not responsible for Macklemore being dropped from the line-up after he made pro-Palestinian statements on stage.

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 2mo ago

Lovely to see that the new Crannog is complete! Crannogs were iron-age loch-dwellings, found across Scotland 2500 years ago. 18 once existed on Loch Tay, where the Crannog Centre is. We used to visit the Crannog (replica) every year for halloween so, like so many people, I was gutted when it burnt down in 2021. Wonderful to see it rebuilt - the first of three. Congratulations to everyone involved! Photos by Crannog Centre - https://crannog.co.uk/ #Scotland #Perthshire #ScottishHistory

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 4mo ago

My go of a pineapple upside down cake for Everyone Bakes the Same Cake.

I used Nagi Maehashi's recipe from Recipe Tin Eats - https://www.recipetineats.com/pineapple-upside-down-cake/

It's a bit like a syrup sponge, with a soft spongey texture and the caramel syrup soaking through the top. It's giving school pudding, though I don't think I ever had it at school.

Shout out @ottaross@mastodon.social for making #EBTSC a thing.

recipetineats.com

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Hoping to finish this sleeve today. About half-way down so should be doable (if I get off Mastodon...)

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 6mo ago

Loch Earn, one hour apart 🫣

#Perthshire #Scotland

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 4mo ago

Hot hot day of climate dread, and some flowers at Falkland Palace.

#FalklandPalace #Fife #Scotland

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Trees at the Hermitage. One of the tallest trees in Britain used to be here, a 61m (200ft) Douglas Fir, but it came down in winds in 2017. Still quite a lot of big ones though...

#Perthshire #Scotland #Hermitage #Trees

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Salmon fishcakes, strawberry salad, potato salad.

All based on recipes by Nevada Berg of North Wild Kitchen.

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Got a good amount of knitting in over the weekend and I've made it down the body of my jumper. I decided to do a split hem: as I mostly intend to wear it inside-out the 'wrong side' of the ribbing ends on knits; but, to make it more reversible, I've done a slip-stitch edge to the split which still looks relatively neat if worn on the 'right side'. Quite like how it's turning out, though never gonna call it by any other name than the ugly-yarn jumper 😘

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Sunny moment amid April showers at the Fortingall Yew today - one of the oldest trees in Europe, estimated by Forestry and Land Scotland as 5000 years old.

#Perthshire #Scotland #Fortingall #Yew #YewTree #Tree #Trees

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

If the party of hope not hate can get me out the door and to three polling stations with A-boards for 7am, just think what else they can do 💚

#ScottishGreens #VoteGreen #GreenParty

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 6mo ago

We don't really do Easter, but we do do Lamb-on-Offer...

A feast from Sabrina Ghayour's 'Persiana' book:
- Spiced lamb leg with pomegranate sauce
- Shirazi salad
- Maast O Khair yoghurt dip
- Eastern-style focaccia
- Cumin, honey and goats' cheese carrots
- Piyaz white bean salad
- Tumeric and cumin potatoes

All made with @GrahamCampbell@mastodon.scot 🥰

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Out between spring showers to deliver some leaflets 😊

#ScottishGreens #VoteGreen #GreenParty

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

A golden spring walk now the evenings are getting longer.

#Perthshire #Scotland #Trees

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Replying to

Trout en croute, a bit more of a respectable fishie this time 🐟 #Cooking #Food

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 6mo ago

Now the gift-knitting is done for a while I can return to working on my ugly-yarn jumper. Knitting it in stockinette with the intent to turn it wrong-side out when finished. This is where I got to before putting it on hold (end of the yoke), and now working my way through the body.

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

We had a friend down last weekend, so a lil cooking round up from her visit.

1) Cinnamon buns, before loading up with cream cheese frosting.
2) Caldo Verde soup; potato salad (with shallots, pickles, pineapple, eggs); spiced cheese spread
3) Dark beer chili and cornbread

#Cooking #Baking #Food

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Sunny dinner I forgot to post last week ☀️

- Pollo con manzanas y uvas (Roast chicken with apples and grapes)
- Verduras de la buerta con salsa vinagreta (Veg with tomatoes and hard-boiled egg vinaigrette)
- Smashed potatoes
- Greixonera de brossat (Cheese pudding)

All (except potatoes) from Claudia Roden's 'The Food of Spain', which has many lovely-looking recipes I'm looking forward to cooking more of over the summer.

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 6mo ago

Muthill eggs and a view towards Crieff.

#Scotland #Perthshire #Strathearn

mastodon.scot

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 4mo ago

The moment a rival tractor appeared at the Tractor Run...

#Tractor #Perthshire

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 4mo ago

Catch-up from this week's fish course - Cullen Skink, with smoked pollock instead of smoked cod.

A bit simple imo (and the class finished an hour early) but probably also the nicest Cullen Skink I've ever made. Then again, the liquid was 50% cream...

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Replying to

One of the reasons this works is that people are more left-wing than they thought – ‘most respondents were far to the left of their own voting intentions’. Speaking with people about their feelings and experiences offers a way to explore the left-leaning ideas that they don’t recognise as such. From there you can expose the lies and hypocrisies of the right, and help people see their pre-existing agreement with the left. /3

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

The boards are in! Really glad we did postal votes so we wouldn't need to worry about getting to a polling place today.

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Replying to

Gramsci’s argument for developing a political thought capable of real change is more dynamic. It requires listening on both sides, an openness to a continuously-evolving perspective which is impacted by the ideas and experiences of those leading a movement and those participating in or following it. Put in the terms of Monbiot’s article, both voter and canvasser must be open-minded to learning from each other when listening in a conversation. /8

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Replying to

This doesn’t mean incorporating common sense ideas that reflect existing power structures; it, of course, doesn’t mean giving any ground to pernicious ideas propping up the far-right. It means recognising that the road to systemic change and social justice is a collective one; it requires the ongoing development of ideas through the connection of party and people. The listener can't only listen so as to redirect good sense; they must also listen so that good sense impacts political direction /9

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Replying to

Tbf, the article isn’t about a long-term strategy to transform hegemony – it’s about short-term methods to dissuade votes for Reform. But ultimately to stop Reform, or whatever iteration of fascism emerges while we exist in the economic system that produces it, and work towards social justice, from Gramsci we can see that if the political strategy of the left incorporates a 'radical listening' it should both build its support and develop its ideas in dialogue with the good sense it hears. /end

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Replying to

Monbiot's arguement that listening to and conversing with people with empathy and without judgement is key to building trust and changing opinion is similar to one of Gramsci’s strategies. Gramsci advocated speaking with people to identify where their ideas already reflect good sense, and working with these ideas as the foundation for building support and wider political understanding. /6

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Replying to

How does this relate to Gramsci? Gramsci argues that most people encounter the world through a combination of commonly-held ideas, which he calls ‘common sense’. The vast majority of common sense reiterates the perspectives of the powerful, because their ideas are socialised across many parts of society and appear normal. Within common sense, though, there are wee kernels of ‘good sense’ - awareness of the inequalities of capitalism, power hierarchies, and the need for social justice. /4

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Replying to

What does Monbiot say? Monbiot describes a canvassing technique where canvassers listen to and connect with people by discussing their feelings without judgement, seeking common ground by asking questions and sharing their own experiences. He argues that people who feel listened to listen back, and people who don’t feel judged are more open-minded. By effectively listening and engaging with people, canvassers build shared identities and are able to change people’s minds. /2

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Replying to

What more can we learn from Gramsci? While Monbiot might be advocating ‘radical listening’, the listening he suggests seems in some ways a bit flat. He contrasts it with conventional party wisdom to ‘use focus groups to find out what they want, and give it to them. Follow, don’t lead’. Monbiot’s radical listening seemingly functions by hearing people’s concerns, discussing their causes, and showing how the left can address them. That’s good; but it may be missing something we find in Gramsci /7

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Replying to

Back to our fish course after a two-week break, and this week we made trout en croute. I tried to make it in the shape of a fish head, but the pastry was quite dry from sitting out and my decorating skills left something to be desired... Tasted good though. Fingers didn't smell so bad this week, I'm guessing because the fish came gutted and I had fewer fishy things to wash in hot water, so yet to try @SRDas 's oil-and-soap tip for getting the smell out. #Cooking #Food

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 6mo ago

Pleased to announce Crieff and Strathearn Museum's Summer Talks programme.

This inaugural series of six talks covers topics about history and culture in Strathearn ranging from before 1603 to the present day.

I'll be giving one on 10 September -'Rethinking Folklore in Crieff and Strathearn'.

Do come along if you're in the area 😊

#Scotland #Perthshire #Crieff #Strathearn #Museum #Museums #Folklore #History #Heritage #ScottishHistory #ScottishCulture

mastodon.scot

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Replying to

When Monbiot sees people as to the left of their voting intentions, we can identify good-sense political ideas being trumped by common-sense voting narratives. Good-sense, in his article, is that the allotment is ‘a swamp’ because of climate change; or that we need to put ‘an end to billionaire power’. Common-sense is that ‘many of the same people [with these left-wing political leanings] have voted or intend to vote for Reform’. /5

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

I only have the first edition of Alias MacAlias, which honestly has been a complete nuisance ever since I bought it a decade ago. Borrowed 2nd ed from Perth & Kinross libraries, and they sent it through from Blairgowrie (where Hamish Henderson was born) - alongside a lil leaflet about Henderson's life and Blair library's bust of him. Cute wee surprise when collecting the book.

#HamishHenderson #Blairgowrie #Perthshire #Folklore #Folk

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 4mo ago

Traditional Artist in Residence vacancy (PT - 0.2 / 7 hours), Celtic and Scottish Studies, University of Edinburgh - https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DRQ687/traditional-artist-in-residence

#FolkMusic #TradMusic #Folklore #ScottishStudies #Ethnomusicology

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@slowe@mastodon.me.uk Yeah, I think there's a benefit to recognising where the energy is worth spending. I also had a properly horrible conversation recently, speaking to someone who went full TERF in a completely unconnected convo and then spoke over me, wouldn't listen, and got super defensive even though I was trying to find gentle ways to redirect their hatred. On the other hand, had an easy time persuading a neighbour not to vote Reform just by showing her how her ideas were the opposite of theirs.

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@simplicitarian@cloudisland.nz Fantastic! Looks like it will hold back a cold wind.

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@SRDas Thank you! (Absolutely - I hate things under my nails so intensive scrubbing is an established practice!)

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@technicalotter Anything to spice up the greige 😂 Hoping it'll be like a throw-on sweatshirt-like layer.

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 6mo ago

Replying to

@11TopHats @GrahamCampbell Thank you! We're still eating it 😂

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 6mo ago

Replying to

@dentangle Thank you! The book is very good, everything worked 😊

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 6mo ago

Replying to

@Jkp Oh shit really! The teacher did say that area near the head (do fish have necks 😅) is where the guts are, but gave zero indication that they'd already been removed. They implied that if you fillet a flat fish like this the guts are just sorta not in the way, cause they're in a different place to the parts you fillet; but if I filleted one with guts in would they actually, then, get in the way...?

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 6mo ago

Replying to

@mactunag Not pictured: back to glorious five mins later 😅

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@eve Ahha, thank you! I'm knitting this with two yarns - one is the ugly-yarn, which is a hideous colour of greige that the photos don't really do justice to; the other is a piece of 'make it tweed' which is adding the green/black/blue flecks (sadly not glitter) and doing a lot of work to dial down the greige! Back-story here: https://mastodon.scot/@RuthSalter/115572582907341960 (I should add though, it's a bit tongue in cheek!)

Ruth Salter: "Back in 2020 I ordered what I thought was grey wo…" - mastodon.scot

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@daj@gofer.social Thank you! 😊

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 6mo ago

Replying to

@SRDas Ohhh thank you, I will try this!

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 6mo ago

Replying to

@Jkp Ahh, there you go - you should come teach the course 😂

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Ruth Salter @RuthSalter@mastodon.scot

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@TeoTeo Thank you 😊

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