Sinister: Content, of the Political variety + London-centric

[jim taylor]

Please read the below quote from
http://www.banchory.net/belleandsebastian/180902.html , or skip it if you -
as i expect - have been to the B&S website recently...

from:
Stuart's Diary
16th September 2002 - athens & rome

"Brian (lighting, philosophy, Ranger's fan) suggested that if Britain went
to war on Iraq, he was going to leave the country as the only thing he could
do to prove that he in no way supported what was happening. I could see his
point. It would be a complete sickener. Who the hell do we think we are? The
five permanent members of the security council have already split the Iraqui
oil share between them, pending a new US friendly Iraqui government. Makes
you want to sell your car as well. They can keep their stinking oil. Well,
they can wait till I've sold Max then they can keep it. I'd feel like
getting out of here aswell if we go to war. Trouble is, I'd probably fancy
going to New York or somewhere. And there's the lazy hypocrisy. America,
great place, but run by a load of tossers. Come on, spread the wealth! And
Europe is definitely as bad. Or would be if the world paid as much attention
to it. I mean, I'm sure they're not all tossers if you met them, politicians
that is, but really, they are all so mean! Nobody is prepared to give an
inch. It's like, you take a decent person and put them in a car, they start
to act sometimes in a way towards others which they would never do if they
were walking down the street. Put someone in charge of a country and it's
the same thing. They'd do to a million people on the other side of the world
in a stroke what they would consider barbarous if they just met someone in
the street, or in the pub or something. I don't know if I'm making great
sense here.."

until now, i missed big stu referencing this
http://www.missprint.org/sinister/mhonarc/200209/msg00045.html, as i've
been mainly off-line, away to America.

Fact: this was the first time Iraq has been referenced on sinister since
May, when Dean said
http://www.missprint.org/sinister/mhonarc/200205/msg00283.html
"dubya just
itching to get into Iraq for ignoring the UN,
developing weapons of mass destruction, appropriating
money away from health and welfare towards a huge
military machine and refusing to allow inspectors to
examine their chemical weapons. Certainly not charges
you could accuse the US of. hmmmmmm."

he followed that with an apology to Americans, also commenting that this is
not the place for such stuff.

Well, i do neither, as, with careful consideration,  i do not feel the need
to.


reason 2)
This is a B&S + B&S lifestyle list. B&S are political as i have commented
briefly before. (
http://www.missprint.org/sinister/mhonarc/200005/msg00035.html )
It's not why i love them, and it appears i still do after all these years,
but it is what i expect of them.

reason 1)
I just flew (glossing over enviroment-damaging hypocrisies) back from the
US, not my first visit. I like a lot about the US. It seems to be a true
meritocracy, *unlike* the UK and many other places. It is many things. I am
simultaneously ashamed and proud about things British, and would be the same
if i were an American.

The list didn't ignore 9/11, and neither should/could it.

Neither should it ignore what is going on in the world around us,
particularly when we have crucial opportunities to influence this. I do not
ask or expect others to agree with me. I do not suggest polticisation of the
list. I'd hate that. But there are certain things i have to do, to be
myself. One of these is remind/inform you of saturday's demo. I'd happily
make this a walking pic-nic should anybody care to join me. I'm confident
that if one more body from this list (after it's owners mind has of course
carefully considered the issues and decided it aligned) chose to put itself
on the street to display opposition to the threatened military action (and
it's up to you if you feel ok about multi-lateral UN approved, but
unilateral... ???) then that would stir some positve feelings in B&S towers.
This list if anything is about sharing. If anybody would like to give me a
call on 07816 290 077, and arrange to meet up for the 1pm-ish start at
London's embankment to 'march' (or tweely shuffle) to Hyde Park, then please
do. If anybody hasn't done anything like this before, and is unsure about
it, feel free to give me a bell, and of course i can happily look after
anybody if they felt a little anxious. I am at least tall and hard to loose
in a crowd. I certainly won't be trying to convert anyone to any cause, so
have no such fears, but i do not apologise for showing my face at events
like this, and encouraging others to do the same, or at least being
comfortable in themsleves at not doing so, having considered the facts.

It would be a rather wonderful thing to have a bit of the sinister massive
in full effect on the odd occasion such as this. Pic-nic in hyde park after
even??!!!



************DON'T ATTACK IRAQ ( www.stopwar.org.uk ) DEMONSTRATE SAT 28
SEPTEMBER, ASSEMBLE 1pm EMBANKMENT march to Hyde Park. Called by Stop the
War Coalition, backed by CND.*************



I leant the lady in LA my FAVOURITE B&S T-SHIRT that amidst the odd old band
t-shirt redistributing phases (try it - stuff you don't wear ever, makes
other people incredibly happy) i've been offered cash for a few times. That
must mean i like her a lot.

Anyway, skimming over the fact that she's a big B&S fan and members of the
parish are linked to our having got to know + spent time with each other, oh
and that i also went to the pub in LA with the lovely Rachel Fruitloop...
she is not *the* lady of course. Cos that would mean Bappsy boy would be
unhappy. and this i believe, is not the case ;)

Also skipping over the fact i've had (and still do have) a half written
sinister post in my draft folder for longer than i remember...

I had been considering how i'd go about writing this. Encouraging any of you
lot to come on the demo on saturday in London. Well those of you in the UK
or rich enough to be travelling at least.

So to end, as started, with somebody else's wise words. I remembered Ian
sticking this on the Parish noticeboard (
http://www.missprint.org/sinister/mhonarc/200201/msg00101.html ). I look
forward to having him stay this weekend.

"everybody's playing a brand new game, now
(come on baby, do the armageddon)
stockpiling their weapons, apportioning blame, now
(come on baby, do the armageddon)
using racist rhetoric, fuelling unease
its easier than learning your ABCs
so come on, come on
do the armageddon for me

you gotta arm them ships, now
c'mon georgie
kabul
iraq
well you'll never bring them ba-ack

woah oh woah oh

now that you have started, events make a chain, now
(cmon baby, do the armageddon)
stigmatise the brown folk, call them insane, now
(cmon baby, do the armageddon)
pick a starving country, a nice sitting duck
it'll make it easier to bomb it to fuck
c'mon, c'mon
do the armageddon for me

just blow that mosque to bits, now
cmon baby
fly out
fly back
and destroy that peasant's sha-ack

move around the floor in the armageddon
(cmon baby, do the armageddon)
there's not a muslim country we haven't dropped lead on
(c'mon baby, do the armageddon)
play it nice and easy now, don't lose control
where once there was a city there's a gaping hole

cmon cmon
watch the armageddon with me."



love (+ peace)

jim


PS just to break any other taboos i can think of, i'll mention religion. The
London Buddhist centre attempts to defend it's national inter-FWBO buddhist
centre six-a-side footy title on sunday, so i'll try not to kick/deflect the
ball into anybody's glasses (sorry Stevie T & Ken Chu). See anybody else in
London @ London Chickfactor :)

PPS i have of course attempted to obey list rules and have not provided a
link to an anti-war petition, and kindly suggest comment on
in/approriateness of this email be directed to me off list. ta.

+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
        +---+  Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list  +---+
     To send to the list mail sinister at missprint.org. To unsubscribe
     send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to
     majordomo at 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                 +-+
 +-+               Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut!                +-+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+