- Sinister - missprint.org

Sinister: QM tickets
by philip boucher 09 Dec '01

09 Dec '01

hello, I also really need a ticket for this gig. I have bought my train ticket to glasgow, and am missing a gig with my band, my friends 18th and the last college night out before christmas for this, but I havnt got a ticket yet. there was one I was told I could get, but the girls mum sold her tickets to someone else, leaving me ticketless. please help... :( Baba> if you like ill keep you company as im going on my own anyway (if I find a ticket that is) :) love philip http://philip_boucher.tripod.com/philipboucher/ _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: How To Write A Sinister Post
by Laura Llew 09 Dec '01

09 Dec '01

1. Find a computer which is not known for blinking off halfway through an e-mail 2. Make sure that you don't have the list's address already printed in the "Send To" column so it won't accidentally send a half baked post 3. Set your timer for 15 minutes 4. Try to figure out a witty coherent introduction for your post 5. Realize that you've just woken up around 4am with this dialogue in your head: Lady 1: I do love the rain so. It reminds me of my first kiss. Lady 2: Ah, you're first kiss was in the rain? Lady 1: No it was in the shower. 6. Forget the part about being coherent. 7. Realize this is a flashback from the few months where your sister holed herself up in her room and did nothing but watch reruns of the Golden Girls and Designing Women until all of her conversations reflected this fact and were strained of all extranneous fluff until there was only phrases such as, "I'm jumpier than a virgin at a prison rodeo!" left. 8. Give up on being witty 9. Realize that though you're so dim that people can hear the ocean when standing near you - surely you're surrounded by others who are clever. 10. Replay all recent dialogues in your head in hopes of gleaming something to steal and use as your own: Dialogue #1 Me: Oh, Amelie is a French movie I want to go see. Evidently, the main character in it reminds people of me. Will: I had a french film which reminded people of me once. I was pretty disappointed to find out it was The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Dialogue #2 Me: I almost got a tattoo on my birthday. Man: Where's your birthday? 11. Forget about being witty altogether 12. Sign on to #Sinister in hopes of being roused to post about something B&S related 13. Find yourself typing things like, "I hate to ruin your knowledge of anatomy, Katrina, but what your brothers have that you don't have IS NOT A TAIL." 14. Forget the part about #Sinister being a muse or a motivator. 15. Push play on the stereo 16. Listen to Bright Eyes sing: "Laura are you still living there - on your estate of sorrow? You used to leave it occasionally Now you don't even bother...." 17. Realize you're in love with the song though you think you like Will Oldham's Laura song ("Disorder") better 18. Wonder if this makes you EMO 19. Shiver with the fear that at any second Sexpot Sauer might come swooping down from the ceiling while accusingly yawping a "FREAKING HIPPY" at you before she tackles you with a kamikazee kung fu kick. 20. Wait 21. Become despondent when nothing happens 22. Realize this is written in third person 23. Remember when your mother lectured you in high school for always referring to yourself as "Laura" instead of referring to yourself in first person. Remember how her voice became particularly lovely with shrillness as she said that you were acting like a Schizophrenic and were driving her crazy? 24. Remember your retort of, "It's not a long trip" 25. Make a personal note that even though she's 30 years older than you that you must remember to have quicker reflexes, especially with ducking. 26. Refocus on the fact you're writing a post to Sinister 27. You bought Belle and Sebastian's new single! Alas, CONTENT! 28. Wait, you haven't listened to it since it's in your car which has broken down yet again due to bad engine mounts. 29. Ponder on the fact that you didn't even know Hubris had mounts - much less that they had been straying onto wicked paths. 30. Wonder if your car gets more action than you 31. Remember that a boy tried to kiss you yesterday at the bookshop while you were putting things away in the supply closet but you turned your head so he only made contact with your hair 32. Strategically plan how you can spend more time at work near the supply closet. 33. Wonder what that boy is doing now 34. Wonder what that noise is 35. Realize your 15 minute timer has gone off 36. Panic that that long has gone by and you haven't thought of a Dorothy Parker quip yet 37. Think of how when Dorothy Parker was your age she spent her weekends wearing nothing but a broad brimmed hat 38. Conclude that Dorothy Parker didn't go on a lot of roadtrips in her day 39. especially not in cars with vinyl seats 40. especially not in the summer 41. Suddenly have a vague memory that you were going to post the deadline to the Sinister Christmas Present Exchange 42. It passed 43. Recall how you were going to respond to Matthew Henderson's query of, "What exactly is a tea towel?" 44. Become disgusted to think of how it has NOTHING to do with a tea but is just a dish cloth 45. Wish once more that socks were part of the Belle and Sebastian line of band related merchandise 46. Look down and realize that you're only wearing one sock and that's why your left foot is cold 47. Wonder where the other sock is 48. Realize it's probably in your bed where you kicked it off in your sleep 49. Wonder why you're not in bed ... with the New Yorker sipping hot chocolate. Or better yet with A New Yorker who works in a bookshop in.. 50. Be reminded of how this is exactly what it was like trying to write a paper in college _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: wow, he's really hot
by Histrianic＠aol.com 09 Dec '01

09 Dec '01

I saw will levin today. It made me happy, of course, but I also felt like a bit of an old duff when I didn't say hello. I was suffering the after-effects of three days of caffeine-induced high. Anyhoo, my friend imed me tonight and the conversation went something like this: Friend: I'm high Friend: I'm high Me: Good for you.. Me: I saw will levin Me: He's really hot. Friend: Really? Me: He's really hot. Friend: I think we've already covered this. Me: He's really hot. Friend: ok. My mind is somewhat one-tracked. Richard Cottyn said: It was Corduroy Boy Tom that prompted me into writing again. The fact that he mentioned my name in his last post made me go all fluttery inside! So I'm doing it too. But to say that I agree with Richard's "But it really is growing on me, I love the way Stuart sings the first line, I dunno why, but I do!" That was the only reason I bothered to listen to I'm Waking Up To Us in the first place. I like that first line. A lot. I really need someone to take some joy in something I do. I'm off to clean my room. I love you all! cheers h xoxo p.s. I bought a nice glass ring for three dollars today. It's a pretty little green thing, just like.. +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: <insert subject here>
by Richard Cottyn 09 Dec '01

09 Dec '01

I've only posted a couple of times before, so I'm sure that you are all very excited by the prospect of another helping! It was Corduroy Boy Tom that prompted me into writing again. The fact that he mentioned my name in his last post made me go all fluttery inside! Autographs later please... Firstly, some B&S content. Everyone else has given their verdict on the new singles, so I will too. (Better late than never!) Overall, good but not brill I'd say. 'IWUTU' is a nice song but it was never going to be that successful, it just wasnt as accessible as, say, 'Legal Man'. But it really is growing on me, I love the way Stuart sings the first line, I dunno why, but I do! Also, I can't remember who it was but someone mentioned that Richard looks a bit 'funny' in his photo. I know exactly what you mean! Everytime I open the CD case I have to have a good giggle at his facial expression-I'm not sure what it is exactly-perhaps it just doesnt look very natural, or...erm...well i dunno! And now, a warning about our favourite festive figure. We all know Father Christmas as a jovial, kind-hearted man. Yet this is nothing more than a myth. He is in fact nothing more than a sinister, selfish adulterer. The evidence?! "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus!" So next time he asks you if he can jump down your chimney, slap him in the face! Don't be taken in by the friendly facade. So be careful! Don't get too drunk on Christmas Eve! (Just realised-I managed to get 'sinister' in that...aren't I clever?! impressed?!) I'm still trying to get my sister (15) and brother (11) into B&S. I caught my brother singing 'Get Me Away From Here I'm Dying' last week so it may well be working! Also, a few people on here have mentioned Camera Obscura and The Moldy Peaches. I think I'm going to have to check them out...any particular albums you'd recommend?! Cheers...Ciao for Now! Richard PS Ken P Y Chu-love your posts! Keep 'em coming! PPS Why have I got 'YMCA' by the Village People in my head?! Actually, please don't answer that. Please? +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: not much, really.
by Zoe 08 Dec '01

08 Dec '01

hello all! I haven't posted for SOOOOOOOOOOOO long, I should ,probably,go back to the nursery and resurrect myself in sinister land. Well, Sylvia Dahling inspired me to write again. She lives in Athens and talks about it and the rest of the Greek sinister people and I remember them and have a little tear ready to drop off my eye. What has gone so wrong with me?Where have my sinister days gone?? Third-uni-years take up so much time off your life. Hope I'll be able to get to writing again. I watched Jools Holland he other day and it was soooo nice...Most probably I will never see B&S live as whenever they play somewhere I live-Brumm or Greece, depends on the season;I'm a bit like holidays...-I am somewhere else. The new single is superlicious!I love it! It makes me thing of love and relationships and is it me or is it a bit bitter?Maybe it's me. Also, going way back to a post about bad experiences with flatmates: I was in one of Hell's houses myself last year which led me go all mental and stuff and had to go to a councillor in my uni or I would've been locked up.Nice, eh???It affected my life so much that I drifted apart from friends as I was trying to recover. Now I'm fine but I want to apologise to Velocity for disappearing. A letter is on your way my dear...Hope it makes you happy. Nice to write again.I'm reading you all everyday. Bye bye Z. ps. Isn't there anybody in B'gham area anyway? www.studentpaper.co.uk info(a)studentpaper.co.uk +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: The Herman Ideology
by P F 08 Dec '01

08 Dec '01

I'M WAKING UP TO US is an A-side. The song's raw, I mean cooked, drama, is enough to get B&S through their fake 60s obsession. As so often with B&S, Nicky D was so right, ahead of the rest of us. Not with anything else, mind. I LOVE MY CAR is kinda kinks but should be put on the 7th concrete floor for 24 hours and incur a hefty charge; and possibly a pink sticker in the window. MARX & ENGELS might, I think, be the best track ever to appear on a B&S 45. The melody is crazy catchy: the second melody works after all: the music is lush, the guitar sweet. The lyric is Old School but I'm none to complain. The thing is a minor marxterpiece. But I don't altogether believe in the reality of the "Marx Quotation". Christmas is near so skies are blue. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online! http://greetings.yahoo.com +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: We have us a bus!
by Mark Sweeney 08 Dec '01

08 Dec '01

Actually, it is 10 people so far; told you I was under pressure! I've even lost the power of basic arithmetic (again!). Anyway, I've managed to book a 16-seater minibus for Belfast, how much it costs per head depends on how many bodies we can round up. So can anyone who's definitely going please let me know as soon as possible; call or text me at 086 3424095. I'd rather not be giving out my number online but needs must! Departure time and place will follow once I've got me bearings back. Right, I'm off to post the news on a bulletin board! By the way Seamus, it's been a while since I did any exams, it's just the wonderful detritus of life that's weighing me down! _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: nice one, geezer
by Matthew Henderson 08 Dec '01

08 Dec '01

Hello again, all you lovely, lovely people. Wow. Rachel OJ was a fraud. It's not too far-fetched, but she did tell some heart-breaking stories. Good ones too. This makes me question some of our other posters. Ken Chu, Kirsten Kenyon, and the eerily silent Laura Llew might not be real. Perhaps they are descendents of the talented group of people who wrote Shakespeare's catalogue of writing? Or perhaps they are robots. If Ken is as good at DDR as reports indicate, he must be robot. That game is hard. I know a lot of you hate Christmas time, but I've always loved it. I have no problem with people who hate Christmas, in fact, I totally understand why. I just like it because it's time off from school and it's cold for once in southern alabama. Not that cold, but colder than usual. It's quite nice. Last weekend, my life reached a new low. At my friend's birthday party (which I hosted for some unknown reason), somebody had purchased a porn dvd entitled "Let my puppets come." Yes, it is what you think it is. Puppet porn. It exists. Maybe everyone knows about this already and I am the last to know. Either way, it was very disturbing. I never thought I'd see puppet bestiality, but there it was. Hardcore puppet porn. What kind of world do we live in? I'm going to Glasgow on the 15th I believe, and I'm gonna be kicking around there and other parts of Scotland. I have no plans or no idea what I'm going to do (other than freeze my bum off), or even where I am going to sleep, but it should be fun and interesting. If you see a lonely, lost American milling about outside the Belle and Sebsatian gig hoping pointlessly for an extra ticket to purchase, it will probably be me. If anyone wants to meet for a drink or something around that time, e-mail me (off-list of course), and perhaps we can meet up and I'll buy you a pint. Alright, I'm done. -Matt _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: everything i ever took for granted, i'm gonna let it be
by amy.longcore＠ch.novartis.com 08 Dec '01

08 Dec '01

thanks to a lovely game of literati (yahoos' version of scrabble) with kirsten and andy last night, i can't put my beth orton central reservation cd back up. we all 3 listened to our respected copies while playing with the words. it's one of the more comforting and lovely "chat" experiences i have, when you can actually share in an activity with others. and to have the same music in the background as the others? that's cool as all heck. what's not cool is being so addicted to the game that you come on the next day, play mr. chu, he kicks yr ass AND it makes you leave the house later than you'd planned on. *sigh* i'd go bowling with him as well, but, well, it's just too danged far away. amy fun fact: i own my own bowling shoes and ball! it's true. don't tell everyone, it's emberassing enough.... i don't know about that whole OJ mess myself... i just hope it doesn't disrupt our tape making too much... rachels ... let's call an e-meeting! my belle and sebastian $00.02 for this post: the new single is superb. just brilliant. i really favor the way they are going. someone mentioned feeling that the lyrics aren't as personal as they once were. i wouldn't fret too much about that. i love their storytelling (ooooh, no pun on the movie intended) and vibe. they are the best *feeling* group, wether it's coming from the heart or the head, i've possibly ever heard. maybe there are more stories and not as many feeling words, but that same stroke of humanity, poetry, lust and bliss is still there. i have a friend who detests isobell's singing. he really has a problem with her for some reason. he is out there posting on message boards, "the new belle and sebastian single is worthy of your time because isobell sings no leads on it", etc. so many lovely things to say about our beloved.... of course, i've slapped his wrists with a ruler more than once! i am glad the single is turning him back around to them though. i didn't realize how many people fell off from the band with the release of fold your hands... i'm hearing all sorts of backlash about that lp that i must have missed before. but, if these kids are turned back on by the new single, where in the hell were they for jonathan david? jonathan david is beautious! oh well. music, so subjective! maybe it's just "cool" now to say that you prefer "their earlier work". they have enough releases now to make the people that say that sort of thing happy. how boring. what else have you been listening to this week, amy? well, i'll tell you. neil young, simon & garfunkel, aretha franklin, throwing muses. there are your answers! prolly won't see you literati kids this weekend, i've got visitors a-comin'... i just made one of those big, long, shout out good-byes to a million different people. i don't like them. they are so ... impersonal. and, you'll always forget one person.... so, if i've ever met you, planned to meet you, talked to you, played literati with you, had a crush come from you, if you've ever read one of my posts or i've ever read one of yours, if you've ever heard belle and sebastian and fell in love with the music, know that i wish you well and only dream of happiness for you. tra la la, amyjacks at work (home: dotsandloops(a)yahoo.com) +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: knavety vs. chickencysm
by Kate Keenan 07 Dec '01

07 Dec '01

Hello dear old Sinister, Well no one's posted in well over an hour now - I don't think that you're taking my needs into account. Here I sit, in my recepetionist's fort of papers, paperclips and post-it notes, defenseless against the pointlessness of my little daily chores. The weekend is so close I can almost smell it (could be the alcohol vapour lingering in the air from the breath of the last bike courier who was here. Those guys are inspirational. The gunslingers of the corporate world.) It would just be sick and wrong to get some work done at this point. I need some sinister distraction! Now I'm forced to provide it myself. A shocking prospect for a spoiled little lurker like moi. Right, but anyway, there I was on the Queen streetcar last night with my friend Lesley (who has just been telling me about the unusual number of stranger exchanges she's had recently) when an energetic man in his early forties with long silver hair, a polartec ensemble, two sparkly stickers on his cheek, and carrying a very worn file folder, charges up from behind her and exclaims directly to us "Whoa! Everybody's going to the Humber!" (I think fairly translatable to, "My, this streetcar, whose final destination is the Humber River loop, is a lot fuller than usual." with undertones of "EVERYONE ON THE STREETCAR HAS FINALLY REALIZED THERE IS NOTHING LEFT BUT TO HURTLE - LEMMING STYLE - TO OUR TOXIC DOOM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HUMBER RIVER, YES MY FRIENDS, IT'S THE END OF THE LINE INDEED!") Now Lesley and I have an ongoing discussion about the level to which it's sensible to engage with people who have a tendancy towards such capital-lettered undertones. We both switch up stances regularly. I can be a bit impatient and cowardly sometimes whereas she is more of a patient and giving idealist. But then sometimes I get consumed by an adventurous I-want-to-look-the-world-in-the-eye-at-all-costs spirit and likewise sometimes her will can be broken by the sheer number of people who sense her openness and capitolize on it. So yesterday I was up for it and she was not. I gamely agreed with this guy about the Humber (whatever the implications) and Lesley just looked lamely at her knee with an apologetic smile. I couldn't help but have the feeling that the rest of the people on the streetcar (maybe Lesley too) felt like I was being a traitor for inviting futher outbursts from our man and that I was "asking for it" - maybe just paranoia on my part. To the rest of the streetcar's credit, he did go on to say that he was on an anti-anxiety pill called Xanxtrablax (or similar) and that it was - with a significant glint in his eye - great. He was happy to notice that we were on the "joint" (the little circular swivelly bit of extra-long streetcars that enables them to make turns.) Standing on this bit of the streetcar is one of the small joys of my life as its like a mini amusement park ride which comes free with admission. So again, I cheerfully agreed (only now pausing to wonder if he was making any pharmaceutical/anatomical references - so naive) (pronounced knave, as in Hal Hartley's "Trust"). Then he tells us, he used to sail the Humber as a kid. And I'm thinking, there now see! This is quite a fascinating converation I'm having with a striking peson -enhanced by Xanxtrablax though he may be - that I never would have had if I had been all chicken and cynical. But then he goes and tells poor Lesley that she has amazing eyes and did she know that - his eyes doing more ominous glinting (maybe trying to live up to hers). So then I said "Wouldn't want to do that, now it's all polluted, what if you fell in!", gave a tight little bright little smile and joined Lesley in some intent knee examining. Then he said something like, "I gotta get out of here..." and took off. Lesley and I ended up feeling like chumps somehow. We were feeling guilty for suddenly closing up on him. But this is my point (yes indeed, oh ye of little faith): one can never seem to win in those situations! You can either be a wimpy little drone worker bee in your little private-in-public-pod and constantly miss out on genuine human interaction or you can enter into these crazy exchanges but eventually you'll end up having to extricate yourself and you'll feel like a hypocrite traitor. Maybe the answer is to not feel weird guilt at having to walk away. At least you tried. It's how people (me included) end up not giving to people on the street because they don't know where to draw the line. If I give a dollar, why not 20? Why not my wallet? paycheque? apartment? Why give to this person and not the next ten I pass? You just get overwhelmed. The tyranny of charity. But it's a rotten reason not to give anything at all. Well, that turned itself neatly into a nice little social commentary just in time for the holidays. And holy long post! Sorry (to any diehards remaining.) And now look! I'm officially 23 minutes into the week-end! Thanks all for seeing me through! Off to waste time on my OWN terms. Kate p.s. (Some of the preceding thoughts on genuine interaction with strangers are also brought to you by the brilliant movie Waking Life. And the letter C.) +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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