Sinister: A pastiche of a bourgeois quiche

[stephen troussé]

We suspect you will find the following AP report of interest:

>>On New Year's Day, the city-state's 113 McDonald's outlets began a
six-week promotion that offers customers a different pair of Hello Kitty
characters each week when they purchase an Extra Value Meal. Since then,
passionate consumers -- mostly teenagers -- have stormed the chain's
outlets, offering to pay as much as S$200-$300 (U.S. $119-$179) for each set
of the limited-edition dolls, according to Singapore's the Straits Times.
Arguments and fistfights have broken out in the long lines, and on Jan. 13,
seven people were injured when a mob pressed against one franchise's
plate-glass door and shattered it. McDonald's marketing director Fanny Lai
pleaded with Hello Kitty fans to "keep calm" and "follow the directions of
our staff on the scene." To make sure they do, the burger chain has brought
in police to watch over things -- which means Hello Kitty fanatics had
better control themselves. In Singapore, gum chewing and public drunkenness
are illegal, caning is a common punishment and possession of narcotics
carries a mandatory death sentence.<<

We trust you had a good winterlude. Personally, we frolicked like muthas.
Returning to Sinister, as to a tatty old comfort blankie,  nothing has
really changed, has it? PE stories, French pop music, children's tv and
heated debates on aesthetic ideologies of the twentieth century. Wheels
within wheels.

We had a curious experience this week, which we will share with you. On
Monday we were at the British Library, a-shmoozin' and  a-boozin' with tout
la belle monde de la poesie when we bumped into Tom Paulin, the poet and
television pundit with the mad, staring eyes. Last night we attended a
musical event in a cupboard in London and once again encountered Tom Paulin,
who this time was a tuneful boy/girl indiepop band, reputedly the new Belle
and Sebastian, with a drummer called Amos and a singer who looked a bit like
Alan Ball. Mmmmm.

Talking of things that make you go "mmmmmm", we are inescapably reminded of
Mr GH Dickie every time a television programme finishes this year with the
credits "BBC MM".

The amusingly-named "vibrosheep" asked "what was the name of the frog in
BOD?". The frog's name was ALBERTO.

We just had a look at the In Tune web presence, and it is very commendable.
We like the way 70sKeith pledges to play any kind of genre you could name.
Could you play some Brazilian Tropicalia for us, please, Mr 70sKeith? We are
very desirous of the new Tropicalia box set which we spied in the Rough
Trade shop recently, but it costs £60.

It is good to see Mr Chris back amongst us with his funny stories. As the
man said, he will be performing in London on Friday 28th January at the
Poetry Cafe, along with Calmer and The Foxgloves. If you are a completist
and would like to read the full details all over again, they will appear all
wrapped up in a fancy new box, on the jeeperscreepers web site message board
some time today. Alternatively, you can mail us privately and ask us nicely.

Stevie Troussé








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