From: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org (alloy-digest) To: alloy-digest@smoe.org Subject: alloy-digest V6 #145 Reply-To: alloy@smoe.org Sender: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "alloy-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. alloy-digest Friday, June 8 2001 Volume 06 : Number 145 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Alloy: Urban Tribal [jonathan.chiddick@nokia.com] Alloy: Its Harlesden in London ["Tim Hudson" ] Alloy: Happy Birthday Robyn!!! [Paul Baily ] Re: Alloy: Happy Birthday Robyn!!! [lulfstedt@amadeus.net] Alloy: Inet access ["Julie Sweeney" ] Alloy: access & Dolby pix [lulfstedt@amadeus.net] Alloy: Urban Tribal and more ["Andy Venables" ] Re: Alloy: Urban Tribal and more [Brian Clayton ] Alloy: improving content quality [mde@stanfordalumni.org] Alloy: Re: internet access and ...HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBYN :) [Robin Thurlow ] Re: Alloy: Urban Tribal and more [Merujo ] Re: Alloy: Serious question about Alloy members access style [Slarvibargl] Alloy: lyrics etc [Robin Thurlow ] Re: Alloy: lyrics etc [Jon Drukman ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 09:39:33 +0300 From: jonathan.chiddick@nokia.com Subject: Alloy: Urban Tribal Morning all, Tim asked... > 2). How do Alloy users log on to the list ? Do we know how > many people do this for 'free' or 'via work' ....cough ! and how many are running > up huge phone bills in connection time to read the list? I doubt any are running up huge bills as virtually everyone has a reasonably fast internet connection these days and as Alloy is plain text it never gets that big. I've got a LAN line at work and ADSL at home that the company pays for :-) so as far as I'm concerned send huge files! As Paul said, this is do-able even at low speeds so don't limit the content for fear of those kind of things. When I opened my first CompuSpend account back in 1990 or so I was getting my mail with 2400 baud! and that was considered cutting edge then in Germany! It was actually quite nice as you always had time to make a cup of tea inbetween dialing (pulse not tone!) the ISP and logging on! Robyn commented: > That's a little tougher. We can get pretty far afield > sometimes, and we have had a few people unsub because, in their estimation, > we've strayed too far from topic too often. However, it's generally understood > that we can only go over the same material so many times, so a fair > amount of leeway's built in. I would say that Thomas extremely very probably (can you do that grammatically?) fully approves of getting off-topic on this list. It's always nice to read someones comments or ideas that are related to virtually any subject when they come from a like-minded person. > Speaking of being gone, I must dash - it's my husband's and my > birthdays tomorrow and Friday... Happy Birthday Robyn! Trevor wrote: > Paul you really impress with your video collection > too. How the hell have you managed to get hold of > Fever Pitch and Ferngully? I find these impossible to > obtain. That is exactly what I thought when I saw the list. Those things are really hard to get these days - even with the advent of ebay. Paul must have been to a lot of second-hand shops and record fairs in his time. > Fantastic Paul....You are a credit to Thomas & Alloy.... I'll second that! Thanks Brian for the lyrics. They were really hard to hear from the video. It seems I got most of it right. > (*) This is my best guess, since I'm unfamiliar with English > placenames. When I heard this I also thought the same but didn't write anything in as it seemed such an unlikely place to be mentioned in a song. In retrospect I would wager that this is Harleston in Suffolk as this is in the 'Dolby golden triangle' - not a million miles from Shingle Street, Sizewell (the location for the Europa video), Walberswick common where the cover for Windpower and Blinded By Science were shot, etc. etc. etc. So many TMDR influences come from this neck of the woods and as Urban Tribal is such an oldie it is likely that it is from here. > Perhaps Thomas will confirm...? I will get to the bottom of this! I have a crusade! > IMHO the very fact that we do feel comfortable to wander off > on tangents now and then is one of the key parts of Alloy being the unique, > interesting list that it is. It's also great to hear thoughts on LTUAE from > people you'd never normally be lucky enough meet in real life. Absolutely spot on Paul. > Alloy is a fine bunch of people so 99.99..% of the time the noise is of the best quality. :-) Quite right. Self regulating and clean, clear signal. A rarity on the internet. Long may it continue. Now it's time to work... cheers! Jon ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2001 09:01:02 +0000 From: "Tim Hudson" Subject: Alloy: Its Harlesden in London Hi, re: the Urban Tribal lyric its Harlesden in London. Being into Geography.......heres a Journey between Harlesden and White city featuring the Bakerloo line on the London Underground.......all mentioned in Thomas's songs..... Another sideways look at the Geography of TMDRs music......:-)...... Harlesden : 'Urban Tribal single White City: 'White City' from The Golden Age of Wireless Album Bakerloo line: from 'Silk Pyjamas' on the Astronauts and Heretics Album OK folks:! Lets go on the 'The Tube'... From: HARLESDEN To: WHITE CITY Via the Bakerloo Line ! Station Duration Action Harlesden Wait for BAKERLOO LINE train Harlesden 5 mins. Board train to: ELEPHANT & CASTLE or WATERLOO Paddington 18 mins. Alight and walk to CIRCLE LINE Paddington 22 mins. Wait for CIRCLE LINE train Paddington 30 mins. Board train to: SOUTH KENSINGTON (Anti-Clockwise) or ALDGATE (Anti-Clockwise) or GLOUCESTER ROAD (Anti-Clockwise) Notting Hill Gate 34 mins. Alight and walk to CENTRAL LINE Notting Hill Gate 35 mins. Wait for CENTRAL LINE train Notting Hill Gate 40 mins. Board train to: WEST RUISLIP or NORTHOLT or EALING BROADWAY or WHITE CITY or NORTH ACTON or RUISLIP GARDENS White City 46 mins. Arrival Zones Used: 1,2,3 Adult: #2.20 Child: #1.00 If anyone else has any Ridiculous London Underground Journeys via places mentioned in Thomas's songs I'd be glad to work them out ! :-) Laughing lots at this end .......... I would like to write 'The Geography of Thomas Dolby' and derive a huge long list of places and significances of what happened where and why they are or were special. Hell - we could even make it up ! Born in Cairo etc... anyway...I'd like to do something like that as a tribute one day. Then maybe someone with a web site could post it up for me? Or do something like that seriously..... 'The Geography of Thomas Dolby (From Harlesden to White city Via the Bakerloo Line)'. 436pages. Alloy Press ISBN 1345-3232. (Hudson and Thurlow) Ed. Bailey. with a forward by Mathew Selligman. #8.50 Westchester Thruway Steampress Ltd.......he jokes....... Well ......I reckon geography is a good way in if your doing a biog. The front cover would be Thomas as a child somewhere playing the piano and the back would be him at LA airport with a laptop. In the middle would be a series of his old photos of some of the places and then how they look like today. An index would be provided by country and also alphabetiaclly. A CD ROM could be included fetauring some of his music ...... Oh hellfire this is getting silly.......someone should just make a TV documentary about his life........instead.... Maybe they have already ? Tim. Going nuts today with stress cos my Mums in intensive care after a long cancer op yesterday .....so I've been needing the Dolby Muse Distraction.....forgive me. Theres usually a reason for my ramblings but this ones more valid than most. Have a good day its grey and windy and warm here in Luxembourg today. a la prochaine. - -- Tim Hudson tim_hudson@zdnetonebox.com - email ___________________________________________________________________ To get your own FREE ZDNet Onebox - FREE voicemail, email, and fax, all in one place - sign up today at http://www.zdnetonebox.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2001 19:25:12 +1000 From: Paul Baily Subject: Alloy: Happy Birthday Robyn!!! Lawdy! That's what I get for not just letting the phone ring and instead reading every single word. Glad Jonathan picked it up (though no doubt the ever thoughtful Robin T had it scribbled in her calendar and will send a message later on!) >> Speaking of being gone, I must dash - it's my husband's and my >> birthdays tomorrow and Friday... > > Happy Birthday Robyn! (dare I say it? yeh.) Thug 2: yeah! Best to you and your hubby, Robyn!! Hope you both get the chance to take some time out from your busy lives and spoil each other silly! cheers, Paul. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 14:14:27 +0200 From: lulfstedt@amadeus.net Subject: Re: Alloy: Happy Birthday Robyn!!! I'll second that notion!! :-) Happy birthday Robyn!! Have a great day! Lissu :-) From: Paul Baily on 07/06/2001 09:25 GMT Please respond to alloy@smoe.org |---------> | | |---------> >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> | | >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> >-------------------------------------------| | | >-------------------------------------------| |---------> | To: | |---------> >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> | alloy@smoe.org | >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> >-------------------------------------------| | | | | >-------------------------------------------| |---------> | cc: | |---------> >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> | (bcc: Louise Ulfstedt/NCE/AMADEUS) | >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> >-------------------------------------------| | | | | >-------------------------------------------| |---------> | | |---------> >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> | | >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> >-------------------------------------------| | | >-------------------------------------------| |---------> | Subject:| |---------> >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> | Alloy: Happy Birthday Robyn!!! | >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> >-------------------------------------------| | | >-------------------------------------------| Lawdy! That's what I get for not just letting the phone ring and instead reading every single word. Glad Jonathan picked it up (though no doubt the ever thoughtful Robin T had it scribbled in her calendar and will send a message later on!) >> Speaking of being gone, I must dash - it's my husband's and my >> birthdays tomorrow and Friday... > > Happy Birthday Robyn! (dare I say it? yeh.) Thug 2: yeah! Best to you and your hubby, Robyn!! Hope you both get the chance to take some time out from your busy lives and spoil each other silly! cheers, Paul. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 07:21:57 -0500 From: "Julie Sweeney" Subject: Alloy: Inet access Myself, at home, connect via cable modem for a flat fee monthly, unlimited access. I don't tend to think of how much this particular message or surf session's costing me (so I didn't mind the anagrams at all!); I think we view it much as we do any other subscription service, cable tv, newspaper, etc. -- you pay to get it to you, then it's up to you whether or not you use it. Damien, lucky boy, connects from his office via a dedicated T1. Hey--where is this free lunch? Julie Sweeney jsweeney@netpros-inc.net P.S. Damien received his autographed photo of Thomas (Tommy Awards prize) the other day, which is perfectly yummy... thanks Robin and Thomas! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 14:28:40 +0200 From: lulfstedt@amadeus.net Subject: Alloy: access & Dolby pix I'm lucky enough to be on a T1 LAN here from work,...but that also means that I don't often get time to do much other than read Alloy mails these days, ...there's too much work here distracting me from my social life! I miss contibuting more as I did in the past :-( I'm still lurking out here though,..... Lissu P.S. Got my photo in the mail too. Gotta love competitions, especially when people send you a nice piccy of a gorgeous fella! (off to drool now,......) :-) From: "Julie Sweeney" on 07/06/2001 12:21 GMT Please respond to alloy@smoe.org |---------> | | |---------> >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> | | >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> >-------------------------------------------| | | >-------------------------------------------| |---------> | To: | |---------> >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> | alloy@smoe.org | >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> >-------------------------------------------| | | | | >-------------------------------------------| |---------> | cc: | |---------> >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> | (bcc: Louise Ulfstedt/NCE/AMADEUS) | >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> >-------------------------------------------| | | | | >-------------------------------------------| |---------> | | |---------> >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> | | >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> >-------------------------------------------| | | >-------------------------------------------| |---------> | Subject:| |---------> >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> | Alloy: Inet access | >---------------------------------------------------------------------------> >-------------------------------------------| | | >-------------------------------------------| Myself, at home, connect via cable modem for a flat fee monthly, unlimited access. I don't tend to think of how much this particular message or surf session's costing me (so I didn't mind the anagrams at all!); I think we view it much as we do any other subscription service, cable tv, newspaper, etc. -- you pay to get it to you, then it's up to you whether or not you use it. Damien, lucky boy, connects from his office via a dedicated T1. Hey--where is this free lunch? Julie Sweeney jsweeney@netpros-inc.net P.S. Damien received his autographed photo of Thomas (Tommy Awards prize) the other day, which is perfectly yummy... thanks Robin and Thomas! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2001 20:44:05 +0800 From: "Andy Venables" Subject: Alloy: Urban Tribal and more Hi all, * I agree with Jon's lyrics with Brian's ammendments, but respectfully add that it's "to steal the urban tribal" IMHO - this is very clear on the Live Wireless version. The place name I reckon is Harlesden in London. * As for access, free at work (lunchtime only), or 1p per minute at home. Long postings take only a second or two on a average modem, assuming no delays up the line. No problem here, Tim. * Still can't think of any question I'd bother Thomas with! Have you ever been to Jersey?!! Lame :o) * Hope you're enjoying the UK, Robin. I'm tempted to ask if there's a convenient phone number there so I could say hi at affordable phone rates :o) Toodle pip from someone who initially screamed at the off-topic stuff but now rather likes it, Cheers, +AndyJ+ - -- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 08:28:24 -0700 (PDT) From: Brian Clayton Subject: Re: Alloy: Urban Tribal and more Thanks, Jonathan, Tim, and Andy, for your Urban Tribal observations. "Harlesden" didn't turn up in my semi-random search of phonetic matches for what I heard in the song. But are there power plants near Harlesden? I'm still not sure if the urban tribal is being stilled or stolen from her blood, but I'll dig out Live Wireless and see if I can make out which it is. This has always been one of the more difficult lyrics to decipher, and I have to credit Mary "Europa" Brown for filling in some of the blanks for me some time back. Thanks, Mary! BC - -- "No one can predict with certainty what the ultimate meaning will be of mastery of space." -- John F. Kennedy, May 25th, 1961 ------------------------------ Date: 7 Jun 2001 09:06:20 -0700 From: mde@stanfordalumni.org Subject: Alloy: improving content quality What would be beneficial is for people to stop leaving 120-line messages quoted underneath when they reply. They are a pain. The "snipping" quote thing is fine though. with that, thanks robin for the TMDR picture... Monya - ---------------------------------------------- E-mail@stanfordalumni.org is brought to you by the Stanford Alumni Association and Critical Path. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 11:56:09 -0700 (PDT) From: Robin Thurlow Subject: Alloy: Re: internet access and ...HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBYN :) to join in, we pay a flat monthly rate for 'unlimited access' which of course means we're disconnected frequently in the middle of sessions, but don't actually pay for time spent on line by the hour (though there are plans which allow for this) As I noted before leaving the US, and as a few of our detective types have just reminded me, it's Robyn M's birthday on Friday (I *think* I'm right that it's Friday!) So, I'd like to wish you a very happy birthday Robyn M, my fellow Gemini and name-sharer!! xxx ~R Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2001 17:26:21 -0400 From: Merujo Subject: Re: Alloy: Urban Tribal and more Harlesden - W10, London. I used to know the night bus route number because it's the home of the Mean Fiddler club where I saw Erasure when "Sometimes" was the big song. Also saw Katrina and the Waves there (1986) - very fun - it was mostly the band's friends and family, and it was Katrina's birthday. Much happiness all around. Cheers, Melissa, just back from NYC - saw The Bobs perform in a funky little club near NYU and laughed my butt off! ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 Jun 2001 22:47:42 +0100 From: Slarvibarglhee Subject: Re: Alloy: Serious question about Alloy members access style Tim Hudson wrote: > [snipped] > > 2). How do Alloy users log on to the list ? Do we know how many people > do this for 'free' or 'via work' ....cough ! and how many are running > up huge phone bills in connection time to read the list? I dial up from home, download my mail and disconnect again, then read it all off-line, so it doesn't cost a lot. I do almost all my surfing from work during my breaks (which IS allowed), and also have a webmail account which I usually access from there, becuase I can only read that on-line really. Slarv ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 16:29:25 -0700 (PDT) From: Robin Thurlow Subject: Alloy: lyrics etc Brian wrote: "Urban Tribal" lyrics :: Hand on Bible to still the urban tribal From her blood :: I'd always heard it as 'distill' rather than 'to still'. I've never seen the official lyrics printed out anywhere so I have no real idea. While we're on the topic though, can anyone send in the lyrics to "Puppet Theatre"? as they best understand them anyway? I can do this myself when I get home on Sunday, but I've been hoping this song would come up for discussion because the lyrics really seem very strong to me, and though Thomas mentioned in his live show that it was inspired by someone (a puppeteer I think, called Mr Magic..?) the lyrics themselves have a far deeper meaning for me when I listen to the song. BTW I was too quick to write before. I think Robyn M's birthday is actually on *Thursday* rather than Friday But please have a good one Robyn! :) I've just come down with my obligatory nasty headcold/cough while in Britain, and we've got to get ourselves braced up for another 24 hours worth of travel starting tomorrow night with another overnight coach, heading back down to London. Maybe having a cold will make it all feel like just a big bad hallucination. I can't wait to get back. Thomas has apparently also been travelling to Tokyo for a Nokia conference, according to the Thomas Watch section @ http://www.thomasdolby.com (link through the Inner Sanctum). I'll try to keep my eye out for news of that conference but if anyone else should hear of it please post if you can. Many of you will be a lot closer to your computers than I will for the next few days, and all news is always very much appreciated :) Just briefly, for those who may be interested... we've had some good art news while we've been away. Someone back in NY is interested in buying one of Dave's larger pieces and a set of three small ones. The three little ones are on wood blocks and are actually the first ones I ever posed for when we were still just pals! They're sentimental to me, but at the same time I'd feel honored to think of them in someone's collection... plus the income is definitely needed. I hope to check in one last time here but if not, I will see you again on Sunday. Thanks to Paul and of course to *everyone* on this list for keeping things going, and for carrying on such great conversations this week, as always ~ and a very warm welcome to those just joining us. Please feel free to join in or start a topic of your own, or just tell us about yourself & how you came to be a Thomas Dolby fan. Thanks also to Tim for bringing up the issue of post length/quality... I myself will certainly refrain from posting such silly things here as I did yesterday.. take care everyone, xxxx Robin T Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2001 18:42:13 -0700 From: Jon Drukman Subject: Re: Alloy: lyrics etc At 04:29 PM 6/7/2001 -0700, Robin T wrote: >:: Hand on Bible to still the urban tribal > From her blood :: > >I'd always heard it as 'distill' rather than 'to >still'. me too but i went back and listened again and now i'm not so sure. argh. >While we're on >the topic though, can anyone send in the lyrics to >"Puppet Theatre"? as they best understand them >anyway? i'll give it a whirl as it's one of my fave td tracks ever... one more night in the puppet theater and i'm dancing on a string one more pawn for the puppet master the lines are drawn the hook is in and they use me for a plaything but i'm crying (real tears) in an ocean of gold we are half of a million people and our limbs have lost control and we make the machines a dozen at a time the only song we know [one more night] same old night in the puppet theater same old dancing on a string one more pawn for the puppet master can't take it any more, the hook is in and the surgery of the open heart there's a soldier on every freighter and a madman in control and to break the machines four arrows at a time the only song we know [one more night] so i wound up alone on the dance floor and a laser hit me in the eye i began to feel my body dissolving melting in a pool of light and they need me for a plaything but i'm crying (real tears) [one more night] >I can do this myself when I get home on >Sunday, but I've been hoping this song would come up >for discussion because the lyrics really seem very >strong to me, and though Thomas mentioned in his live >show that it was inspired by someone (a puppeteer I >think, called Mr Magic..?) the lyrics themselves have >a far deeper meaning for me when I listen to the song. heh heh ... mr magic is not a puppeteer - thomas was having a joke. the music for puppet theatre originally was created for a song called "mr magic's wand" by the early 80's electro/rap band Whodini. the music in the whodini track is actually closer to the live version of puppet theater. same drums/bassline. also the phrase "rapattack" which features so heavily in hyperactive is from this song too. "oh my god i think i'm having a rap attack!" "somebody get a doctor quick man, she's having an attack!" "she said rap attack man, not a heart attack!" - -jsd- oh ps robin: i am doing another piece for zim... watch for a character called "poop dog" in a future episode. ------------------------------ End of alloy-digest V6 #145 ***************************