Sorry to clog up your in-boxes with dull politics, but I wanted to support Honey and correct a few rather nasty insinuations Firstly I oughta say that Mr Seb's flair for melodramatic flouncing shows that his drama lessons haven't entirely gone to waste. Secondy, a little more seriously, can I respond to a few points here? "since [SOS's] founding 5-6 months ago the list has become more and more tired...because so many of the people who used to contribute so much to the real list have stopped posting". Well I can only disagree. I like to think the list has got much better, partly through the institution of such ideas as the nursery, which allows people to acclimatise to the list, and points them in the direction of FAQs, biographies, details of Tigermilk etc. As to the supposed idea that SOS was cherry-picking the best posters and sapping Sinister, I can only say this is poppycock. I think I personally mailed one three line post in the entire time that SOS existed. To the best of my recollection nobody else posted very much more. The enthralling issues of discussion were, respectively, the question of the nursery, and the question of web-hosting. Paul asked some mates for advice. Lots of people do this. I know of several spin-off discussions from Sinister... some people set up little groups for their bowlie chalet, some people set up groups in their particular neck of the woods to co-ordinate picnics and things, Mistopher Christopher has the sleeka sounds list. There was even at one point a list for people who were providing B&S-related web resources. I dont tend to think of these as particularly malevolent. But then I don't like the x-files either. "I can only think that they spend so much time seeing if our post are up to scratch" Well, if this isnt paranoia, I don't know what is. On what do you base this supposition, Seb? Do you imagine a crew of ice-skating judges holding up marker cards? "I've read things from the SOS list and I've read bullying letters sent by its members". I'd be fascinated to know what these are Seb. No, really I would. I think it's the sign of an interesting mind to realise that generally there are at least two sides to every story and thirteen ways of looking at every blackbird. You seem to have heard one rather warped version. It would have been more interesting to hang around and hear some others, no? Twice in a week now it's been rather demoralising to see people raise potentially interesting debates and walk out slamming the door behind them. I continue to get a great deal out of sinister: I've made terrific mates from all over the world and have had some wonderful times. I think this is because that because, by and large, the population of this list has been hilarious, thought-provoking, and reasonable. It would be an absolute crying shame if this was spoilt by some rather petty-minded and ill-informed paranoia. All the best Stevie Trousers +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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" +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+