Sinister: so this is the new year and I don't feel any different

[Mark Hester]

Hello!

Those of you who read my blog (aw c'mon there must be at least two of you) will
know that I had a spot of bother with the free pc I got from work before
Christmas.  Well, thankfully things seem to be sorted now so I'm at the stage of
actually buying new stuff for it rather than just making sure what should be
there is working properly.  On Friday I learnt that the machine does contain a
soundcard (contrary to what I thought previously) and so I just needed some
speakers.  So off I went to the other side of Oxford where apparently there was
a rather good computer shop. 

I was quite looking forward to the journey as involved using one of my favourite
Oxford bus routes which took me up Headington Hill.  Those of you who know
Oxford will know that it isn't exactly well-endowed in the hill department. 
However, Headington Hill is actually quite steep and it also has a lot of very
nice ivy-clad trees on it to create one of those "ooh I'm in the country"
sensations that are always welcome in cities.  When boarding the bus I had to
squeeze past the rather rotund driver who was TALKING VERY LOUDLY ON HIS MOBILE
PHONE in the doorway, rather than occupying his accustomed place in the cab.  It
seemed rather odd for the bus driver to do this for he seemed to be making no
attempt to take fares or check people's bus passes and although I did try to
show him my bus pass, I can't help wondering whether he was so engrossed in his
conversation that I could have had a piece of paper with "Hey you!  I'm
travelling for nothing!" and he would have been none the wiser.

The shop was really tiny but it was packed out with people and the shelves were
absolutely chock full with electronic goodies of all descriptions.  There was a
real sense that here was a place with a genuine expert ready to answer one's
questions and be truly and properly helpful, unlike the planks who work at a
slightly larger, more famous shop advertised on the telly.  And it was at such
an unlikely location, in a very ordinary looking row of shops, sandwiched
between a newsagents and a hair salon on one of the busiest road junctions in
Oxford. I was able to pick up a really decent pair of speakers for £11, which
means that I can now watch the video and listen to Step into my Office at the
same time, rather than separately as was the case previously.

After making my purchase I had a wander around Headington Quarry.  It's odd when
cities expand and they engulf previously (semi) rural places in an amoebic
fashion (well, that's not how it happens at all, but it is fun to imagine that
it does and the grey blobs on maps do look like ickle protozoa extending their
pseudopodia.  Maybe).  Apparently the quarry itself had always been a bit crap
and there wasn't much stone to be found there and it was only suitable for
making stuff like kerbstones that didn't need to last for hundreds of years, but
it still left a whacking great hole and the best suburb name ever, so that's
alright really.  It's quiet and looks like it hasn't changed for centuries.  As
I was wandering around I saw three people in succession whom I thought I knew
all of whom turned out to be strangers when they got closer.  I thought this was
very strange.  It's not unusual for this to happen once in a day, but three
times???  Fortunately, I realised each time before saying hello.

Later on, I went to a couple of record stores and bought the Fans Only DVD and
albums by Ballboy, Husker Du, Yo La Tengo, Julian Cope and Death Cab for Cutie
(the last of whom are playing here v. soon).  In one of the shops I finally met
someone from work whom I really did know.  I then met my ex's housemate who was
really excited coz she'd just bought her *first ever* mobile phone.  Are there
are any of you out there who are yet to make this step?  Finally, I met a girl
whom I used to work with three years ago who didn't recognise me at first and
said I'd changed a lot.  I found this difficult to believe at first as I don't
think my appearance has changed in the last SIX years...oh well.  Anyway, it was
like the earlier tripartite experience was merely a precursor of what was to
come.

I watched the Fans Only DVD in its entirety last night and I have a number of
questions:

The girl on the cover is reading a book which features a number of b&s song
titles on the cover.  The first is Lisa & Chelsea which of course isn't actually
what the song is called, coz it's She's Losing It.  Was the song originally
called Lisa & Chelsea?


Why is there no video to Waking Up to Us, seeing as it was a single?  Was no
video ever made, or was it just thought that the Later With Jools was better and
more deserving of inclusion?

Could someone help me find sinisterines featured?  I spotted Big Stu of course
and I think Lucy Alder is in the background at bowlie when Stevie's singing
Rhinestone Cowboy through the loud hailer, maybe she can confirm or deny.  I was
going to keep watching the glasto bit over and over to see who I could spot in
the crowd, but in the event went to bed instead, coz I was knackered.

My only gripe is that it would be good to have seen the FISHYCLAP press  launch
in its entirety, but then I suppose if everyone thought like that kind of thing
then we'd have a DVD which was ten hours long.

The video to LLPJ is probably what I will end up watching most.  I think I only
saw a snippet of it when it came out seeing as it was on The Chart Show (which
must have been close to its swansong) and they had to hurry on to Oasis or the
Longpigs or someone.

Does anyone here remember AR Kane?  I've been listening to their "I" album a lot
recently, probably as a result of hearing A Love From Outer Space at the Strange
Fruit New Year's do.

well, that'll do for now,
Mark.
http://grandpontgenie.blogspot.com

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