In an effort to write a little it less this time, I am only going to give myself the time it takes to smoke a cigarette in which to complete this...well, I quail to think of a suitable name for it. Screed? I shouldn't really be smoking since I am still recovering from the flu, but it is proving impossible to restrain myself. Indeed, the softness of my willpower often gives me cause to lament. But anyway, enough of that, I am finally feeling myself convalescing after several dreary, depressing days, and so I shall shun such negative thoughts. Yesterday I was driving back to London, or rather, being driven back since I can't drive, and the sky was overcast with thick, billowing cloud. However, as we were whizzing past Hatfield, the clouds began to break and golden shards of sunlight started to stream down, warming the cold, barren fields. It felt, well, it felt like nature was trying to tell me something, or at least that there was something I could learn from it if I chose to. Nights and winters may seem long when one is immersed in them, but they come and go. The fields that are now unploughed and in a deathly slumber will, soon enough, begin to come back to life, and become the home of growth and rebirth. So, what I learnt, obvious as it may seem and difficult as it may be to bear in mind the next time night descends, is optimism. Optimism and energy is what is needed to make the most of a life that is all too short as is. My cigarette has already run out, but I'm not feeling too inclined to stop myself just yet. I'm aware of the woeful scarcity of any mention of Belle and Sebastian yet again, but I don't really have much to say about them. I would be listening to them, but I can't be bothered to plug in my headphones. If I could, however, I would put on Fold Your Hands Child etc. etc., which I've decided, having spoken to people about it, is a criminally underrated and maligned album. Since instead of writing this I should really be doing some reading, I shall try and exercise just a little discipline. I can't really remember any good jokes to end with, so instead how about a lovely quote? "Down with wisdom! Forget everything I have said. Let us be neither prudish nor prudent. I drink to merriment. Let us be merry and end our course on law with folly and with food...How splendid is creation, how filled with gaiety, the world glittering like a gem in benefaction of summer...My soul flies out to virgin forests and savannahs. Everything is beautiful. The flies swarm in the sunlight and the humming-bird is born in the sun. Kiss me, Fantine." - Victor Hugo. There. Over-long and superfluous it may be, but I can't help thinking that, in some ways, it is relevant. Ruvi. +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister@missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo@missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "peculiarly deranged fanbase" "frighteningly named +-+ +-+ Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+