From: Shift Control <nobody@faust.guardian.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 17:42:50 -0700 (PDT)
To: shiftcontrol@nml.guardian.co.uk
Subject: State of the Nation
Message-ID: <199704181143.MAA11601@faust.guardian.co.uk>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Introducing....
The State of the Nation Issue of Shift Control

If aliens landed in Britain with the aim of finding out what's up these days, 
they'd be in for a confusing time. Politicians - our leaders - are being chased 
by headless chickens and hacks on smack, while other hacks rage against "sleaze"
and try to be politicians themselves. Unemployment figures are down, though they 
might be up. Ministers disagree with their parties while simultaneously agreeing 
with their parties. When we think we're eating lamb we might be eating beef. 
And millions of people buy Spice Girls records. It'll take more than a fancy 
spaceship to figure out the state of the nation these days.

Undaunted, we decided to have a go anyway in this week's issue of Shift Control. 
We've asked Johnny Foreigner to give us an outsider's view of Britain; citizens 
of Middle Britain send us postcards profiling life in their home towns; Robin 
Hunt tries the statistical approach in the hope of finding some coherent 
indications as to where the country's heading; and Rada Petrovic explores her 
local haunt - Kentish Town, London - as a microcosm of the nation. Plus our 
quiz asks: how wild are you about Britain?

Also this week: the usual mountain of humour and perspicacity, including more 
memoirs from Freebee (our resident rock historian), new fiction from Miles 
Gregory, and, if you're quick, details on how to obtain free tickets to the 
fourth annual Unconvention in London.

Shift Control: in a fine state and waiting for you at:
http://www.shiftcontrol.com

Shift Control is produced by the Guardian's New Media Lab with help from 
Boddingtons and Stella Artois Dry.

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