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31.12
Yesterday aftenoon Tim and I went to see the Holocaust exhibition at the Imperial War Museum. Well worth a visit. Pictured above is part of a scale model of the entrance to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
25.12
Merry Christmas. A nice restful one with the family.
11.12
Happy birthday mother.Some happy Christmas memories from last year. This joyous song really does encapsulate all the good things about Christmas in London.
10.12
The next in a series of features on digital photography in the Daily Mirror appeared today. Jackie - thanks for the holiday to Arizona.
9.12
I was just browsing the forthcoming events at the Imperial War Museum. I'm not quite sure what to make of this.8.12
An article from field-journalist Anachronus Rastaplume reproduced below:I CAN'T HELP KILLING PEOPLE - I'M ONLY HUMAN
An interview with Barry Thegg
Barry Thegg, 37, from Bracknell, has a rare addiction that puts him at odds with the law - he likes killing people. Barry claims to have killed more than 12 people so far - a number which he says can only go higher. Barry was in an ebullient mood when I caught up with him yesterday afternoon, picking through bits of flesh with a fork in his back garden. 'As long as I keep myself to myself and my victim, then I'm really minding my own business and I don't see what it's got to do with anyone else', he chortled. 'Time was, when I'd have to resign from my job at the immigration department under a bloody great cloud. A few decades ago, I wouldn't have been able walk the streets for shame. Now I can hold my head up high - and also the heads of some of my clients.'
David Blunkett has hit the headlines more recently for cheating on his wife and fathering a love child. 'It's great!', hoots Thegg, 'What an example to the rest of us. I feel like I can do what I want without fear of losing my job, safe in the knowledge that every additional murder I commit lessens the guilt I feel and makes it more acceptable behaviour in polite society. Whatever the hell that is.' There were times when Barry was confused, remorseful and angry. He thought about handing himself in and ceasing his blood-thirsty rampages. 'Now, it's just like, well, -I'm only human-, I can't help it' says Barry.
Barry is finding support now at the highest levels. 'Oh, yeah, my boss just laughs and says things like 'Mind your backs, boys' when we're all the pub. It's hilarious!' Barry is sympathetic to those people who criticize or even openly condemn his actions. 'They're just old-fashioned. They don't get it. The world is changing and I suppose some people will always have great difficulty with that. But we've got to adapt and move with the times. My addiction to murdering people doesn't affect them and might never.' Barry has been writing letters of support to David Blunkett with his favourite red crayon.
'I think it's important for Dave to know he has not just my support, but the support of everyone who feels restricted by outdated moral values and would just like to get out there and do their own thing.' Barry adds- 'For Mr Blunkett, that's sex. For me, it's killing. I don't judge him and I don't expect him to judge me.' I left Barry putting the finishing touches to the real skin and bone wendy-house he's building for himself. I asked him if he had any words of advice for people suffering from the same addiction. 'Just be yourself', Barry replied, 'and don't listen to what anyone else says - they have no right to judge you...You have a nice pearly white neck.'
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The bidding for the haunted cane (below) went haywire towards the end, with the final bid of $65,100 made by online casino goldenpalace.com (the ones who recently bought the Virgin Mary grilled cheese sandwich).Funnily enough, I was just rummaging around under my bed where I came across one of our family heirlooms. This ancient telephone has been in our family for years and is known to be haunted by a long departed aunt who used to cause me great distress as a child by calling and forcing me to speak on it.
Potential bidders: This finely crafted ancient heirloom features a magical castle with a working carousel detailing couples doing an eerie ghostly waltz. In addition to the spooky carousel this working telephone features a novelty clock and 40w lamp. It comes complete with call waiting flash button, redial, speaker phone and very ghostly feel.
haywire adj. ‘poorly equipped, makeshift,’ 1905, Amer.Eng., lit. ’soft wire for binding bales of hay,’ from hay + wire. The extended sense being of something only held together with this, particularly said to be from use in New England lumber camps for jerry-rigging and makeshift purposes, so that haywire outfit became the term for a logging camp chronically ill-equipped and short on supplies. Its springy, uncontrollable quality led to the sense in 'go haywire' (1929).
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Tilly and the Wall's cover of Outkast's Hey ya! is both joyous and buoyant and does well to rival both Doot Doot Plot by the Hidden Cameras and A Time for Emily by the Elected.
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An ideal Christmas gift - this practical walking stick comes with a free ghost of a grumpy grandfather.
