hi sinisterkids, things have been pretty heavy on this list lately, as is wont to happen from time to time. and i'm going to do what i've done since first subscribing - breathe through it and let it pass. i don't like to add fuel to the fire, as i know certain disagreements have no happy resolution and i see no need to be caught in malicious crossfire. anyone that has bothered to pay attention to me over the last two years or so will know that i run and hide whenever anything controversial comes up. and although this is a touchy subject, i want to stick up for the list publicly and say that i'm not trying to negate the feelings of anyone that feels sinister doesn't fit into their lives anymore. but i'd also like to say that some great things have happened to me because of this list, that i've met wonderful people here and had my heartstrings pulled by touching posts more than once. i like that this list is moderated, that someone is there to herd us in when we're running in traffic. i like the job honey has done and is doing. like all things in the world, this list runs in cycles of great and not-so-great, and although i can see that a change has happened i would also like to be idealistic and say that things will get better. and they will, i think, if people who would like to be nasty would either bugger off or else learn how to put things constructively and provocatively. mud slinging just makes everyone dirty. this is not to condemn those who feel it necessary to unsubscribe, whether temporarily or permanently, when things get bad. i've had to delete so darn many posts related to iain's silly comments that my delete finger is sore and i have wondered what has happened to everyone's love affair with sinister. the reason i stay is because i love hearing bits of other people's lives, not always belle and sebastian-related but always underwritten with the knowledge that there exists a commonality, and often underwritten with the need for an accepting community, which is the main purpose for this list, i think. whether or not this list is formally a belle and sebastian list doesn't distract from the fact that it's full of a whole bunch of nice people who, on the whole, are supportive of others' genuine efforts and take pleasure in little things. andrew skilton wrote:

interesting that, considering how long the rules for posting (cunningly and somewhat misleadingly referred to as the "FAQ") are, they fail to mention probably the singularly most important thing about the list - that we're all being watched and commented on all of the time.

i've got news for everyone (except andrew, i suppose, since he's unsubscribed in a fit of apparent impatience): if you think you could ever be on a list where list happenings are not discussed in some way or another outside of the list, you're veryvery mistaken and i wonder why you expect to be notified of every conversation or sub-group that's developed because of the main list. a natural progression of sinister is that groups of friends have developed, and if they've developed because of sinister then it's quite likely that they'll be discussing all of us at one point or another. or some of us, anyhow. it seems childish and naive to me to believe that everyone who talks about the list, even if it's honey or other "list elders" or whatever, would see fit to include everyone else. if that's what you really want, go to the newsgroup. but i bet it will even happen there. i've likely been overly redundant here, and perhaps offensive or patronizing. and i'm sure even boring to most of you. but it occurred to me that i've never really mentioned why this list is important to me, and this seemed like as good a time as any to bring it up. thanks for listening, jessicaxo * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * someone had spied on us, i suppose, as we sat beside the canal and ate the sandwiches, drinking not even orangeade or coca-cola but hot milk out of a thermos. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * t i n y s t a r @ w o r l d y . c o m (it's lovely being a girl) +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the reborn Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail "sinister@majordomo.net". To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to "majordomo@majordomo.net". WWW: http://www.majordomo.net/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "jelly-filled danishes" +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+